New facilities will be constructed for local students studying to become an enrolled nurse or assistants in nursing.
Local State member for Bega and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Dr Michael Holland announced $2.2-million is set to be spent over the next six months enhancing the current teaching space at Moruya TAFE next door to the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital.
“This project is part of a statewide Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) program, ensuring TAFE NSW training facilities meet national accreditation standards, legal compliance requirements and student safety regulations,” Dr Holland said.
There’ll be two new simulated nursing training wards, including new beds, tables and other equipment required to meet the ANMAC standards,” he said.
“The upgrade will also include a new mobile nursing station, upgraded audio-visual equipment to support modern teaching and learning delivery, dirty and clean preparation room, a training bathroom, nurses station and lobby, new lunchroom facilities and accessible toilets.”
Acting Coastal Manager for Southern NSW Local Health District Brian Bonham said there’s a real shortfall in these positions that needs to be filled in our region.
“We try to aim for an 80/20 mix of registered nurses to enrolled nurses,” Mr Bonham said.
“There’s not a lot of enrolled nurses out in the system at the moment so that’s where we find our most vacancies,” he said.
“So this idea of TAFE training people locally will help support and improve that.
“We are desperately short of enrolled nurses in the system.”
Moruya TAFE staff have welcomed the upgrade to fit out an existing building with a modern, fit-for-purpose training environment that better prepare graduates for real-world clinical settings.
TAFE nursing teacher Jenny Fitz said it will help attract more local students to become enrolled nurses.
“It’s definitely upgrading what we’ve got here and just having a new teaching space,” Ms Fitz said.
“It’ll definitely bring more nurses in,” she said.
The current training for enrolled nursing was moved from Batemans Bay to Moruya in 2024 to align with the new Level Four Eurobodalla Regional Hospital.
