FIVE nurses from Salem have donned different hats leaving the aged care sector behind to temporarily work as rostered staff at St Vincent’s Hospital’s acute ward.

The three nurses from Northridge Salem and two from Salem embarked on 40 shifts in the Toowoomba-based private hospital to gain hands-on clinical experience.

The first 10 shifts were supernumerary (not part of the workforce but perceived as engaged in a mentoring relationship) after which each nurse managed their own case load of six patients.

Salem’s General Manager Terry Arthur, who kicked off the program in June 2010, is a great believer in ongoing education and up-skilling employees.

“This experience has given them a wonderful opportunity to grow professionally,” he said.

“It has consolidated the fact that the acute staff have a busy and intense workload with a rapid turnover of patients treating the illness and administering clinical procedures in a fast pace environment.

“In contrast, aged care staff have excellent basic clinical skills, look at all the underlying facets which affect the aged care patients and deliver optimal holistic care.

“This partnership with St Vincent’s Hospital has greatly enhanced the relationship and understanding between the two facilities.”

St Vincent’s Hospital received two awards because of this Clinical Partnership Program (the Private Hospital Innovation Award and Catholic Hospital Initiative Award).

Salem Northridge Director of Nursing Maxine Noone said the program gave participants great insight into how the other half live.

“The registered nurses were exposed to clinical skills such as preparing intravenous infusion, managing IV pumps, administering IV antibiotics and ECG monitoring,” she said.

“St Vincent’s Hospital were very trusting of our staff and allowed them to gain valuable experience in an unobtrusive manner.

“The unit manager commented favorably how adept our staff were in delivering optimal care.”

Salem’s program participants included enrolled nurse (medication endorsed) Sue Pascoe, registered nurse Robert Shipley, enrolled nurse (medication endorsed) Monica Barge, registered nurse Simon Brew and registered nurse Pat Woldt.

Northridge Salem’s registered nurse Pat Woldt has not been in an acute setting for 25 years and she said the experience was invaluable.

“It was challenging, very informative and it increased my thirst for knowledge,” she said.

“It gave me a clear understanding of acute staffing and also how our relationships with residents and families are more intense than in the acute setting.”

Maxine said they hoped to continue the program and encouraged more staff to get involved.

“It has consolidated the fact aged care is where they want to be and not in the acute setting,” she said.

“We’re now considering having St Vincent’s participants coming over to Northridge and Salem as part of their graduate program.”

From left to right: Sue Pascoe (enrolled nurse), Terry Arthur (Salem’s General Manager), Monica Barge (enrolled nurse), Maxine Noone (Director of Nursing), Pat Woldt (registered nurse)