Clinical training at UTAS will help increase health workforce
The UTAS Faculty of Health Science (FHS) recently received a visit from Health Workforce Australia (HWA), an Australian Government Initiative representatives Mr Keith Crammond and Ms Michelle Tang, who were interested in viewing the Faculty’s HWA funded innovative programs to enhance clinical training.
HWA is committed to improving Clinical Training Placements to support greater training capacity in the health care system. UTAS secured funding from HWA over the past three years which has assisted the FHS to improve, enhance and increase clinical placements across allied health disciplines including medicine, paramedicine, nursing pharmacy and social work.
Mr Crammond and Ms Tang were met by the Associate Head of Paramedic Practice, Mr Mike McCall who gave a demonstration of the simulation paramedic vehicle that was purchased with funds from Health Workforce Australia and is now used regularly by students of the Bachelor of Paramedic Practice.
“The vehicle has significantly improved our ability to provide students practical skills and clinical training before they go on placement with the state ambulance service,” said Mr McCall.
“We obtain permission from the local council to set up simulated scenarios in public spaces around the city and students are required to attend to the call-out and respond to simulated mannequins in an emergency scenario.”
Mr Crammond and Ms Tang also toured Queen Victoria Home (QVH) where they were able to visit the newly established interdisciplinary learning centre that is part of the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre Teaching Aged Care Facilities Project. .
Wicking Research Fellow, Dr Michael Annear, who led the tour, said the centre has enabled significant increases in the number of Faculty of Health Science students attending a placement in the aged care facility. Students are embedded at the facility for up to four weeks, so an on-site learning centre is critical to the success of the program.
“The centre has allowed Queen Victoria Home to increase its student placements from six students per year to 80 students per year from disciplines including medicine, nursing, and paramedicine – a 1300 per cent increase in just two years,” said Dr Michael Annear.
“QVH staff have embraced the new facilities and formed an innovation group who convene weekly in the large meeting room to discuss ways to improve student placements and to reflect on their own practice.”
Mr Crammond and Ms Tang also enjoyed a tour of the Medical Science Precinct at the Domain Campus in Hobart. Mr Crammond said in 2014 Health Workforce Australia will aim to continue building workforce capacity in Australia.
Image (L-R): Mr Jonathan Bugg, Mr Keith Crammond, Ms Michelle Tang and Mr Michael McCall.