Geraldton Universities Centre celebrate Bachelor of Nursing 10-year anniversary with more than 150 graduates

Geraldton Universities Centre celebrated 10 years since partnering with the University of Southern Queensland to offer its nursing program, providing local students access to facilities on the ground. Head of nursing and midwifery at University of Southern Queensland Professor Linda Deravin visited Geraldton on Monday to celebrate the 10-year anniversary, joining staff and students for afternoon tea. Since offering the Bachelor of Nursing program in Geraldton, 152 students have gone on to become registered nurses in the Mid West. Another 10 students will graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing this year, with a record-number of applications being processed for next year’s cohort, according to GUC director Natalie Nelmes. Ms Nelmes said the program gave more locals the credentials and experience to go on to become nurses in Geraldton and the Mid West. “Our students are enrolled in the online program, but we deliver the face-to-face components that are necessary,” she said. “We provide tutorials for the theoretical units, we provide the clinical laboratory type skills development that students would otherwise travel to Queensland to complete, and we source and supervise their practice locally here at GUC,” she said. Prof. Deravin said it was a successful partnership and the University of Southern Queensland was committed to providing education to regional communities. “Developing and building our regional health workforce is critical to sustaining our communities in the long term, “ she said. “Being able to provide that education locally at the regional level, allows access for people that potentially may not have been able to access that education.” Associate professor Coralie Graham said those who studied locally already understood the culture and unique needs of their environment, which provided an advantage for students. “The people who have lived here all their lives would have a much better understanding of First Nations health, the unique needs there, and generally the things that you see in country areas that you do not see in cities,” she said. “Students who come from these rural and remote areas have a really good understanding of that.”