Canberra Hospital

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Foundation Program at Canberra Hospital is a 12-month initiative designed to help you transition into specialty practice within the critical care environment. It aims to enhance your knowledge and skills to provide safe, patient-centred nursing care at an introductory level in the intensive care unit.

The program offers a solid foundation in advanced patient care, critical thinking, and clinical decision-making. You'll gain hands-on experience through a structured development program that includes:

• Foundation Ventilation Workshop
• Advanced Life Support Workshop
• Supernumerary upskill shift for ventilation
• Supernumerary upskill shift for tracheostomy

The 12-month ICU Foundation Program includes orientation to the unit, supernumerary shifts, and study days tailored to your clinical development stages. These courses are facilitated by the Foundation Coordinator and the ICU Education Team, providing support and education throughout the program.

North Canberra Hospital

The NCH ICU Foundation Program is a 6-month initiative for graduates in their second rotation of the graduate program. This program helps nurses gain the essential skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the fast-paced critical care environment.

Once you complete the six-month program, you're encouraged to continue your career in ICU, receiving further education and training as you develop specialised clinical skills and knowledge.

Canberra Hospital

The Emergency Department (ED) Foundations Program is a 12-month initiative that introduces you to emergency nursing. It provides a supportive environment to prepare you for the high-intensity, fast-paced ED setting.

Throughout the program, you'll experience all areas of the department. Each nurse will rotate within two streams, receiving orientation, supernumerary shifts and further training in:

• Stream A - Acute
• Stream B - Paediatrics, fast track and Emergency Management Unit

You'll receive an orientation handbook and need to meet key competencies throughout the program. There are targeted education and study days covering:

• Resus for Kids
• Adult Advanced Life Support
• Paediatric Advanced Life Support
• Neonatal Advanced Life Support
• Leadership - pod leading and clinical initiative nurse training
• Occupational violence training

You'll have ongoing support from the clinical education team, senior nurses, and POD leaders. The department provides shadow shifts for each rotation, pairing you with a senior nurse who will support and guide you.

North Canberra Hospital

North Canberra Hospital has recently introduced this foundation program for graduate nurses. You'll be assisted by a team of highly experienced emergency staff as you adjust to the dynamic environment.

Your 12 months will include orientation, supported supervised practice, and study days as you progress through different areas of the ED. Many of these study days will cover new knowledge in mental health, paediatric care, and advanced clinical and leadership skills.

This program is designed to provide graduate nurses with an introduction to Paediatric nursing. It covers all aspects of family centred care with a focus on the particular needs of the infant, the adolescent, and general paediatric medical and surgical nursing.

You will learn about the unique needs of the child, including their growth and development, age-appropriate assessments and the management of common paediatric conditions.

The program will prepare you to confidently manage the acutely unwell child.

You will have the opportunity to practice in several of the different areas of the paediatric department, which includes:

• Adolescent Ward
• Medical Ward
• Surgical Ward
• High Care Ward
• Paediatric Day Stay Unit
• Paediatric Hospital in the Home
• Paediatric Outpatients Department

You will start your paediatric rotation with a two-day basic skills and orientation program and supernumerary shifts. You will be supported in your practice by a team of Clinical Development Nurses, rostered seven days a week.

Ongoing education opportunities include:

• In-service every weekday, with monthly education themes
• KidsResus workshops
• Fortnightly interdisciplinary simulation
• Paediatric Study Days
• Diabetes
• Oncology
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• Introduction to Paediatrics: Infant, Medical, Surgical, Adolescent (four study days).

The Neonatal Foundation Program at Canberra Hospital is designed for registered nurses new to neonatal care. It offers a supportive environment with dedicated study days, orientation and supernumerary shifts.

The program includes two six-month rotations in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Special Care Nursery (SCN).

Through evidence-based learning and hands on training facilitated by a dedicated team of nursing educators, you will deliver high-quality care to newborns born prematurely or with critical health conditions.

Key areas of education and training include:

• Neonatal assessment
• Invasive and non-invasive respiratory support
• Nutrition
• Congenital conditions
• Family centred care and support

After finishing the program, you will be able to work confidentiality across both units.

Mental Health, Justice Health, Alcohol and Drug Services (MHJHADS) Foundation Nursing Program is designed to equip nurses with the essential knowledge and skills needed to provide compassionate, effective care to clients experiencing mental health challenges.

Through a combination of face-to-face sessions, eLearning and clinical experience, the program covers a range of topics, including:

• MHJHADS core clinical training
• Diversity and inclusion
• Child protection
• Smoking and vaping
• Alcohol and other drugs in the acute and chronic setting
• Occupational violence
• Borderline Personality Disorder core competency workshop

You will gain a strong understanding of mental health conditions, the Mental Health Act, professional standards and the principle of Do No Harm.

Clinical rotations through a variety of settings are facilitated by the experienced education team, providing you with ongoing support through orientation and supernumerary days, as well as additional study days.

The variety of settings you could work in include forensic mental health at Dhulwa Secure Mental Health Unit, Alexander Maconochie Centre, Adult Mental Health Unit or Mental Health Short Stay Unit, as well as community and outpatient settings.

Your wellbeing and development as a mental health practitioner is a strong focus throughout this program.

The 12-month Perioperative Nursing Program helps nurses develop skills in all areas of perioperative nursing. This program offers support from a dedicated education team and includes training to help new registered nurses learn and improve.

The Perioperative Unit at Canberra Hospital includes:

• Day of Surgery Admissions (DOSA) Unit
• Operating Theatres with various surgical specialties
• Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU)
• Extended Day Surgery Unit (EDSU)
• Several other procedural/invasive specialty areas

The Canberra Hospital Operating Suite handles major surgical procedures, including referrals from nearby regions. Our specialties include Orthopaedics, Trauma, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, ENT, Plastics, Vascular, Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic, General Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Ophthalmic, and Maxillofacial Surgery.

This program lets you work in key areas within the perioperative unit including:

• Anaesthetics
• SCRUB
• Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU)
• Extended Day Surgery Unit (EDSU)

The foundations program provides a structured and supportive learning environment. It aims to give you the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in each clinical area. The program includes formal study days, orientation, and supernumerary days, all facilitated by the perioperative clinical educators.