Nurses who’ve had a career break but want to return to nursing can to get back into practice through the Return to Nursing Programme.
Open to all registered and enrolled nurses, the programme runs again this year at Southland Hospital starting 30 July 2018.
Many nurses have returned to nursing through the programme says SDHB Nurse Educator Shelley McDonald.
“The course provides an opportunity to update clinical skills and knowledge to practice again and regain the Annual Practicing Certificate with Nursing Council New Zealand.”
Debbie Fowler, a relief Practice Nurse in Bluff, did the 2017 course and can’t recommend it enough.
Debbie was a public servant for nine years but realised she hadn’t got nursing out of her system. She says course tutors and support were outstanding.
“The course offers so much and there are so many opportunities for nurses out there. The best thing is being back doing what I’ve always meant to do.”
Apply via “Join our Team’ at southerndhb.govt.nz, or contact Shelley McDonald (shelley.mcdonald@southerndhb.govt.nz) Deadline is 11 June.
Southern DHB proudly celebrated International Nurses Day last week, and Charge Nurse Manager Karen Kempin is a shining example of just how diverse a career in nursing can be.
As well as taking on a key role in launching of the National Bowel Screening Programme in the district, she is also one of only four nurses in the country completing endoscopy training, enabling her to carry out gastroscopy and colonoscopy procedures independently.
“The classic role for endoscopy nurses has been to stand by the doctors, take biopsies, and make sure the patient is OK. Whereas now I’m the one running the endoscope and doing the procedure, so that’s very exciting,” says Karen.
She encourages more nurses to consider the specialty: “There’s a real scope for advance practice roles, to go above and beyond the traditional nursing role.”
Karen has also enjoyed working recently on the roll out of the bowel screening programme: “Bowel screening is not just for those who do the test but their families, whānau and wider communities. It’s great to be a part of it.”
