Aged care nursing program increases workforce in rural Qld

A successful program that has already placed dozens of nursing graduates into aged care jobs has expanded to Kingaroy, with two final year students now breaking new ground at a local facility.

The clinical placement initiative, developed in partnership with the University of Sunshine Coast (UniSC) and Lutheran Services, provides Bachelor of Nursing students with intensive final placement support designed to prepare them for entry into the industry and to grow the aged care workforce.

Lutheran Services regional manager Stephanie Wilson said the program had exceeded expectations since launching as a pilot at Gympie’s Cooinda Aged Care in 2022.

“We are excited to now introduce the first two participants in the Transition to Practice Program to Orana Aged Care in Kingaroy and grow our current program operating at four other Lutheran Services sites,” Mrs Wilson said.

Since its inception, 63 graduates have completed their final placement with Lutheran Services, with more than half securing employment as registered nurses at the organisation’s aged care facilities.

“Our first placements for 2025 began in June and will be the largest cohort to date with 28 participants across five of our 11 aged care sites,” Mrs Wilson said.

“This year we expect to have completed more than 90 total placements since 2022.”

The two-month intensive program provides students with specialised training in dementia care, fall prevention and end-of-life care, delivered by experienced geriatric nurses and UniSC clinical facilitators.

UniSC student Chirady Alquizar, from Kilcoy, is completing her eight-week placement at Orana, alongside fellow student Ivy Li.

“This experience has shown me how rewarding aged care can be and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to really connect with the residents,” Ms Alquizar said.

Ms Wilson said the program represented a shift in perceptions about aged care nursing, and said she looked forward to the potential expansion of the program to more sites across the state.

“Aged care was once seen as being a place where RNs went to retire but this has changed,” she said.

“The sector is now recognised for providing quality career paths with opportunities for complex chronic disease management and supporting mental health issues with a holistic approach.”