New models and partnerships help optimise patient care
Advanced practice nurses
Our multidisciplinary approach to patient care received a boost this year with the strategic placement of 4 new highly trained Nurse Practitioners (NPs) across varying departments at RPH.
NPs are advanced practice nurses who are legislatively authorised to undertake diagnostic assessment and treat, prescribe and refer patients within their approved scope of practice.
Educated to a master’s level, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has endorsed them to provide patient care in an autonomous and extended clinical role.
New NPs were allocated to the Acute Medical Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Infectious Diseases Department and Haematology Department. Three of the four new NPs already worked for RPH before taking on the roles.
Nursing Director Safety and Quality, Kelly-Ann Hahn, said the NPs bolstered the multidisciplinary approach to patient care and increased the breadth of senior nursing roles at the hospital.
“These are senior experienced nurses with advanced diagnostics and assessment skills who are able to prescribe, and who are working within specialised fields alongside medical and allied health to expedite patient care,” she said.
Our team of health care professionals with their areas of expertise provide comprehensive care that supports the needs of our patients and their families.
Generalist Clinical Nurse Specialist
October 2023 saw the introduction of a new Generalist Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) role across St John of God Midland Public Hospital (SJGMPH).
This new model aims to enhance care provided to patients by providing uninterrupted CNS coverage, reducing handovers and increasing the availability of skilled care for all patients.
City-country haemodialysis pathway
To address a critical renal haemodialysis nursing shortage in regional areas, RPH and WA Country Health Service (WACHS) announced a new partnership in February 2024.
Under the new WACHS-RPH Haemodialysis Intensive Pathway, country nurses spend 6 weeks learning new skills with the RPH renal team.
The first nurses to participate in the training travelled to RPH from Kalgoorlie and Albany in February. More groups are planned in the coming year.
WACHS’ Renal Dialysis Service cares for up to a third of WA’s dialysis patients and the pathway provides country nurses with important new skills they can use in the regions to deliver care closer to home.
Undergraduate Nursing Partnership Program
April 2024 saw the establishment of a new Partnership Program between EMHS and Curtin University.
The program provides the opportunity for nursing student undergraduates (from second year of training and above) to apply for one of a limited number of places in the program.
Benefits of the partnership program
A key benefit of the clinical placement partnership, is that it provides the opportunity for the majority of the undergraduates’ practical training blocks to be accommodated within EMHS. This allows students to be more familiar with hospital processes, procedures and layout.
Nursing students who have completed 50 per cent of their bachelor’s degree and possess academic good standing are also eligible to apply for a fixed term contract as an Assistant in Nursing within EMHS, allowing them further opportunity to develop their nursing skills whilst earning an income.
Partnership students are offered additional training and support including:
- access to simulation training events
- support for Graduate Program applications
- preparing selection criteria workshops
- group coaching to prepare for interviews (third year students and above).
The diverse clinical services available within EMHS provide students with a range of placement opportunities that will assist them to gain learning experiences to help make them ‘job ready’ on graduation. This includes:
Royal Perth Hospital
- Community Mental Health and outpatient services
- Acute Medical Ward
- Surgical/Medical: General Surgical; Mental Health (third year students); Intensive Care Unit (ICU); State Major Trauma Unit (SMTU)
- Medical: Emergency Department (ED); Acute Surgical Unit; Operating Theatres
Bentley Health Service
- Medical Ward
- Surgical Ward
- Rehabilitation Wards
- Mental Health Wards
- Operating Theatres
Armadale Health Service and Kalamunda Hospital
- Medical/Acute Medical Wards
- Rehabilitation and Sub-Acute Care Ward
- Mental Health/Surgical Wards
- Operating Theatres/Endoscopy
- Critical care ED/ICU
- Mental Health/Surgical Wards
- Operating Theatres/Endoscopy
- Critical care ED/ICU
At the end of June 2024, EMHS had 15 partnership students, who are identified by their Partnership Program badge.
