2014 GRADUATE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY TRANSITION TO ...€¦ · 2014 Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Transition to Professional Practice Handbook NSW Health 3 Welcome to the NSW Health

2014 GRADUATENURSING AND MIDWIFERYTRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE HANDBOOK

NSW MINISTRY OF HEALTH73 Miller StreetNORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060Tel: (02) 9391 9000Fax: (02) 9391 9101TTY: (020) 9391 9900www.health.nsw.gov.au

Produced by: Nursing and Midwifery OfficeNSW Ministry of HealthTel: (02) 9391 9528Fax: (02) 9391 9468Email: [email protected]

This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or part for study or training purposes subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement or the source. It may be reproduced for commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above requires written permission from the NSW Ministry of Health.

© NSW Ministry of Health 2013

SHPN (NM) 130079ISBN 978-1-74187-819-6

For further copies of this document please contact: The Better Health CentrePO Box 672NORTH RYDE NSW 2113

Tel: (02) 9887 5450Fax: (02) 9887 5452

Further copies of this document can be downloaded from the NSW Health website www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing

April 2013

12014 Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Transition to Professional Practice Handbook NSW Health

I am delighted to welcome you to the first edition of the Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Transition to Professional Practice Handbook. Your final year at University comes around so very quickly and now it’s time to consider your transition from student to registered nurse or midwife and of course where you will seek employment.

This handbook is designed to provide you with the information that you need to make the process easier as we appreciate that it can be confusing and a little daunting. In regard to your choices about potential locations for employment my best advice is to keep your mind open to the many, many different options available to you in terms of location and health care setting. A number of Local Health Districts are now offering positions in community health and mental health as well as in their acute hospitals. I can tell you from personal experience that the rural, regional and remote parts of NSW also offer wonderful opportunities for

WELCOME

nurses and midwives and should be considered when making your choices.

Nursing and midwifery are outstanding careers - this is just the beginning and I wish you well for the exciting future that awaits you.

Susan PearceChief Nursing and Midwifery Officer

2 NSW Health 2014 Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Transition to Professional Practice Handbook

Designed by the Nursing and Midwifery Office, NSW HealthApril 2013

The Nursing and Midwifery Office, NSW Health would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the following who have contributed to the development of this handbook: �� The 2014 Transition to

Professional Practice Working Party, NSW Health for their assistance in editing this handbook

�� Nursing in Victoria, Victorian Government Health for access to the ‘Nurse & Midwife Graduate Handbook 2012’


Welcome to the NSW Health Nursing and Midwifery Transition to Professional Practice Recruitment. Gaining employment as a new graduate is a competitive process, so you need to stand out from the crowd. This handbook will assist you in preparing to transition from being a student of nursing or midwifery to gaining employment as a Registered Nurse or Midwife in 2014.

To help you get organised, this handbook is divided into three (3) sections:

1. Getting organised – from April 20132. The job application process from June to October 2013 3. Planning for employment – from November 2013

2014 GRADUATE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY RECRUITMENT HANDBOOK –YOUR KEY TO TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE


Information about 2014 Application process on NSW Health Nursing and Midwifery websiteStart your job application FileResearch where you would like to workAttend University and employer open days

Wednesday 5 June - Applications open for NSW Health 2014 Transition to Professional Practice positions Wednesday 17 July - Applications close for NSW Health 2014 Transition to Professional Practice positions

Interviews conducted

Hospitals select applicants for positions

Thursday 3 October - Hospitals advise all applicants of interview outcomeAcceptance of positions offered - applicants must accept or decline online by Thursday 17 October

Prepare for employment - pre-register with NMBA for registration

April - May2013

June - July 2013

August2013

September 2013

October2013

Nov - Dec2013

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS AT A GLANCE


It is never too early to get organised for your employment search.

A good place to commence is to start a Job File. This will help you be prepared when you are invited for interview. Your Job File should include:

�� Your curriculum vitae/resume. You will need this when completing your online application

�� Copies of your identification and residency documentation - Australian birth certificate - Passport - Driver’s Licence - Visa information if you are not an Australian citizen

�� Immunisation status�� Referee contact details and

written references

Many, but not all, nurses and midwives start their professional careers by undertaking a ‘Transition to Professional Practice’ or graduate program.

NSW Public Hospitals and facilities, and some not-for-profit private hospitals, participate in the NSW Health centralised Transition to Professional Practice (TPP) recruitment.

The TPP offers graduate nurses and midwives consolidated clinical support (including preceptorship) and education study days, which goes beyond normal orientation and induction of new employees. The TPP may include opportunities for rotations to different areas of the organisation or have short periods of observation in specialised areas of care. The TPP may also offer specialised programs for some clinical specialties, including mental health, critical care, peri-operative nursing, community nursing, and rural and remote nursing, to name a few.

It is important that you research where you would like to work. Give consideration to working in rural and regional areas, and a diverse range of hospitals.

GETTING ORGANISED


Working in a rural community can provide many nursing or midwifery experiences that you may not find working in a large metropolitan hospital. Similarly, limiting your preferences to a particular type of hospital, eg paediatric hospitals, will restrict your recruitment opportunities. Information about participating hospitals can be found on the NSW Health Nursing and Midwifery Office website: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/employment/recruit.asp

The TPP is a competitive process and it is anticipated that more people will apply than there are positions available so it is important to be prepared and well organised for the application and recruitment process.

Preparing your Curriculum VitaeYour curriculum vitae is a way of marketing yourself. Consider carefully what employers might want from a graduate and the traits and abilities they would value:

�� Include transferable skills that you have gained through study, volunteer work and employment. Transferable skills demonstrate your capacity to do the job and are important in the current job market.

�� Avoid words like innovative, dynamic, team-player, problem solver. Be specific and concise.


You will need to include two written references in your application. When including referees’ names and contact details, ensure you have their permission first.

Interview preparationMost of us find interviews nerve-racking and stressful, even many people with years of experience, but below are some tips that can help. Performing well at interview is a learned process so interview practise will help.

The interview questions are based around the selection criteria and follow the National Competency Standards for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives. Interviews are also about building a relationship with your potential employer. Consider what your employer might want in a graduate nurse or midwife, such as: �� Being interested in the

patients’ care and welfare�� Knowing when and where to

seek guidance�� Displaying professionalism

�� Demonstrated enthusiasm for the profession of nursing or midwifery

�� Indicating a commitment to life long learning

Practise interviews by creating your own questions and answers. It is important that you can articulate about yourself and demonstrate your skills and attributes.

Check with your University to see if it is provides mock interview practise and resources.

A couple of suggested websites are:www.seek.com.au/jobs-resourcesand http://career-advice.careerone.com.au/


THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications for the NSW Health 2014 Transition to Professional Practice recruitment open at 9am Wednesday 5 June and close at 9am Wednesday 17 July 2013. Applications will only be accepted online: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/employment/recruit.asp

Are you eligible?The Eligibility and Selection Criteria is as follows:

To be eligible to apply to the 2014 Transition to Professional Practice recruitment you must: �� Be completing your nursing

or midwifery course between 1 July 2013 and 30 June 2014. Applicants who are not completing their course until July 2014 are not eligible for 2014 TPP recruitment and should wait for the 2015 TPP recruitment.

�� Be eligible for registration as a nurse or midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia prior to the agreed date for the commencement of employment. Information

about registration can be found at http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/

�� Be an Australian Citizen or hold a visa that allows ongoing full-time employment in Australia. * NOTE: Employer sponsorship is not available from NSW Health for this recruitment process. Individuals are required to apply independently for their own visa which will permit ongoing employment. www.immi.gov.au

�� Provide evidence of English language ability in accordance with the Registration Standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. For information go to http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx The evidence of the required English language ability must be provided by all applicants at Interview.


Failure to provide the required evidence of English language ability at interview may deem you ineligible for this recruitment process.

�� Provide evidence of compliance with the NSW Health Immunisation requirements at interview.

The Selection Criteria for positions is: �� Demonstrated high level

interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.

�� Demonstrated clinical knowledge and clinical problem solving abilities.

�� An understanding of and ability to work within an interdisciplinary team.

�� An understanding of the professional, ethical and legal requirements of the Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife.

�� An understanding of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Work Health and Safety (WH&S), infection control and continuous quality improvement

principles.�� A demonstrated

understanding of the CORE Values (Collaboration, Openness, Respect and Empowerment) of NSW Health.


ONLINE APPLICATION

Ensure you have your Job File with you when you commence your Application so you don’t waste time gathering the information required.

The Application Form is divided into three sections. a) Personal Detailsb) Employment choices and education course informationc) Curriculum Vitae

Personal DetailsEnsure you enter all your names as per your identification documents. If you have had more than one name (ie you may have married or changed your name), it is important that you include all names in the application. If you enter a first name and middle names in the

primary name section, which is your married and/or primary name, you must also enter your first name and middle names as well as the relevant surname in the maiden or alias name boxes. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible application.

Ensure you enter all your contact details. Include country and area codes for telephone numbers if you reside outside NSW or Australia, and do not put spaces in telephone numbers. Consider the best email address for contact throughout the recruitment process. This will be the primary way employers will contact you. Some University email addresses expire when you finish University. You may enter

Second middle name should be included in the Maiden name section


up to two email addresses in the application form.

Choice of EmployerAs part of the application you will be asked to enter a minimum of six (6) and a maximum of eight (8) hospital preferences where you would like to work. If you have done your research this should be easy to complete. Try not to enter the same hospital preference more than once. It does not increase your chances of gaining employment at that site, but rather limits your chances of gaining an offer in first round selections. Information about participating hospitals can be found on the NSW Health Nursing and Midwifery Office website http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/employment/recruit.asp

Clinical preferencesIf you are applying as a Registered Nurse you will also be asked to enter up to four (4) clinical preference areas where you would like to work. This by no means guarantees that if you are offered a position that you will be placed in a specific

clinical area, but it is does assist your potential employer when they are planning position placements and rotations.It is recommended that when you research your hospital preferences you ensure that specific clinical preferences/specialties are offered at the selected hospital preference. For example, if you select Canterbury Hospital as a hospital preference, neonatal intensive care is not a clinical specialty within Canterbury Hospital. If you wish to work in a specific clinical area (eg adolescent mental health), there is an opportunity to discuss your preference at your interview.

Availability to commence employmentThe NSW Health Transition to Professional Practice recruitment offers one centralised application process for employment to 2014 Graduate positions either commencing at the beginning of 2014 or mid way through 2014. When completing information about


your availability to commence employment, give consideration as to when you plan to be registered. For example if you complete your course in December 2013 and gain AHPRA registration in January 2014, then you will be available to commence employment from February 2014; OR, if you do not complete your course until May/June 2014, you will not be available to commence employment until July/August 2014. Please note, applicants who are not completing their course until July 2014 are not eligible for 2014 TPP recruitment and should wait until 2015 TPP recruitment.

Curriculum Vitae SectionThis section allows you to specify any previous nursing/midwifery experience you may have, either in a volunteer or employed capacity, as well as any previous employment /work experience including non-nursing/midwifery roles you have previously had. You will also have the opportunity to articulate about yourself in a free text box up to 500 words.

This will allow you to briefly describe the attributes you will bring to the role of Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife. You can also include in this section whether you intend to undertake Honours or any other postgraduate study.

RefereesAs part of your application, you need to provide two written references. The reference report templates can be downloaded from http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/employment/recruit.asp. One reference must be a clinical reference, and the second can either be a clinical / employer reference, or a character reference. You will need to include the correct contact details of the two referees in your application form.

You will also have the opportunity to upload your scanned written references at the time of application. The upload capacity for the references is 1 MB per application.


Once you have submitted your online application use your unique TPP ID Number to upload your references through the “Update Application” form.

If you do not have your written references organised by the time the applications close, you must still enter the name and contact details of your referees in the application. Referees will be verified by the employers, so make sure you have their permission before including them in your application. Your

written references will need to be provided at Interview.

Application ID NumberOnce you have submitted your application you will be issued with a unique TPP ID number. Please keep your TPP ID number in a safe place as you need it throughout the application process from updating your application through to the interview and post interview recruitment process.


INTERVIEWS AND OFFERS

Applications close at 9am on Wednesday 17 July 2013. No late applications will be accepted.

We recommend that you try not to take holidays between July and October 2013 as this is the crucial recruitment period, when interviews are conducted and offers are made. If you cannot be contacted because you are overseas then your application will be withdrawn and you will have no further opportunity for positions in this recruitment process.

Eligible applicants will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview between Monday 5 August and Friday 6 September. Interviews dates and times vary between hospitals. Applicants will be interviewed once in this recruitment process, by your first (1st) preference hospital (or Local Health District) that you select on the application form. For example; if you select Fairfield Hospital as your first preference hospital you will be invited to attend interview by South Western Sydney

Local Health District within which Fairfield is located. If you select Richmond Mental Health Network, you will be interviewed by Northern NSW Local Health District.

Applicants will be invited to interview by email so ensure you check your nominated email address inbox regularly from mid July through to early September. Also check your junk/trash/spam boxes in your email. If you do not attend for your interview and have not contacted the interviewing hospital, you will not be given another opportunity in this recruitment process. Telephone and/or skype interviews will be offered upon request and at the discretion of the interviewing hospital. Do not assume that you will be able to be interviewed by telephone.

Employment Screening ChecksIn additional to referee checks, a number of other employment screening checks are required for preferred applicants seeking employment within NSW Health facilities. These include:


�� 100 point Identification Check

�� National Criminal Record and Working with Children Check

�� Work Health and Safety and Physical Demands Checklist

For more information regarding employment screening checks, you can download the NSW Health policy www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/PD/2008/PD2008_029.html

Interview Outcomes Positions will be allocated on a merit basis where the best applicant is selected following a competitive process. This means that the applicant considered to be the most capable of performing the duties of the position is selected.

Employers will make selections for first round offers between 13-30 September and applicants will be advised of the interview outcome by email on Thursday 3 October 2013. Applicants who are offered a position will have until Thursday 17 October 2013 to accept or decline the

offer, or withdraw from the recruitment process. If you decline an offer at this stage of the recruitment process or fail to respond to the job offer by 17 October, you will be withdrawn from the recruitment process, and you will not be eligible for any other position offers.


If you are advised that you have been placed on an ‘Eligibility List’, it means that you were successful in your interview, however all positions from your eight preferences have been filled by other applicants in first round offers. Remember, this is a competitive process and it is anticipated that there will be more applicants than positions available. However, throughout the recruitment process, applicants either decline or withdraw, so hospitals use the Eligibility List to fill these positions. The Eligibility List is a State-wide list and you may be contacted by any participating hospital in NSW for job offers, and not just your initial eight hospital preferences. The Eligibility List remains open until 30 June 2014, so don’t panic if you don’t initially receive a job offer.

If you are not successful in the recruitment process, it is not the end of road. You can continue to apply to private hospitals, aged care and disability care facilities, as well the Defence Force and interstate. Health

Workforce Australia also provides a Graduate Information Portal to assist graduates looking for employment.

We also encourage you to seek feedback on your interview performance from your interviewing hospital. Seeking feedback will assist you to improve your interview performance in future interviews.

If you are on the Eligibility List and are successful in gaining a position outside this recruitment process it is courteous to advise us so we can remove you from the Eligibility List. Advice can be made to [email protected]


PLANNING FOR EMPLOYMENT

Before you can commence employment as an RN or RM, you first must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The majority of TPP positions commence in February so it is important not to delay your application for registration. The registration process can take a couple of months even if the NMBA has all the documentation. You are able to pre-register online from early October but your application will not be successfully completed until you have passed your course and the NMBA have received and assessed all the documentation.

For more information about the Registration process for Graduates, go to: http://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Graduate-Applications.aspx

Ensure your immunisation status is up to date as you cannot be employed as a Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife if you are not immunised for a range of infectious diseases.

Further information on the Immunisation requirements of NSW Health can be found at http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/pd/2011/pdf/PD2011_005.pdf

Many employers do not offer annual leave in the first 12 months of employment so if you have time between completing your course, getting registered and commencing employment, consider having a holiday. This will allow you to have a well-earned break after your studies so you will be much more focussed commencing your transition to professional practice.

Working as a Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife offers many and varied employment opportunities and experiences throughout the world.

This is just the beginning.Good Luck!

Documents

2014 GRADUATE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY TRANSITION TO ...€¦ · 2014 Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Transition to Professional Practice Handbook NSW Health 3 Welcome to the NSW Health