Strategies to support the growth and evolution of nursing and midwifery education in Tasmania

There is a prediction of significant nursing workforce shortfalls across Australia. Tasmania, as an island state of Australia, is more sensitive to such a shortage due to the existing challenges associated with pre-service and postgraduate nurse education, training, recruitment and retention. This paper describes strategies adopted by the School of Nursing (SoN), University of Tasmania to ensure the preparation and sustainability of the registered nurse workforce that is pivotal for state-wide healthcare. Due to lower levels of educational attainment amongst Tasmanian school leavers, the SoN has developed alternative pathway programs that offer entry for students who do not meet standardised entry. Staged progression to pedagogically sound online teaching platforms, pre-requisite limitations and uncoupling subject contents are strategies that have been incorporated in new undergraduate curriculum. The SoN’s postgraduate program includes a suite of 24 specialisations including a post-registration midwifery specialisation and students have the flexible option to exit the program at a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or finish at a master’s level. Partnerships with local industry, nursing associations, healthcare consumers, other health disciplines and students ensure that the SoN is responsive to sector needs and regulatory authority requirements to graduate qualified registered nurses serving in highly-demanding healthcare environments.