Nursing and midwifery careers in Hunter New England

Hello, my name is Elizabeth Gist. I'm the Executive Director of Clinical Services Nursing and Midwifery for Hunter New England Local Health District.

I'm Belinda Meyers, the Coordinator for MidStart 2025 for Hunter New England Health. Welcome to our world of midwifery.

Hi, my name is Rachel Brooks. I am one of the Midwifery Managers at the Birth Suite, John Hunter.

Hello, my name is Nicole Bennett. I'm the Service Manager for Maternity and Gynaecology Services here at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.

Hi, my name is Jennifer Haxton. I'm the Deputy Director of Nursing and Midwifery for Maternity and Gynaecology at John Hunter Hospital. You would use to describe

As a HNELHD midwifery leader, what is one word use to describe our midwifery.

Amazing, fabulous, amazing, awesome!

How do you feel seeing a new generation of midwives being taught the art of midwifery in your facility?

I'm very excited, very humbled, inspired, and excited. My heart.

What does midwifery mean to you?

Midwifery is the cornerstone of family and community. It means everything to me, and getting that good start is vital. It means working to your full scope. Privileged position. It means everything because it's been my entire professional career.

Hunter New England has a diverse and large geographic footprint across regional and rural New South Wales. We have Midstart positions across our District, with each facility offering its own unique lifestyle, from farming and agriculture to beaches and waterways. Our health site values community and work-life balance.

We have a strong leadership and educational focus with our entire team dedicated to advocating and protecting the art of midwifery.

Our aim is to nurture the next generation of midwives, ensuring that women and families are in safe hands. We would love to welcome you to our Hunter New England Midwifery family and we hope that you'll join us soon. Midstart applications for 2025 open on Tuesday, the 21st of May, until Monday, the 3rd of June.

What was your experience during your GradStart year?

Charlotte Mills – New Graduate Registered Nurse

It's quite heavy, but lots to learn and very supportive work colleagues and I’ve been working with another NewGrad, so it’s been really good. So, my first rotation was in Surgical 2 on ortho (orthopaedics) ward. I had three months there and it was really heavy, but I had so much support in that ward and it was great ward to start in… you know, feet first and jump straight in. I then went to a medical ward, Medical 1 here, and it was really good. I got started the foundations for medical nursing, learned a lot and it was a great team there as well.

Then I moved on to my specialty rotation, which was in Special Care Nursery, so loved that. I also did a bit of paediatric work with that, and while I was doing that rotation, I applied for my Midstart. And then my last rotation was in another medical war, which was Medical 2. 

Benjamin Schieb – New Graduate Registered Nurse

I was previously working at John Hunter Hospital while I was doing my studies as an AIN (Assistant in Nursing), but I’ve always wanted to come out to the country. Not that Tamworth’s the smallest town, but it’s a decent step still from Newcastle and I’ll see where I go from there - see if I like it.

I did my four-month rotation in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) here and become very familiar with the environment. Like the rest of the workmates here, the rest of the staff, everyone was super accepting, everyone was really encouraging. Everyone was saying they really wanted to see me come back, which made me feel really good, really at home, more at home than starting another new adventure where home was, I guess. I’ve sort of set myself up pretty good here, I’m pretty comfortable, pretty happy. I like the sort of quitter, happier lifestyle out here in Tamworth.

Why did you select Tamworth for your Gradstart year?

I’ve lived here for over 12 years but I was living in Sydney and after coming back to the country, it was a no-brainer. I love the community. It’s a great hospital to start at, I feel. I just love the Hunter New England area, all the little towns and the support that’s offered. No matter where in Hunter New England, they’re all such beautiful hospitals. I love Tamworth because of the size, you do get that good variety, you get the chance to go out to those little multipurpose centres and give it a crack out there. I couldn’t recommend it more (Gradstart before Midstart). It’s such a great way to, as I said, start straight off the bat, learn your base foundations for even adults because you’re still going to be dealing with them in maternity and learning the ropes of things from, you know medications to wounds to doctors and the hospital systems which coming into a maternity ward will be extremely helpful.

I was previously working at John Hunter Hospital while I was doing my studies as an AIN (Assistant in Nursing), but I’ve always wanted to come out to the country. Not that Tamworth’s the smallest town, but it’s a decent step still from Newcastle and I’ll see where I go from there - see if I like it.

I did my four-month rotation in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) here and become very familiar with the environment. Like the rest of the workmates here, the rest of the staff, everyone was super accepting, everyone was really encouraging. Everyone was saying they really wanted to see me come back, which made me feel really good, really at home, more at home than starting another new adventure where home was, I guess. I’ve sort of set myself up pretty good here, I’m pretty comfortable, pretty happy. I like the sort of quitter, happier lifestyle out here in Tamworth.

What advice would you give to someone considering the Gradstart program?

That I can do it, I will get through it and hopefully I’ll be where I will to be at the end of the year and I survived!

I’d say that you can do it, and it’s not as daunting as it seems. Have more trust in yourself, it’s such an incredible hospital to work at and a lovely team, a beautiful beautiful town. Just get in and do it and don’t be afraid.

Jump in and do it! Come out and start your grad year out here. It builds skills way faster and builds your confidence. I’m really enjoying it so far. I couldn’t recommend it enough.

I’d say don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, get out amongst the community. Everyone’s super inviting. I’ve made lots of friends pretty easily, like you’d be surprised.

And advice in terms of work, keep seeing all these awesome workmates that are supportive and are going to offer your help. They only want to see you improve, which I’ve seen myself improve over the 12 months. Still a hell of a long journey to go, I’m never going to know it all but there’s always someone that will, and you’ve definitely got that here.

How was the support during your NewGrad year?

It’s been fantastic. We’ve had lots of support on the wards. You turn around and ask anyone a question, they’re happy to answer. Educator Penny’s been great, and so have all the CNEs (Clinical Nurse Educator) on the floor. They are always happy to help. Being able to turn to a second year RN (registered Nurse) or eighth year RN or Ens (enrolled Nurse), it’s been fantastic… overwhelming support.

The support was great! As soon as Midstart was advertised, I was told by multiple people, you know, here it is, it’s ready and them knowing what I wanted to do and of course I was looking out for it.

They’ve been great in supporting whatever you want to do and obviously midwifery is a bit of a change from nursing, but you know, they go hand in hand. Even other transitional programs that other NewGrads have applied for and gotten, there’s been so much support in all of that and wanting to further our education and positions for after our NewGrad year.

There is no such thing as a silly question. I just feel really confident to ask anything at this point, which is made me become more competent, more safe, more confident as a RN (Registered Nurse).

It was really good. All the educators instantly give you their phone number and say contact me whenever you need. All the team leaders I’ve come across have been super approachable,  really encouraging that you’re going to know everything in your first year and they want you to come to them to gain that knowledge, not make mistakes, is the main thing. They push you along to improve and keep improving. There’re no real issues at all, I found in terms of getting support, everyone was encouraging you to come to them, which made it super easy. 

My name is Courtney Bulmer, and I'm a school-based trainee here at Scone.

What is the School Based Trainee Program?

So, you do a TAFE course alongside your Year 11 and Year 12, it can go towards your HSC. So you have to do 700 hours of placement, and you go to TAFE each week, and you get to learn about all of health and you actually get to go into hospital and experience before choosing health as a career. 

So, you just do assessments each unit, and you have three each unit alongside your school assessments as well. 

So, when I go to university, after one year of studying registered nursing, you’re an assistant in nursing, but coming out of year 12, after completing the School-based Trainee Program, I’ll be in assistant in nursing so I can work straight in the hospital when I go.

What has been your experience working at Scone as a School Based Trainee?

I remember on my first day, my mum asked what do you think’s going to happen? I was like I have no idea what I’m walking into and I was terrified because you’re actually walking into the hospital and you’re seeing sick people and they’re looking to you for support, and you have no idea what’s going on, and you don’t know the procedures and policies that you have to follow. 

But the nursing staff, if you find one that you really click with as well I’ve found. They become a bit of a mentor. I just learned on my feet, I was like, these people need help, and I can support and be that link between the patient and the registered nurse. It is terrifying, but when you actually make a difference, it gets a lot easier. It has flown by now that I stop and look at it  because you're just learning so many new things and the team at Scone are really supportive, and they just teach you lots of new things every shift, and  I enjoy coming every week. They’ve been amazing. Yeah, it’s so supportive. Everyone wants to teach you things, and I think everyone from different cultures and age groups have different things to teach you and it’s been great at Scone.

What would you say to someone thinking about starting a School Based Trainee Program?

Definitely do it. It’s great. If you’re thinking of doing nursing, you should definitely apply, because its just something it offers you experiences that you’ll never get before you actually have to move and go to uni (university) and choose your degree. But when you do this, you get to be at home and go to school, and it really breaks up having to do your HSC as well. And it just shows a whole new perspective of life when you get to go to the hospital each week.

Every Patient. Every time.