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Workforce Strategy

Workforce Strategy

The following activities are linked to the Workforce, Education and Training Group.

Recruitment of Advanced Trainees

The Renal Services Network is assisting the teaching hospitals in NSW in the task of advertising and selecting nephrology advanced trainees. Advertising is via the NSW Health JMO's 'HealthJobs' website and Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Applications close 22 August 2008. Interviews will be held at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians on 1 September 2008 for all metropolitan teaching hospitals.

Any basic physician trainees who are interested in learning more about opportunities for specialisation in nephrology should contact the Department Head of their hospital's Renal Unit.

Advanced Trainees' Program

The Program arranges a monthly seminar in Sydney, called 'Kidney School', and aims to cover the RACP nephrology curriculum over a 3-year period. Local and international experts are invited to present topics of interest to the advanced trainees. More detailed information is provided for Renal Advanced Trainees at their own website (KATS = Kidney Advanced Trainee School).

Renal Physicians' Meeting

Each year four dinner meetings are held at a Sydney hotel for the Renal Physicians' Group, with sponsorship kindly provided by Novartis and Janssen-Cilag. Approximately 50 clinicians attend each meeting and participate in the presentations and case studies.

If you would like to be on the mailing list to receive the notices about the Renal Physicians' Meetings, please email the Network Manager.

Nursing Models of Care Project

Another major workforce strategy for the Renal Services Network is the Haemodialysis Models of Care Project. This commenced in December 2005, with an issues-identification workshop facilitated by Prof. Mary Chiarella. The issues confronting the nursing workforce are:

the increasing demand for dialysis services and
the inability to meet the demand.

Initial strategies to address these concerns will focus on 1) making changes to the way care is delivered and 2) improving educational opportunities for renal nurses at a range of levels.

There has been a lot of enthusiasm from renal units across NSW. Twenty teams have commenced the project and fourteen completed all requirements. The first of four skills-development workshops was held in December 2006, and the overall outcomes of the project were evaluated in December 2008. Prof. Chiarella has committed to working closely with Renal Services Network for the duration of the project.

Nurse Practitioners' Guidelines

There are five authorised renal nurse practitioners in NSW and the ACT, and others are in transition. These clinicians worked together during 2006 to establish a structure for developing nurse practitioner clinical practice guidelines for renal services.
The nurse practitioners guidelines for management of chronic kidney disease have been prepared in Hunter New England Area Health Service by Lesley Salem, with the support of the Renal Services Network Nurse Practitioners Project team. Jill Farquhar, at The Children's Hospital, Westmead, has completed paediatric guidelines for management of peritonitis. Other renal nurse practitioner guidelines are in progress. It is intended that all the renal guidelines will be available for access by newly accredited renal nurse practitioners, to adapt to suit their own work settings.

The Nurse Practitioners Project Team has greatly appreciated the opportunity to forge networks, and hopes that its initiatives will assist and encourage other nurses to contemplate a career as a renal nurse practitioner. Please contact the Network Manager if you would like more information.

Nursing Leaders Network

In 2008 nursing members have commenced to hold networking dinners where speakers are invited to present information of relevance to nurses in senior management, clinical and education positions. Three meetings will be held in 2008. If the initiative proves successful it will be continued in 2009.