REDHS welcomes grad nurses

By Emily Donohoe

Feb 5, 2025

Rochester Elmore District Health Service graduate nurses Jessica Clark, Emma Berg and Thomas Piazza, and clinical education and staff development officer Charmaine Miller. Photo by Emily Donohoe

After a more than two-year absence, Rochester Elmore District Health Service has welcomed graduate nurses to undertake a year of training at the service.

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REDHS clinical education and staff development officer Charmaine Miller is thrilled to welcome graduate nurses Jessica Clark, Thomas Piazza and Emma Berg.

“Our grad program hasn’t been running since 2022 ... so we’re very excited,” she said.

“The three grads who interviewed the best are also the three grads who also picked us as well, which is really good.”

Rochester Elmore District Health Service clinical education and staff development officer Charmaine Miller and graduate nurses Emma Berg, Thomas Piazza and Jessica Clark. Photo by Emily Donohoe

Likewise, the La Trobe University and Deakin University graduates are looking forward to taking their first steps in their careers at REDHS.

“I’ve heard the great culture, the leadership and the community around here is always good fun and supportive as well,” graduate nurse Emma Berg said.

“They have really good educational support for students and grads.”

Graduates in the program gain a strong sense of responsibility early on, which Ms Miller believes is a benefit of working in a smaller health service.

“In our situation, grads actually get a lot more leadership skills and opportunities that they won’t get in the bigger hospitals,” Ms Miller said.

With REDHS now reopened, the nurses will rotate through urgent care, the acute ward, aged care and working in the community.