Placements providing hands-on experience

FEDERATION University had more than two thousand, six hundred students complete placements across the state this year.

Students undertook placements in disciplines including nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology and speech pathology helping them gain hands-on experience.

Third-year Bachelor of Nursing student Rebecca De Bruyn completed placements in public and private healthcare facilities including areas such as rehabilitation, adolescent mental health, paediatrics, and theatre.

Ms De Bruyn also travelled to Benapa, Nepal for placement at the Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital as part of a group of 20 students.

“Nepal was an incredible trip and learning opportunity” she said.

“One of the biggest benefits was learning about cultural differences, how to communicate with people through language barriers, how health systems work in developing countries, and how healthcare is managed with limited resources.”

Ms De Bruyn said she hopes to continue her studies in midwifery.

“During my studies with Federation I have had great lecturers, excellent clinical labs to learn in, and I’ve met some lifelong friends,” she said.

“The placements have given me hands-on experience in consolidating theory to practice in a real-world setting.”

Federation University had partnerships with providers such as East Grampians Health Service, Grampians Health, Bass Coast Health, Latrobe Regional Health, West Gippsland Health Service, Ballarat Community Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Royal Flying Doctors, and Barwon Health.

“Federation University Australia is proud of the partnerships we have with healthcare providers across the state, which help support this critical service for our communities,” said Institute of Health and Wellbeing executive Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor research Professor Remco Polman.

“Clinical placements provide our students with real world practical learning opportunities which are hard to reproduce in the classroom or through simulation, and bridges the theory learned in the classroom with practice to provide a holistic approach to developing technical and soft skills and interactions with patients, families, and healthcare professionals.”