improving the student experience

The Student Placement Team of ACH Group from Mile End, SA are winners of the Innovation Award at the 2019 HESTA Aged Care Awards

Awarded for attracting more nursing students to work in aged care by demonstrating to students that working in the sector can be a rewarding job and career.  

“Our primary aim was to change the negative perception of aged care for the future health workforce,” says ACH Group Manager of the Student Placement Team Samantha Manoel. “One of the things that students tell us through feedback is that they’re really unsure of what to expect working in aged care and that they don’t really see themselves working in the sector.”

Samantha and her team developed several student placement initiatives to strategically help change these perceptions and streamline the student placement process. These included: holding a pre-placement education day, online orientations, developing an induction booklet and conducting pre and post-placement student evaluations.

“Students often arrive for their first day of placement very nervous, and unsure of what to expect. We now know that after their first day, they’re at ease, and prepared to hit the ground running.

“So many students now return to ACH Group for subsequent placements, and then stay on as part of our team,” says Samantha. The team plans to use the $10,000 prize money to fund training for registered nurse supervisors, supporting their continued professional growth in aged care.