ANMF (Vic Branch) Professional Officer Ms Libby Muir attended the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery (CDNM) 2024 Symposium in July to present the findings of her Masters research into the influence of student RN employment, particularly the positive effect of being a RUSON on graduate outcomes.
Libby’s research was well received, and discussions afterwards allowed her to clarify the differences between the support provided to students working as RUSONs verses that of AiN and other student employment positions, as well as have more in-depth discussions related to the RUSON positions supporting the financial circumstances of student RNs.
Student nurses, for example, are often severely impacted by casual employers’ lack of understanding and sympathy in relation to the requirement to do full-time placements. When working in retail or hospitality, for example, the subsequent impact on the students’ availability for paid shifts can be severe.
The research findings presented at the conference indicated that students who worked as a RUSON were more likely to indicate a preference to stay in nursing compared with those who did not work in health as a student.
Sharing these results at CDNM fulfils part of the research recommendations, which include promoting RUSON employment models.
What is the CDNM Symposium?
The CDNM is the peak organisation that represents the Deans and Heads of the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery in universities that offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in nursing and midwifery throughout Australia and New Zealand.
This year’s symposium – titled Influence, Engage and Innovate – had a focus on workforce development and addressing the global nursing and midwifery workforce stressors. It featured presentations from:
- the International Council of Nurses’ chief executive officer, Howard Catton, who discussed the development of the next Global State of Nursing Workforce review which is due out in 2025
- Australia’s chief nursing and midwifery officer Allison McMillan, who provided an update on the Nursing Workforce Review
- and World Health Organization chief nursing officer Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu, who spoke about the need to address nurse/midwife immigration and supporting countries with a nursing shortage.
Beyond the keynote speakers there were valuable presentations of nursing and midwifery research into nursing wellness and student poverty, and the inclusion of environmental sustainability and climate change in the nursing curriculum.
In addition to promoting the research recommendations, the Branch will use learnings from the symposium to further enhance work on behalf of members.
