Our next generation of Healthcare Heroes (clockwise from bottom) Callum Anstey, Zara Hughes, Keoni Short, Abby McGrath, Aleesha Bozinovski, Levi McGrath and Eden Richmond. TAFE NSW.
Sixteen Illawarra high school students swapped textbooks for stethoscopes in a hands-on Healthcare Heroes program at TAFE NSW Shellharbour designed to inspire the next generation of nurses and healthcare workers.
Part of TAFE NSW Start Your Future, the eight-week Healthcare Heroes is an Educational Pathways Program initiative helping Year 10 high school students identify potential career pathways through vocational tasters in a range of industries.
During the most recent intake, students from Warilla, Dapto, Shellharbour, Figtree, Lake Illawarra and Bulli high schools spent one day a week for eight weeks experiencing a taste of the hands-on training required for careers in nursing, aged care, allied health and paramedicine.
Healthcare Heroes comes at a critical time, with the new Shellharbour Hospital and redeveloped Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital set to be completed by 2027, with both expected to seek hundreds of new healthcare staff, including nurses.
In addition, growing healthcare needs driven by an ageing population and rising chronic illness mean demand for skilled nurses and health workers continues to outpace supply – despite more than 36,000 nurses added nationally between 2017 and 2022.
National projections anticipate more than 79,000 nurses will be needed by 2035.
With the program aimed to inspire students to consider a career in the growing healthcare sector, for Warilla High School student Zara Hughes the program confirmed her interest in nursing.
“I love the idea of helping people and hearing their stories,” Zara said.
“The program is a great way to explore different careers and see if I can handle the pressure.”
Classmate Levi McGrath originally wanted to be a surgeon, but said the program opened his eyes to nursing.
“Now that I’ve done the Healthcare Heroes program, I really enjoy nursing, listening to the mannequin’s lungs and diagnosing conditions was so realistic.”
TAFE NSW nursing teacher Kate Topham, who has more than 25 years of experience in emergency and critical care nursing, said it was good timing for the students who were considering career pathways into nursing.
“The Healthcare Heroes program sparks curiosity in young people,” Ms Topham said.
“Even for those not planning a career in health, it’s essential to understand how everyday choices like what we eat, our sleep and how we manage stress, directly affect our physical and mental wellbeing.
“Making these connections and staying engaged with how our actions impact the body lays the foundation for lifelong health.”
During the program, students experienced diagnosis and treatment of wound care, cardiovascular theory and respiratory anatomy using life-like mannequins to simulate medical scenarios.
“Sometimes I’ll teach them the same lesson I give my enrolled nurses, they’ll then go and test the nursing students afterwards,” Ms Topham said.
“It’s a fun, hands-on way for everyone to learn.”
