Graduating to improved nursing care in Timor-Leste

17 Jan 2018

17 January 2018

Part of the Nursing Development Program (NDP) at Timor-Leste’s national hospital, the HNGV, the Graduate Nursing Program (GNP) commenced in June 2017.

It provide newly graduated nurses and midwives with ongoing support as they begin working independently in their clinical areas. 

It is the first, and currently the only, graduate support program in Timor-Leste. 

All new graduates who commence work at the HNGV are now required to participate in the GNP. 

Whilst the Program’s content is developed by St John of God caregivers, it is delivered by the HNGV’s Timorese nurse educators with the support of the NDP team. 

St John of God Social Outreach Country Manager, Timor-Leste, Ben Dingle said the GNP was developed to address the large gap in theoretical knowledge and practical skills that currently exists for newly graduated nurses and midwives in Timor-Leste.  

“Work undertaken with Timor’s national university revealed that students receive minimal structured exposure to clinical practice during their studies and many will graduate lacking essential nursing skills,” Ben said. 

“We have joined forces with the Australian Catholic University to support Timor’s national university to incorporate clinical skills into their courses moving forward. 

“In the meantime, the GNP helps to address this issue by providing participants with the basic knowledge and practical tools they need in order to practice safely.” 

Topics covered by the Program include professional standards, anatomy and physiology, taking vital signs, medication safety and calculations, basic life support, patient assessment and infection control. 

“Critically, the Program also introduces graduate nurses to ongoing professional development, learning and assessment,” Ben said. 

“Already, we have seen the Program helping graduates to provide improved nursing care to patients at the HNGV.” 

Nurses and midwives who participated in the GNP have provided positive feedback, expressing their appetite for further learning and development opportunities and saying they would like to see the Program made available to their colleagues who have been working for longer. 

Upon graduating from the GNP, participants are able to apply a broad range of essential nursing skills in their daily practice, have a smaller theory-practice gap and demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Our work in Timor-Leste is proudly supported by ConocoPhillips.