The World Health Organisation advocates for efficient and equitable approaches to achieve universal healthcare, recognising the significance of strong primary health care services. The refinement of a robust mentoring model, can pave the way for nurses to fulfill their potential, bridging the gap between theory and practice, however, robust mentoring models specific to the Australian context in primary health care have not been well examined and described.
Since 2015, the peak body for nurses in primary health care supported by funding from the Australian Government, under the Nursing in Primary Health Care initiative, has developed, initiated, and continued to implement a national a Transition to Practice Program, inclusive of a mentoring program supporting new graduates and more experienced nurses entering primary health care workplaces.
The evaluation has employed a two-phase concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach, incorporating pre- and post-program surveys and post-program meetings. Quantitative data has revealed a high level of mentor satisfaction, while qualitative analysis identified key themes such as 'witnessing mentee growth,' 'facilitating access to learning,' and 'unexpected personal and professional benefits.'
The results indicate that the embedded mentoring component played a crucial role in the transition program, addressing skills acquisition, professional identity, and providing diverse resources and support activities. Beyond this, the approach has enhanced the experience and inspired the career progression of both the dedicated mentors involved in shaping the future of primary health care nursing workforce in Australia but of the transitioning nurses themselves.

Aim: A qualified nursing and midwifery academic faculty is essential to ensure an adequate academic workforce. Attracting nursing and midwifery academics in Australia and New Zealand is becoming increasingly problematic. In addition, many in positions are leaving or considering leaving academia. There has been limited work to fully understand reasons for leaving, however low rates of pay, unrealistic expectations, and lack of professional development opportunities may play a role. Importantly there is no understanding of what factors support retention in the workforce. A scoping review was conducted with the aim of consolidating evidence of factors associated with nursing and midwifery academics intention to leave and / or stay in the workforce.
Method: The scoping review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework. This included: (i) identifying the question, (ii) identifying relevant studies, (iii) study selection, (iv) data charting, (v) collating, summarising, and reporting the results.
Results: The scoping review yielded 12 articles. Notably, no articles addressed First Nations academics. Retention in the workforce was related to work environments with team cohesion and positive relationships; personal factors such as job satisfaction; and organisational factors such as workloads, employee benefits and the autonomous nature of the role. Attrition from the workforce was related to organisational factors such as ageing academic workforce; personal factors such as exhaustion and burnout and role tension related to workload and multiple role expectations.
Conclusion: Retaining nursing and midwifery academics needs urgent strategic workforce planning, particularly related to the ageing workforce and recruitment of First Nations academics. Addressing issues related to workloads, including ‘hidden workload’, promoting work environments with strong leadership that support teamwork and professional relationships are important. Retaining the academic workforce also requires provision of support that promotes feelings of being valued, providing strong leadership and opportunities to develop professionally, particularly in doctoral studies.

Aim: This research project delves into the critical impact of Mental Health Industry Fellows in reshaping the support framework for undergraduate nurses during clinical placements, a development stemming from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. The Royal Commission underscored the imperative of a holistic strategy for workforce attraction, recruitment, and retention. The newly established academic roles play a pivotal part in this, entailing the facilitation of collaboration between the education and mental health service sectors, coordination with employers for seamless onboarding, and ensuring comprehensive student support, safety, and a positive placement supervision environment. The presentation will offer valuable insights to educators, healthcare institutions, and stakeholders actively involved in shaping the landscape of nursing education and the broader mental health workforce planning.
Methods: Employing a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, our presentation captures the multifaceted impact of Industry Fellows on undergraduate nurses. Surveys distributed to clinical staff and students collect quantitative data on the perceived effectiveness of the Fellow's support. Qualitative data gathered through interviews and focus group discussions offer a nuanced understanding of the Fellow's contributions.
Results: Preliminary findings highlight the transformative influence of Industry Fellows on the support system for undergraduate students. Quantitative analysis reveals a significant positive correlation between Industry Fellows' presence and enhanced student confidence, clinical skill acquisition, and overall satisfaction with placement experiences. Qualitative insights uncover specific mechanisms through which Industry Fellows contribute, including mentorship, networking opportunities, and practical insights that enhance students' industry comprehension.
Conclusion: The presentation endorses the Industry Fellow program as a catalyst for positive change in undergraduate nursing education and broader workforce planning. Results affirm the pivotal role played by Industry Fellows in shaping the professional development of future nurses, laying a foundation for an in-depth exploration of the roles and contributions to broader strategy highlighted by the Royal Commission to address mental health workforce challenges.
Keywords: mental health placement, industry fellow, undergraduate nursing.

Aim: There are severe midwifery workforce shortages across every state and territory of Australia. Two main contributors are retirement of older midwives and a failure to retain younger midwives in the profession. As the last of the ‘baby boomer’ generation retires, strategies to retain future generations of midwives in the profession are needed. This presentation explores the career plans and leaving intentions of midwives aged ≤30 years.
Methods: An online, population-based survey of midwives working in Victoria, Australia in public and private maternity services and private practise, was conducted between March and October 2021. Questions explored midwives’ intention to stay in the profession, career plans and reasons for potentially leaving the profession.
Results: In total, 20% of midwives in Victoria (1017/5185) completed an online survey. Of those, 31% were aged ≤30 years (a similar percentage as all midwives employed in Victoria). Of this cohort, 48% planned to stay in the profession >10 years, 26% ≤10 years and 26% were not sure how long they would stay. Most (88%) had future aspirations for their midwifery career, (e.g., clinical midwife specialist, caseload midwifery) and 77% planned to do more study. Despite this, two-thirds had thought about leaving the midwifery profession in the 12 months prior to the survey and 34% thought about leaving on a regular basis. The main reasons for thinking about leaving were feeling worn out (88%), experiencing work related stress (74%), and not wanting to work shift work (60%).
Conclusion: Most Victorian midwives ≤30 years have long term career plans; however, many are impacted by shift work, exhaustion, and stress. Strategies focused on reducing stress and exhaustion, opportunities to work in non-shift work roles and promotion of career pathways in midwifery is recommended to ensure midwifery is an appealing life-long career.
Keywords: career, midwives, midwifery, attrition