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Epworth HealthCare will build a new state-of-the-art home for its nursing and midwifery program after receiving $28 million in Federal Government funding.
The Victorian not-for-profit private hospitals group launched the Brookes Academy in May 2023 to cultivate, nurture and foster its nursing workforce.
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney, called it "a wonderful institution which provides upskilling and education" when she announced the funding at Epworth Richmond hospital in Melbourne.
"Epworth, I'm very pleased to say, have recognised the importance of the nursing and midwifery workforce," the Division of Cooper MP said.
"The Federal Labor Government are pleased to announce we will invest $28 million in building a brand-new state of the art building that the Brookes Academy will be able to operate from.
"It is an investment in our nurses, an investment in our midwives, and of course ultimately an investment in the high-quality healthcare that is provided to Australians."
Epworth's Nursing Academy Dean, Nicole Argall, said the announcement was an "amazing investment in our nurses and midwives, who really are the backbone of our healthcare service".
"The Brookes Academy is for all nurses and midwives at Epworth, but we're also looking at opportunities to expand our reach to make sure more nurses and midwives can benefit," she added.
"We are investing in our nurses and midwives right through – from when they are a graduate, right through to a senior nursing leader."
Mairead Tairi, now registered as both a nurse and midwife after receiving a scholarship for post-graduate studies, said the academy offered more than just help with completing qualifications.
"It's knowing we have a group of people behind us that believe in the work that we're doing, that what we're doing matters, and that they want to help us provide excellent care to our patients and bring up the next generation of nurses and midwives," she said.
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