Online program trains 1,000 COVID-19 nurses

ACU’s Elisabeth Jacob, Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine (Victoria), and her team have helped to deliver online training to 1,000 nurses working in sub-acute care in an innovative online program.

The ACU School of Nursing, with the support of the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria, developed the comprehensive COVID 4 NURSES educational program to further train nurses to work with patients in a COVID-19 environment.

Offered using the Open Learning platform, the 10-hour program was delivered following a $140,000 project grant.

Associate Professor Jacob said the online program was aimed at nurses working in sub-acute care, who generally work in aged care, mental health and community health, to prepare them to safely work with COVID-19 patients in acute wards.

She said the program was specifically designed to build knowledge and confidence in the practice, processes, and management of COVID-19 for nurses, and to develop skills in managing the protective practices and patient care when working within an environment where individuals are presenting with COVID-19.

Nursing academics Mandy El Ali and Sandra Leathwick joined Associate Professor Jacob to write the five two-hour units.