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    Media release

    TAFE NSW Kingscliff | 30 October 2025

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    TAFE NSW nurses ready to boost Northern NSW health services

    “The practical learning at TAFE NSW made a huge difference. Most of our placements were right across the road at Tweed Valley Hospital, so everything we learned in the simulation labs at TAFE NSW clicked into place. Our class was a tight group, and the teachers were always there to support us, we never felt like we were doing it alone.”

    Carter Smith, student at TAFE NSW Kingscliff

    A new generation of frontline health workers graduated with a Diploma of Nursing from TAFE NSW Kingscliff last week, benefitting from work placements at Tweed Valley Hospital and the cutting-edge Learning, Development and Research (LDR) Building as part of their training.

    Their much-needed skills will help to address Australia’s critical nursing shortage, with the nation projected to be short more than 70,000 nurses by 2035. The graduation marks a significant milestone in boosting the local health workforce in the rapidly growing North Coast region.

    A group of graduates joyfully throwing their caps into the air, celebrating their academic achievements together

    The students celebrated their achievement at a graduation ceremony attended by families, TAFE NSW educators and industry representatives from the Local Health District. Over the 18-month course, each student completed more than 400 hours of clinical placement across multiple healthcare settings, including at various aged care facilities and medical, surgical, mental health and palliative care wards at Tweed Valley and Byron Central Hospitals.

    For 23-year-old graduate Carter Smith, completing placements in a hospital setting brought his training to life and helped him build confidence in his skills.

    "The hands-on learning at TAFE NSW made a huge difference," he said. "Most of our placements were right across the road at Tweed Valley Hospital, so everything we learned in the simulation labs at TAFE NSW clicked into place. Our class was a tight group, and the teachers were always there to support us, we never felt like we were doing it alone.”

    Located on the Tweed Valley Hospital campus, the cutting edge LDR Building features immersive simulation labs, skills rooms, research spaces, a library, and collaborative learning hubs. It forms part of the Northern NSW Academic Health Alliance, which brings together TAFE NSW, Griffith University, Southern Cross University, Bond University and the Northern NSW Local Health District to deliver integrated clinical education.

    TAFE NSW Head Teacher of Allied Health and Nursing, Danita Wetterling, said the facility has been a valuable tool to facilitate collaboration with the Alliance and Local Area Health.

    “Access to the Learning, Development and Research Hub at Tweed Valley Hospital strengthens TAFE NSW ability to better prepare students for roles in local industry,” Ms Wetterling said. “Our practical training at TAFE NSW Kingscliff means our local workforce is job-ready from day one, and they can stay in the region to build their careers.”

    With graduates already securing employment as enrolled nurses at Tweed Valley Hospital and with local home-care providers, they’re helping strengthen the region’s health services. Local training pathways such as this are essential to meeting growing workforce demand, as Tweed Valley Hospital, the largest regional health investment in NSW history, continues to expand its services for Northern NSW communities.

    Media contact: Rachel Ecclestone, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 02 7920 5000.



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