A Ballarat hospital has welcomed its largest ever graduate nursing intake as concerns grow about the city's capacity to cope with pressures on the health system.
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St John of God Ballarat Hospital has 29 nurses completing their grad program in 2023 - doubling last year's intake as part of a recruitment strategy to help attract and retain staff at a time when there is a worldwide shortage.
The nurses join the private hospital for 12 months through two streams; which include a general nursing program and perioperative nursing program.
Graduate nurse Sophie Tol, 22, relocated to Ballarat from Geelong to complete a double degree in nursing and paramedicine at Australian Catholic University.
Three weeks into her grad program, she said she'd already seen the benefits of working in a regional hospital compared to bigger city hospitals.
"You get to know everyone a lot better because you're not just one in 1000," she said.
"As a new grad, you have so much ground to cover, so having that personal connection and people you can rely on and trust is really important."
Sophie and fellow ACU grad nurse Winnie Goldsworthy both plan to stay in Ballarat and at St Johns for the foreseeable future, praising the "patient, generous" nursing staff and the city's "small town" feel.
"I'm really liking my journey at St Johns," Winnie said.
"All the staff, all the doctors are really good and answer all your questions - it's a great atmosphere."
Local universities are reporting strong interest in nursing studies as mega Melbourne developments such as the $1.5 billion Footscray Hospital compete with Ballarat for staff.
A Federation University spokesperson confirmed nursing is the most popular course at both Federation TAFE and the university, with both the newly accredited Diploma of Nursing and the Bachelor of Nursing at capacity for new enrolments in Ballarat.
Partnerships with Grampians Health, St John of God Ballarat and Geelong Hospital aim to address ongoing nursing shortages, particularly affecting regional areas.
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St Johns Director of Nursing Maria Noonan said the hospital would continue to recruit locally, nationally and internationally "to ensure we have a robust nursing and midwifery workforce now, and into the future".
Ms Noonan said this year's record-high grad intake followed recruitment of more than 100 nurses in 2022 who were "keen to make Ballarat their home".
"Affordable housing, good education and access to Melbourne and Geelong make Ballarat a very attractive city to move to," Ms Noonan said.
"Our ongoing relationship with ACU and Federation University has further strengthened our ability to secure our workforce, with our Clinical Nursing Schools which allows student nurses to do all their placements here at St John of God Ballarat Hospital."
