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About Eyre and Far North Local Health Network

The Eyre and Far North Local Health Network (EFNLHN) covers over 350,000 square kilometres and is the largest geographical area of any Local Health Network in South Australia.

There are 11 sites within the EFNLHN – Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Cowell, Cleve, Kimba, Wudinna, Elliston, Streaky Bay, Cummins and Tumby Bay. Each of these sites offers a unique TPPP experience, within a supportive environment.

Find out more about the Eyre and Far North Local Health Network.

Program information

The 12-month TPPP is an exciting, supportive and successful program aimed to ensure newly registered nurses are allowed a safe and supported space to transition from a student nurse to advanced beginner registered nurse.

Rotation structure

EFNLHN has designed a program which allows for rotations in the larger sites (Ceduna and Port Lincoln). Specialty areas rotations offered include renal dialysis, emergency department, theatre and community nursing. All other sites within EFNLHN offer a dedicated TPPP experience, where nurses can consolidate their nursing skills from aged care, palliative care, acute and emergency. All TPPP nurses are offered “experiential learning” where they can experience other areas of nursing such as mental health, midwifery, palliative care, diabetes, and community paramedic. This is tailored to the needs of each TPPP nurse and is usually done in the last 4 months of the 12 month program.

Supernumerary days and orientation

Each transition nurse is provided supernumerary days to allow them time to “find their feet” and embrace the essentials prior to commencing a safe workload. Site and ward orientation is completed during your first days of working and is tailored for each site. During this time, you will work with your allocated Clinical Nurse Facilitator, or Senior Nurse. This supernumerary allows new staff to ensure that the basics are covered and is provided for various shifts and at the start of new rotations (where applicable).

A TPPP orientation day is held in Port Lincoln between weeks 4 to 8 of employment. This day allows all TPPP participants from across the EFNLHN to come together. 

Professional development days

There are nine professional development days held throughout the year. These Professional Development days are hosted in various location throughout EFNLHN. These days are attended by all TPPP nurses and are often times for support, debriefing, sharing of stories, and celebration.

Full time/part time opportunities

Each contract of employment is negotiated with the successful applicant, and their site of employment. EFNLHN aims for each TPPP nurse to work 0.84 full time equivalent (FTE) (64 hours per fortnight), however this can be negotiated taking in to account individual circumstances. The TPPP nurse must work no less than 0.63FTE (48 hours per fortnight). Full time 1.0FTE (80 hours per fortnight) is only permitted in certain circumstances. 

Clinical support, facilitation and mentoring

Each site in EFNLHN has a dedicated Clinical Nurse Facilitator. The Clinical Nurse Facilitators establish contact with each TPPP nurse prior to arriving on site. Establishing early contact with all our TPPP nurses is important, as we aim to ensure your commencement is as stress free as possible. We also aim to have the Clinical Nurse Facilitator there, with you, on Day 1 as a friendly face to welcome you to the team. We acknowledge that some of our TPPP nurses are moving to new towns to commence their career in Nursing. The EFNLHN Education Team are also here to support you and are dedicated to assisting and welcoming you to our Local Health Network, our hospitals and to the career of Nursing.

Wellbeing

TPPP nurses have two weeks annual leave pre-booked in prior to commencement at their site, allowing for four weeks annual leave to be negotiated with the site for the remainder of the year. This is one of the many strategies that we believe help with minimising the risk of “transition shock” for our TPPP nurses. We have found that this pre-booked annual leave has been a welcomed break for nurses, helping to maintain wellbeing. 

Some of the many ways we support new employees to maintain wellbeing are:

  • specialised and dedicated clinical and emotional support from the Education Team
  • regular opportunities for connection
  • check-in’s
  • debriefs
  • robust education opportunities.

The Clinical Nurse Facilitator also walks beside each TPPP nurse, offering timely bedside support and increasing confidence during the early stages of transition. 

Key benefits

The aim of the TPPP is to provide a supportive transition experience progressing from novice nurse to advanced beginner. This 12-month journey is complemented by robust clinical and emotional support, timely professional development days, awareness of organisational socialisation and workplace culture.

TPPP nurses in a regional location will experience a diverse scope of practice with clinical support and education. Registered nurses are supported to work at their full scope of practise with the opportunity and expectation in many sites to develop clinical confidence in areas such as ECG, primary and secondary survey, blood taking, Intravenous cannulation, advanced life support and PICC line management. Many staff are supported to go on to extend their professional scope to include areas such as x-ray licence, wound closure/suturing and splitting/casting.

EFNLHN have a proud history of TPPP staff retention, with 82% over the last three years, many going on to complete clinical specialisation programs.

Portia Bradley, Registered Nurse in Streaky Bay, was awarded the 2023 “Excellence in Practise – Early career Nurse” award at the South Australian Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards.

Site locations and specialty rotations

See the site locations and specialty rotations (PDF 354KB) available through the EFNLHN TPPP.

Intake dates

  • January to February 2025

Further information

For any further information about undertaking a TPPP in the Eyre and Far North Local Health Network please contact health.efnlhneducationandworkforcedevelopment@sa.gov.au.