A Queensland University of Technology (QUT) program to place its students in the state's super clinics was announced as a finalist for the Excellence in Collaborative Workforce Initiatives Category of the Workforce Council awards.

 

"The program pioneered by QUT is creating 200 placements for our students to experience a multidisciplinary approach to primary health care, which is a rare opportunity for them as most practical experience is undertaken in hospitals," QUT-GP Super Clinics program manager Susi Wise.

 

The students in the program are from nine health disciplines taught at QUT: nursing, dietetics and nutrition, exercise physiology, pharmacy, podiatry, psychology, social work, radiography, and medical laboratory science.

 

"It is an innovative program because it addresses the tertiary system's struggle to meet demand for clinical training places while producing a qualified workforce to meet the demand for health professionals at the coalface of primary care," Ms Wise said.

 

Ms Wise said the GP-Super Clinic experience ensured the students could learn from health practitioners from different disciplines and see how they work together to help patients.

 

"We have found that when students train with a multidisciplinary team they develop greater collaborative skills which will in turn lead to better patient care," she said.

 

"GP Super Clinics are themselves an innovative approach to multidisciplinary care and are at the forefront of health care delivery in Australia."