Nurses experienced in one form of care can gain a lot by a brief secondment to a different area. Linda Belardi reports

Aged care nurses in Toowoomba have hit the wards of a busy private acute care hospital as part of a rare workforce initiative designed to promote greater understanding between the two sectors. Lutheran Community Care and St Vincent's Private Hospital in Queensland have partnered to offer enrolled and registered nurses the opportunity to trade places to upgrade their clinical skills in a different setting. So far seven aged care nurses have opted to take part in the program each undertaking 40 shifts on the hospital wards as paid employees and another cohort is set to commence in October....