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Flexible, Expert, Ready: How First Choice Care’s Agency Clinical Facilitators Support Australian Universities and Health Services

March 9, 2026

Supporting universities and health services with ease and professionalism

Two nurses tending to an elderly patient in a hospital bed, monitoring equipment.

In today’s fast‑paced healthcare and education environment, universities and health services face growing demand for high‑quality nursing placements. Yet finding and retaining qualified Clinical Facilitators (CFs) can be challenging, especially when they are essential to delivering Professional Experience Placements (PEP). At First Choice Care, we provide a solution: a flexible, professional agency workforce of Clinical Facilitators ready to support Australian education and healthcare providers.


A Growing Demand for Clinical Placements and Nurses

Australia’s healthcare system is under pressure to meet workforce needs, particularly in nursing. Workforce modelling suggests that demand for nurses will continue to outpace supply, with a projected shortage of tens of thousands of nurses within the next few years if clinical training capacity isn’t expanded.


Universities are calling for more clinical placements to ensure students can complete their qualifications and graduate into the workforce, a challenge made more pressing by the fact that nursing programs require hundreds of hours of supervised clinical experience.


In response, the Australian Government has invested significant funding. For example, $18.4 million to support nursing students through expanded aged care clinical placements, which includes provision of trained clinical facilitators to supervise and support students in real‑world settings.


The Vital Role of Clinical Facilitators

Clinical Facilitators are essential to the success of PEP. They mentor and support nursing students at the bedside, help to bridge the gap between classroom theory and hands‑on practice and ensure placements meet accreditation and safety standards. These facilitators improve learning outcomes and boost students’ confidence and competence critical factors in preparing future nurses for the workforce.


Workforce Shortages Highlight the Need for Flexible Support

At the same time, university enrolments in nursing continue to grow, with more students seeking clinical placements to complete their degrees. This creates a gap between placement demand and available facilitators, a gap that flexible agency support is uniquely positioned to help fill.


How First Choice Care Supports Universities and Health Services

At First Choice Care, we provide experienced Clinical Facilitators as an agency workforce, offering a flexible and cost‑effective solution for supporting PEP. Our facilitators are fully trained, clinically active and ready to step into placement blocks across urban and regional locations.


Key Benefits of Our Agency Clinical Facilitator Workforce:

  • Flexible & scalable: Access facilitators on demand to match placement schedules and student numbers.
  • Reduced administrative burden: We manage recruitment, compliance checks, onboarding, and rostering letting universities and health services focus on education and care delivery.
  • Experienced professionals: Our facilitators maintain current clinical practice while providing mentorship and guidance to students during PEP.
  • Cost‑effective: Engage CNFs only when needed, avoiding the fixed costs associated with permanent employment.

 

Why Partner with First Choice Care

By providing Clinical Facilitators as a professional agency workforce, First Choice Care helps universities and health services deliver high-quality Professional Experience Placements efficiently and effectively. Our approach ensures that student placements are well supported, compliant, and adaptable to changing demands without the challenges of managing a permanent facilitation workforce.


With our large pool of experienced facilitators and a 100% fill rate, we ensure we never let our clients down. We’re proud to support Australian healthcare education by connecting institutions with the right facilitator at the right time. Your next Professional Experience Placement, fully supported by First Choice Care facilitators, is ready and reliably staffed for success.


To find out more, visit: https://www.firstchoicecare.com.au/facilitator-shifts

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Diane finds great satisfaction in watching each new cohort grow throughout their placement, knowing that every group brings its own unique strengths, perspectives, and enthusiasm. Her passion for mentoring the next generation of nurses is evident in everything she does. With a career spanning back to the 1970s, Diane has witnessed the nursing profession evolve significantly. She values the diversity and inclusivity of today's student cohorts and enjoys helping shape the future of a profession she has dedicated her life to. Having been part of the First Choice Care community for many years, Diane has worked across mental health and aged care before joining our Clinical Facilitation team. She values the supportive relationships she has built with our staff and appreciates the flexibility that allows her to balance work with family life. Diane's wealth of knowledge, professionalism, and genuine commitment to supporting future nurses make her a truly deserving recipient of this recognition.  Congratulations, Diane, and thank you for your outstanding contribution to First Choice Care and to the next generation of nursing professionals. We are proud to celebrate you as our Nurse of the Month Join Our Clinical Facilitation Team If you are an experienced nurse looking to take the next step in your career, First Choice Care is always seeking Clinical Nurse Facilitators to support and inspire the next generation of nurses. This is a rewarding opportunity to share your expertise, guide students in their first placements, and make a meaningful impact in clinical education. If you’re interested in facilitation opportunities with First Choice Care, find out more here.
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