The program will enable graduate nurses to experience the excitement and diversity of both rural and city nursing during their first year of placement.

Stawell Regional Health recently obtained State Government funding to support the initiative - the first of its kind between a Victorian rural and metropolitan hospital - whereby two nursing graduates at each organisation swap placements during the year.

Director of Clinical Services Claire Letts said Stawell Regional Health had hosted Bachelor of Nursing graduates for the past 12 years and the new partnership took the organisation's commitment to the future of regional health care to a whole new level.

"Graduates undertake a broad range of clinical experiences while in Stawell, and in Melbourne, they can develop skills in specialist areas and learn the broad depth of skills needed for rural nursing here in Stawell," Ms Letts said.

"The arrangement not only brings new skills to the SRH team, it's an innovative recruitment and retention tool for us, enabling more nurses to test the waters at our hospital."

Stawell Regional Health Education Manager, Jenny Farrer, said nursing graduates Jess Cannane from Horsham and Jenny McPhee from Ballarat started their year in Stawell.

They are now respectively working in a drug and alcohol unit and a rapid assessment unit with Western Health to explore their personal interests of community nursing and acute care.

"Melbourne graduates Clare Egan and Melissa Marshall are with us at the moment,” she said.

“Clare brings to us skills acquired in a geriatric assessment unit and Melissa was on a busy acute ward. Here, they’re learning that on any given day they can be exposed to a very broad range of patient conditions and treatments. It’s exciting to be developing such a good relationship with Western Health to help further careers in health.”

Melissa Martin commented that her experience at the Stawell Hospital was very different to what she was used to, but she was enjoying it.

“In Melbourne, each ward is quite focused on a different area of health care,” Melissa said.

“Up here you get to experience a bit of everything. I’m having a good time and the staff are very supportive in making the transition.”

Stawell Regional Health and Western Health also recently announced a partnership whereby midwives at Stawell Hospital would be the primary carer for low-risk expectant mothers and obstetricians from Western Health would provide patient care via video link up.

This initiative means that babies can be delivered in Stawell within months.