Nursing in Australia
Nurses in Australia train through university for a minimum of 6 full-time semesters. They are educated to a Bachelor Degree level with a variety of clinical placements in their first and last years of study. After graduation, nurses spend the first year working as a new graduate nurse, many hospitals offer a Graduate Nurse Programme where the nurse rotates through a number of specialties during the year, however, it is up to the nurse where she works for this first year after registration.
After registration with the State Nursing Board a nurse is known as a Registered Nurse. In New South Wales, registered nurses are graded Year 1 to Year 8 for salary purposes. The nurse who manages the clinical area such as the ward is called Nurse Unit Manager, and a Clinical Nurse Consultants is a grade higher again.
The Specific Requirements
Each Australian State has different laws, regulations and governing bodies, this means that Nursing in Australia is actually a unique experience in each Australian state. In turn, the requirements and the processes differ from state to state. For this reason, each candidate is given a specifically personalised process, i.e. a candidate for New South Wales will have a somewhat different process compared with a South Australian candidate.
The requirements for eligibility for registration and application vary depending on your education and work experience.
Nurses trained in *EU countries* can apply immediately after graduating from University, provided that your course meets the EU Directive. If you are holding a diploma you might be asked to provide evidence of post graduation courses you have undertaken to support your registration application. You will also need to have some post graduate experience.
Nurses trained in *non-EU countries* are required to have at least 24 months post-registration work experience from a hospital in the UK or Ireland before applying for employment or registration. Please note, due to recent registration policy changes, nurses holding a diploma in nursing or midwifery might be requested to show evidence of post-graduation courses they have undertaken.
* Please note the as a European based agency we can *only* recruit EU trained nurses or nurses with current work experience from the UK or Ireland.
Application
For initial assessment by the hospital and to be short-listed for interview, a detailed CV is required. As your CV will be read by someone who may be unfamiliar with your hospital and the system of nursing in your country, it is imperative that your CV is sufficiently detailed. Further information on the format to use can be found in the detailed CV section.
If you are not registered as a nurse in Australia, you need to commence registration now, Professional Connections will assist each candidate as and when appropriate with your application and registration.
We are happy to discuss the hospitals' vacancies and the application procedure with you and answer any questions you may have.
The Process
Once we have received your CV and application paperwork, we will arrange a pre-screening interview for you with our nurse recruiter. If you pass the initial interview, we will forward your application to the hospital and advise you when you are short-listed for interview. Additional paperwork such as references, copies of Nursing Certificates, Employment Certificates and police clearance will be required before the visa process can begin. We will advise the specific paperwork that you need to prepare, as each hospital can be slightly different.
After your job offer is received, and you have obtained your nurse registration, your prospective employer in Australia can apply for your visa sponsorship. On receipt of a sponsorship letter your visa can be applied for. When your visa is issued you can book your flight. We will continue to liaise between you and the hospital throughout the application process.
