Considering nursing as a career?

Or maybe you’re about to graduate with a nursing degree and looking for work opportunities?

Here are some starting points.

Find out about careers in nursing

• general information about nursing and midwifery careers and  nursing
• how to become a nurse or midwife
• download career pathways for nurses

Research and narrow down your options

• What’s the difference between an Enrolled Nurse and a Registered Nurse?
• What are the job prospects for Enrolled Nurses?
• What are the job prospects for Registered Nurses?

Study nursing

• Download info about choosing a nursing course
• View La Trobe’s nursing courses
• View pathways into nursing at  La Trobe University

If you’re already studying nursing and looking ahead to graduate employment…

we recommend downloading the Nurse and Midwife Graduate Handbook 2018.

Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Programs

Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Programs give graduates an opportunity to further develop their skills and competence in a hospital setting through a formal, supervised twelve month program.

As not everyone will be eligible for graduate programs, it’s important to know that you don’t have to do a graduate program to start work as a nurse when you complete your studies. You are able to apply directly to hospitals, for entry level nursing roles.

If you do want to apply for graduate programs,  you’ll need to do this in the final year of your studies.

For more detailed info, take a look at Victorian State Government information on Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Programs

FAQs about graduate nursing and midwifery programs

How do I apply?

There are 2 ways to apply:

1. Participate in the computer matching process (GNMP match), administered by the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria (PMCV). Most public health services and some private facilities use this matching process to select candidates.
2. Apply directly to the health services or private facilities who do not participate in the GNMP match and who have advertised their programs through their website or online job boards.

Which hospitals participate in the Computer Matching Process?

The GNMP matching site includes Hospital Directories that you can check online.

What happens if I am not matched to a health service or hospital?

Many graduates want to participate in a grad program so this makes the process of applying quite competitive and unfortunately not all candidates will be matched.

If this happens to you, there are a number of options to consider.

1. After the matching process is complete (usually around October),  some health services will still have vacancies and will advertise on their websites and job boards such as Seek and you can apply that way.
2. Consider relocation as a way to get started – look for rural or a regional entry level roles or graduate programs.
3. As some graduates do drop out of graduate programs it’s worth checking with health services in December-February to see whether any positions have become available and need to be filled at short notice.

Creating competitive job applications 

Nursing is a career that depends on excellent communication skills, so you’ll need to make sure your resume and job applications demonstrate this, as well as your attention to detail and motivation.  Likewise, you need to be able to follow instructions and procedures on the job – this also applies to  hospital and other employers’ job application processes! Not doing so can count you out early on in the recruitment process. For advice on job applications, it’s worth getting feedback from a Careers and Employability Adviser.  We’re here to help!

Information developed by Anna Luciani, Careers & Employability Adviser