Career structure and pathways
Recruitment Process
Before you apply for a nursing and/or midwifery role you must meet the registration requirements .
Prior to submitting your application please read the application instructions on the job advert and ensure your provide all the requested information or documents.
Tips for success
- Make sure you meet the eligibility requirements
- Submit your application in full
- Nominate appropriate referees and ensure they know they will be contacted
Registered Undergraduate Students of Nursing or Midwifery (RUSoN/M)
We employ nursing or midwifery students as Registered Undergraduate Students of Nursing or Midwifery (RUSoN/M) to assist in the provision of basic nursing/midwifery care to Territorians. Our Registered Undergraduate Students of Nursing/ Midwifery work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse/Midwife (RN/RM) with a defined scope of practice, to deliver safe nursing/midwifery care across the hospitals within NT Health.
To be eligible for the role you must meet all of the following criteria (please see the job description for the full list of essential criteria);
- Be enrolled in an eligible nursing or midwifery degree at an Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council ANMAC Accredited University i.e. an Undergraduate Bachelors of Nursing and/or Midwifery or Masters of Nursing (pre-registration).
- Have successfully completed (with evidence required) of your first year clinical placement for an RUSON/M1 and second year clinical placement for an RUSON/M 2
Apply to Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing/Midwifery (RUSoN/M) – Register of Interest
Graduate Programs
To find out more about the NT Health Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Program visit - Graduate programs | NT Health
Enrolled Nurses
Enrolled nurses work under the supervision of a registered nurse or midwife and provide direct and indirect care. NT Health enrolled nurses work in a wide variety of settings including acute and subacute settings and primary health care settings.
Apply for an enrolled nurse role with NT Health
Midwifery
Midwives in the NT cared for approximately 3,500 women on their pregnancy journey in 2023. Birthing services in the NT are provided in 4 geographical locations (Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, and Nhulunbuy). Antenatal, postnatal, and the occasional surprise intrapartum care is delivered right across the NT and can range from urban hospital-based clinics, to outreach clinic care - to the unmatched opportunity to live and work with mothers and babies in a remote community.
Models of care provided by NT Health include:
- Midwifery Group Practice (caseload/continuity of carer)
- Team midwifery
- Remote Area Maternity care
- General Practitioner Obstetrician care
- Shared care
- Public hospital maternity care
- Public hospital high risk maternity care
Apply for a Registered Midwife role with NT Health
Nursing Specialities
Wherever you choose to work in the Northern Territory, the nursing and midwifery community will provide meaningful professional development, training and ongoing support.
Opportunities for registered nurses exist across a variety of services including
- Cancer Care / Oncology / Chemotherapy
- Critical Care (ICU / ED / CCU)
- Medical (General / Rehab / Geriatric / HITH)
- Mental Health & Alcohol and Other Drugs
- Neonatal, Paediatrics
- Outpatient clinics
- Perioperative (Anaesthetics / Instrument / Circulating / PACU)
- Renal Services
- Surgical (General / Orthopaedic)
Apply for a Registered Nurse role with NT Health
Primary Health Care – Urban and remote
NT Health offers primary health care nursing and midwifery opportunities from urban community care centres to regional and remote communities.
The Primary Health Care Branch also provides services in:
- outreach teams
- schools
- police watch houses
- correctional centres
Frontline roles provide direct nursing and midwifery care including:
- clinical assessment and management
- case management
- care coordination
- primary health care programs (child health, women's health, chronic disease)
- urban and remote community visits
- after-hours emergency response.
NT Health Primary Health Care centres are found in both urban and remote areas and provide a wide range of services - such as preventative health checks and chronic disease reviews, immunisations, oral and hearing health, health promotion and education, provision of allied health and aged care services within the home environment. NT Health also supports an after-hours on-call service for emergency presentations in remote settings.
If you would like to discover more of the Northern Territory while working in health, you can see a full list of all Primary Health Care clinics
Remote communities
There are currently over 76 remote communities in the Northern Territory. There are also several small communities of Aboriginal people, usually fewer than 100, in permanent or semi-permanent residences. These communities are often referred to as Homelands or Family Outstations.
Visit Health Services for Remote NT Communities for more information.
Incentives
Establish your career in one of the Territory’s remote areas, and receive a generous relocation package based on your commencement level, employment type (e.g. full time or casual) and location of your recruitment, as well as a flexible job role that fits around your lifestyle.
To search for current vacancies primary health visit Jobs - Search (nt.gov.au)
Contact
Barkly Region
Email: Recruitment.BarklyPPHC@nt.gov.au
Phone: 08 8962 4654
Central Australia
Email: recruitment.carhs@nt.gov.au
Phone: 08 8951 7586
Top End (includes Big Rivers, East Arnhem and Top End Regions)
Email: phcrecruitment.doh@nt.gov.au
Phone: 08 8922 7183
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are important clinicians in the Australian health care system. NT Health is committed to the strategic implementation of nurse practitioner positions within the unique context of the NT. NT Health is exploring current service provision, identifying gaps in services and expanding nurse-led models, including nurse practitioner services that will best meet the population and service needs.
To search for current Nurse Practitioner vacancies with NT Health visit Jobs - Search (nt.gov.au)
Nurse practitioner role
Nurse practitioners possess the legal authority to practice both independently and autonomously at a level of practice that is beyond that of a registered nurse.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA): Nurse Practitioner standards for practice (March 2021), outlines the expectations and responsibilities for nurse practitioners across all practice settings and patient/client populations. This ensures the provision of safe, high-quality care and enables nurse practitioners to autonomously manage complete episodes of care.
Nurse Practitioners are educated to a Master’s level and are endorsed by the NMBA. The title ‘Nurse Practitioner’ is protected by National Law and may only be used by a registered nurse who has met the requirements for endorsement as specified by the NMBA.
A nurse practitioner provides clinically focused services which includes:
- Clinical health assessments,
- Ordering and interpreting diagnostic investigations,
- Formulates diagnosis,
- Prescribes, implements and assesses response to therapeutic interventions including medications
- Refers to and accepts referral from other health professionals.
NT Health nurse practitioners/candidates have allocated non-clinical time to undertake activities of quality and system improvements. This includes education, research and leadership in line with the nurse practitioner standards for practice.
NT Health currently has nurse practitioners working across all regions of the NT, in the acute, primary and community settings.
Become a nurse practitioner
To become a nurse practitioner, you will need to undertake an NMBA-approved program of study at a masters’ level.
Entry requirements into a Masters NMBA-approved program are:
- current general registration as a registered nurse,
- a minimum of two years full time equivalent (FTE) as a registered nurse in a specified clinical field and two years FTE of current advanced nursing practice in this same clinical field,
- a postgraduate qualification in a relevant clinical field.
There is a requirement for health service support to undertake an approved program of study towards nurse practitioner and the formation of clinical support team within the clinical team.
Endorsement
To practice as a nurse practitioner, a nurse practitioner must hold endorsement with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and must be able to demonstrate all of the following:
- Current general registration as a registered nurse in Australia with no conditions or undertakings relating to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct.
- The equivalent of three years’ full-time experience (5,000 hours) at the clinical advanced nursing practice level, within the past six years, from the date when the complete application seeking endorsement as a nurse practitioner is received by the NMBA.
- Successful completion of:
- an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement as a nurse practitioner, or
- a program that is substantially equivalent to an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement as a nurse practitioner as determined by the NMBA.
- Compliance with the NMBA’s Nurse practitioner standards for practice.
Scholarship
Annual scholarships are available to NT Health Nurses and Midwives (who meet the eligibility criteria) to provide financial assistance to complete a course of study leading to an academic qualification. This is available once per course of study.
HELP debt reduction for nurse practitioners
Nurse practitioners who live and work in rural, remote or very remote areas of Australia, are able to reduce their outstanding Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt, provided they meet the eligibility criteria and their obligations to complete the required amount of eligible work.
Read the factsheet.
Nurse practitioner candidates
In recognition of the significant investment and our commitment to ‘grow our own’, NT Health supports the development of nurse practitioners, by providing the option for nurse practitioner candidate applications for each nurse practitioner recruitment.
A nurse practitioner candidate is a registered nurse employed in a designated nurse practitioner position on a fixed term contract while they work towards nurse practitioner endorsement with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Once the nurse practitioner candidate completes their program of study and has received their endorsement with NMBA, they transition within their position to nurse practitioner.
NT Health will clinically and professionally support the nurse practitioner candidate to undertake a NMBA approved program of study leading to nurse practitioner endorsement, including periods of integrated professional practice.
Nurse practitioner student placements
NT Health has opportunities for nurse practitioner students to experience life and work in the NT.
Nurse practitioners students can apply for clinical placements with endorsed nurse practitioners across practice settings in the NT.
To find out more email visit Student placements | NT Health
Career pathways – Nurse level 3 and beyond
The Northern Territory can offer more than just a job. We offer a life-long career and professional success. We also believe that education and learning are key elements to support career development - whether that be through experience, mentorship, or education.
Opportunities are available for nurses and midwives in one of four career paths:
- Clinical specialisation
- Education
- Research
- Management
To search for current opportunities with NT Health visit https://jobs.nt.gov.au/Home/Search
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