Graduate Certificate Neonatal Unit

The employed model program is an exciting initiative through NT Health that supports registered nurses to gain employment, experience and certification in neonatal intensive care nursing.

Specifically, Alice Springs Hospital is offering registered nurses paid employment while completing their Graduate Certificate Neonatal Intensive Care (one year full-time or 2 years of part-time study).

Staff employed under this model of care will be financially supported to complete their Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing through a recognised university course.

Neonatal Unit, Alice Springs Hospital

Alice Springs Hospital (ASH) has a Level 4 Neonatal Unit with 8 funded beds and capacity to flex up to 14 beds if required.

There are 750 babies are born in the ASH each year.

The ASH Neonatal Unit provides care for approximately 230 to 250 newborn babies each year from the Central Australia and Barkly regions.

Neonatal conditions that may require admission to the neonatal unit include:

• prematurity (30 to 36 weeks gestation)
• respiratory dysfunction
• birth trauma
• congenital malformations
• neonatal infection
• haemolytic disorders
• maternal gestational diabetes.

Professional development program

The formal program occurs over 12 months with a requirement to be working in the unit for 4 to 12 months prior to commencing formal study.

Attendance to practical study days are supported on site and include:

• invasive monitoring
• airway assessment and management
• sedation
• advanced life support.

Participants will also be supported to undertake a 2 week placement in a tertiary centre to gain experience in providing care for extremely premature, unwell and ventilated neonates.

Apply for the program

To apply for the program, you must:

• be an Australian citizen or hold a visa allowing ongoing, full-time employment in Australia (a copy of your visa or passport must be supplied with your cover letter and resume)
• minimum of one year post registration (inclusive of a Graduate Program) experience in an acute health care setting
• be or plan to be enrolled in a recognised Graduate Certificate of Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing for semester 2 2024.

Conditions of the contract

You will be provided with leave to attend study sessions. However, you must be able to work all rostered shifts.

You will be required to successfully complete academic course and clinical practice requirements each semester in order to continue the term of employment and reimbursement.

Fee information

ASH Nursing and Midwifery Administration will subsidise up to 100% of the cost associated with each unit of study, at the manager’s discretion. The remainder of the course costs will be covered by the employee. Students are advised to consider the personal cost associated with choosing a university course.

University fees are paid for by the student and reimbursed through the organisation at the completion of each semester.

To be eligible for re-imbursement students need to complete part one of By-law 41 at the commencement of each semester and part 2 on completion.

Recognised university providers

The following university graduate certificates are recognised as part of this employed model program:

• University of Tasmania - Graduate Certificate in Nursing - Neonatal Intensive and Special Care - UTAS offer as a wide range of scholarships to eligible employees of Northern Territory Department of Health (NT Health)
• University of Melbourne - Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Intensive Care
• Australian College of Nursing - Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Care

Positions and locations

This program is undertaken in Alice Springs Hospital in Central Australia.

Clinical requirements

The post graduate employed model program aims to support clinicians to acquire the knowledge, skills and capacity to work as a Perioperative Nurse.

The program will allow nurses to apply their postgraduate learning into practice in an exciting and challenging clinical environment.

Each student will spend clinical time being exposed to a number of surgical specialities which will allow them to place theory into practice and provide opportunities to expand their repertoire of clinical skills and provide a solid base for their ongoing learning.

Application checklist

This section contains a checklist of compulsory documentation you need to provide with your application through NT Careers in Government Employment Opportunities Online.

• Cover letter (one page summary).
• Resume (include employment history and existing qualifications).
• Certified copy of passport/birth certificate or visa.

Contact