Student and Graduate programs

With a place on the NT Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Program you can expect:

• A dedicated team of Clinical Nurse or Midwife Education Specialists to provide ongoing support and mentorship throughout the entire 12 months of the NT Health GNMP.
• Career mentorship.
• Program participants will undertake an intensive orientation and workplace readiness program designed specifically for graduate nurses and midwives to prepare and support their initial introduction to providing clinical care in the Northern Territory.
• Supernumerary time is provided each rotation and varied according to your individual needs.
• Participants of the graduate program are offered great professional development opportunities with regular educational days and in-services, protected time off the ward to partake in regular debrief sessions run by program educators and additional opportunities to participate in quality improvement projects and/or clinical case study reviews.
• Regular ward visits by the program educators offer ongoing support in the clinical setting.

Nursing

Nursing graduates are allocated two six-month clinical rotations, with some hospitals and clinical areas also offering 12 month specialty clinical rotation.

Once you have received a successful offer of employment with the NT Health Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Program you will have the opportunity to preference your areas of interest.

Note: Not all specialty areas are offered at each hospital and are subject to availability at the time of intake.

Options include:

Medical (sub-specialities within category):

• caring for the elderly
• emergency
• palliative Care
• renal Care
• cardiology
• oncology/haematology
• neurology
• acute medical
• rehabilitation
• stroke care.

Mental health (sub-specialities within category):

• adult inpatient mental health
• community and outreach mental health
• youth inpatient mental health.

Surgical (sub-specialities within category):

• ambulatory care
• orthopaedic
• acute surgical
• trauma/burns care
• peri-operative care
• day procedures
• intensive/high dependency care
• procedural areas/interventional suites.

Paediatrics (sub-specialities within category):

• paediatric care
• neonatal.

Community (sub-specialities within category):

• primary/community health care
• prison health.

Midwifery

Midwifery graduates are allocated 3 or 4 clinical rotations depending on the hospital and clinical area.

Midwifery rotations may include:

• antenatal clinics
• birthing/delivery suites
• postnatal ward
• domiciliary care
• special care nursery
• Midwifery Group Practice (caseload).

The unique profile of Territorians means that you will have unparalleled opportunities to experience complex care provision. Working in hospitals across the Northern Territory allows you flexibility to learn and experience a wide range of specialities that you would not experience in larger metropolitan areas. This provides our nurses and midwives with the opportunity to progress their careers through unique experiences in remote and regional areas of Australia, with the opportunity to further your career in post graduate studies after the program.

As a nursing/midwifery graduate with NT Health you will receive support and education from clinical educators as well as experienced nurses and midwives. They will facilitate your transition into practice and enable professional and personal development opportunities.

This includes opportunity for debriefing sessions, case study presentations, quality improvement activities and mentorship when looking beyond your graduate program. Once accepted into the graduate program you will be able to nominate a preference for clinical areas and wards you would like to work in. Clinical rotations are allocated based on graduates nominations and operational availability at time of intake.

Some areas are very popular and demand can be high for these positions, every effort is taken to place you in one of your preferred clinical areas however, due to availability preferences are not guaranteed.

To be eligible to apply for the 2026 Graduate Nurse and Midwife Programs you must:

• have graduated, or due to graduate, between December 2023 and February 2026 from your diploma or undergraduate nursing degree, midwifery degree, or graduate-entry Master of Nursing or Graduate Diploma or Masters of Midwifery
• be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent residency, New Zealand citizenship (with a subclass 444 Special Category Visa or right to be granted), or hold a visa with non-employer sponsored work rights prior to commencement

Note: Failure to provide evidence of ongoing working rights 4 weeks prior to your commencement date may result in your program offer being rescinded.

• be eligible for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
• have less than 960 hours (equivalent to 6 months full time) as an enrolled nurse, registered nurse and/ or midwife, as relevant to the approved program of study prior to applying.

How and when to apply

Please read before applying.

Applications to the GNMP 2026 will open on 26 May 2025 and will remain open until February 2026. The commencement of the program will vary slightly depending on each region.

Only complete applications will be considered. If you do not submit all the required documents or should the documents not meet the requirements, your application will not be progressed for assessment.

In order to give yourself the best possible chance of securing a graduate program position take the time to prepare your application and ensure that it meets all the essential requirements.

Review the following information carefully and use it when preparing your application.

• check your eligibility to apply
• research which region or regions you would like to work
• prepare application
• ensure your nominated referees are aware they will be contacted to provide a reference
• prepare all the required documentation prior to commencing your online application
• ensure documents are saved using the required naming conventions – see below.

It is in your best interest to ensure that your application has been submitted with all relevant paperwork, failing to do so will delay your application being reviewed.

Please only submit requested documents.

Tip for success – Rename your documents as per the below file names before you upload them to your application. Please ensure you submit your documents in pdf format.

Note: only complete applications will be processed.

Cover letter

Your cover letter should be addressed to the selection panel covering the essential selection criteria of the job description as well as showcasing your interest, skills and experience.

The selection panel will use all of the information you provide to assess your merit against the essential selection criteria. You must address the essential criteria within the job description (which can be found on the job application link).

Nursing and midwifery recognise that upholding the values of NT Health ‘Safe, Responsive, Kind’ are essential to providing exceptional care. In your cover letter please make reference to ‘Safe, Responsive, Kind’ and describe how as a new graduate you would contribute to these NT Health values.

Resume

Your resume should provide an overview of your education and work experience as relevant to the GNMP.

Please ensure all clinical placements you have undertaken are included in your resume.

References/referees

We value referee comments very highly, so please ensure your referee understands the need to provide as much detail as required for the panel to adequately understand how your skills and experience will be of value in the Graduate Nurse and Midwife Program.

Required referees:

• current Northern Territory Government employees
  • If you are employed by NT Health as a RUSON/M or Patient Care Assistant, you must include your current line manager as one of your references. The other should be from someone who has overseen you on a clinical placement (see information below for all applicants).
  • If you are employed by the Northern Territory Government in any other capacity, you must include your current line manager as a third referee.
• all applicants
  • Your nominated referees must be from a registered nurse/ midwife who was directly involved in supervising you while on clinical placement, preferably for a minimum period of 5 working days.
  • Appropriate referees include a Midwife/Nurse Unit Manager, Clinical Midwife/Nurse Manager, Educator, Clinical Facilitator, or similar.

It is important you ensure your referees are willing and available to provide a referee report for you. It is good practice to contact your referee and remind them of the dates they worked with you as sometimes they may need a reminder of when you have completed your placement with their unit.

Your nominated referees will be sent an electronic referee report to complete so please ensure to provide their correct email address in your application. If we do not receive a response from your referee it will delay your application progressing.

Clinical placement reports

Your clinical placement reports are preferably from your final year of studies and completed by 2 different people who have been directly involved in your supervision or education in a clinical setting. If you have not completed all your clinical placements at the time of application you must include at least one final year report. Please ensure your two most recent clinical placement reports are included in your application.

For those studying your Bachelor of Nursing and/or Midwifery, Masters of Nursing (Pre-Registration) or Graduate Diploma of Midwifery, your clinical placement report will score your placement against the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool (ANSAT) or The Australian Midwifery Standards Assessment Tool (AMSAT) .

For those completing their Diploma of Nursing, your placement report will be scored against the Enrolled Nurse standards for practice .

If you are a New Zealand graduate nurse, your clinical placement report will be scored against the Domains of competencies .

Note: clinical placement reports must equate to at least 8 weeks of placement e.g. 2 x 4 week clinical placement reports or 3 x 3 week clinical placement reports.

Your clinical placement reports must be the summative report (interim reports will not be accepted) and include the following details:

• hospital/place the placement took place
• period of placement
• clinical area
• specialty area, name of the ward/department.

Academic transcript

The panel will consider your academic performance as part of their assessment. You must provide your academic transcript(s) which clearly states GPA/WAM score, including education provider logo and a results legend.

If you are applying for a position on the Graduate Enrolled Nurse Program you must provide your current academic transcript.

Please provide details on your current nursing/midwifery qualification, including your education provider name in full, for example ‘Charles Darwin University’ not ‘CDU’.

Northern Territory Health uses the merit principles to assess applicant’s suitability for the role. In addition to assessing against merit, NT Health are committed to supporting our local community therefore demographic information will be considered by the panel.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants

Find out more on the requirements of special measures in recruitment.

The Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) values diversity and aims to achieve a workforce that is representative of the community we serve, and is committed to improving recruitment, retention and career development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. To support this special measures priority consideration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants applies to the GNMP.

NT Health Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing/Midwifery

Those currently employed at an NT Health facility as a Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing/Midwifery (RUSoN/M) are still required to complete their application to the GNMP portal. If you are a current NT Health employee (RUSONM or enrolled nurse) ensure you select the appropriate drop down in the application form.

Regular engagement as RUSON/M will be assessed as part of your application. By providing your employment details within your application, the panel will review this as part of the application process.

Australian Defence Force Members

NT Health and the Australian Defence Force have a strong partnership across the Northern Territory. Current full time serving members of the Australian Defence Force are eligible to fully participate in the NT Health graduate program. All successful ADF participants are required to complete an additional year in the program, supported by the ADF to consolidate clinical skills and knowledge.

Enrolled Nurse transitioning to Registered Nurse

If you are an enrolled nurse who has recently completed their studies to become a registered nurse, you will be eligible to complete a 6 month fast track program. If you're unsure whether this option is right for you, feel free to select it in your application. The GNMP team will then review it with you and help explore the best options.

Temporary Visa Holders

Those who are on temporary visas are encouraged to apply. If you hold a visa that does not have ongoing working rights, you may be offered a conditional offer however, a contract of employment will not be offered until evidence of a visa with ongoing working rights is provided.

If you are a current Subclass 500 Student visa holder you may need to provide a letter of completion from your university if you have not received your ongoing visa.

Citizens, permanent visa holders and visa holders with ongoing working rights will be prioritised.

Interstate applicants

The Territory is built on people moving from across Australia to build our unique and diverse workforce. To support this, NT Health may provide temporary accommodation (with contribution) in each region. More information can be provided on conditional offer of employment.

Please note: regardless of priority consideration, applicants must meet the selection criteria to the required standard to be deemed successful in the process.

Your entire application will be used to decide if you're a good fit for the graduate program. There won’t be any face-to-face interviews, so it’s important to complete your application carefully. Make sure to include detailed information and references that show your experience, skills, and achievements. Each regional hospital offers a full program or a rotation of the GNMP. The number of positions available vary according to service and operational needs of the service.

The Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Program 2026 intakes vary across our regions.

• Alice Springs Hospital
  • intakes every two months
  • up to 20 (nursing) positions available each intake
  • five (5) midwifery positions available each year
• Katherine Hospital
  • two (2) intakes a year (January and July)
  • up to three (3) nursing positions available each intake
  • one (1) midwifery position available annually
• Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospitals
  • four (4) intake dates throughout the year; January, April, July, October
  • up to 200 nursing positions available across 4 intakes
  • approximately 18 midwifery positions available across 4 intakes
• Tennant Creek Hospital
  • two (2) intakes annually (dates vary)
  • two (2) nursing positions available each year
  • one (1) midwifery position available annually
• Gove District Hospital – Rotations may be available through the Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospital program.

When completing your application you will be asked to nominate your location preferences. Based on this you will be prompted to nominate your preferred location and a secondary location. You will also have the opportunity to select whether you are open to other opportunities for places available across the Northern Territory.

Nomination of your preferred location doesn't guarantee you will be offered this area. Please don't nominate a preference that you do not intend to accept.

Every effort will be taken to offer you a position in your first nominated location.  However to ensure we provide care where it's needed most, places are allocated according to operational needs.

The panel will use the merit principle in reviewing your application, which determines suitability:

• having regard to the person’s knowledge
• skills
• qualifications and experience
• potential for future development.

Your conditional offer of employment is pending pre-employment conditions being met. Employment is offered on a full-time and part-time (0.8) basis.

If you receive an offer, you will have 5 business days to accept or decline. If no response is given it will be assumed you are declining the offer and no further offers will be made to you.

The date you gain your AHPRA registration may influence which intake you are allocated.

Employment Conditions

Once you have accepted your conditional offer the Graduate Education and Nursing Recruitment Teams will provide you with information regarding program intake dates, pre-employment requirements and contract information.

Prior to commencing you must have secured a visa allowing ongoing, full-time employment in Australia which must last the length of the program. Failure to provide evidence of ongoing working rights 4 weeks prior to your commencement date may result in your program offer being rescinded.

Prior to commencing you must have secured a visa allowing ongoing, full-time employment in Australia which must last the length of the program. Failure to provide evidence of ongoing working rights 4 weeks prior to your commencement date may result in your program offer being rescinded.

Note – If you are unable to meet the required employment conditions of the GNMP 2026 your program offer will be rescinded.

Applications to the NT GNMP open in May 2025 until February 2026, therefore when you apply will affect when you receive your offer.

Below are expected timelines from application to onboarding. These are based on applicants providing all requested information at time of application and referees responding in a timely fashion.

Applications received between May and July

• First preference (location) offers received - September 2025
• Graduate teams contact applicants regarding clinical preferences – October 2025
• Onboarding – January 2026 **

Applications received between August and September

• First preference (location) offers received - November 2025
• Graduate teams contact applicants regarding clinical preferences – January 2025
• Onboarding – Next intake 2026 **

Applications received between October and November

• First preference (location) offers received - January 2026
• Graduate teams contact applicants regarding clinical preferences – March 2026
• Onboarding – Next intake 2026 **

Applications received between December and 28 February 2026

• First preference (location) offers received - April 2026
• Graduate teams contact applicants regarding clinical preferences – May 2026
• Onboarding – Next intake 2026 **

*** offers based on priority grouping and availability.

Upon successful completion of all program requirements you will be provided with a certificate at the graduate ceremony and be well-positioned to advance in an exciting and fulfilling career within NT Health as a Nurse or Midwife.

To secure ongoing employment after the graduate program, you will be guided through the process by the graduate education team.

To find out more about living and working in the Northern Territory, go to the Clinical Recruitment website.