Student placements

Introduction

These pages have information about student placements within the Department of Health, including:

Management of placements

The following placements are managed outside of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office:

For all other placements, including the below, contact the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office

  • government agencies seeking secondment or placement for qualified but non-practicing employees
  • a period of supervised practice required by a professional registration board for registered practitioners with limited or provisional registration
  • competency assessment programs sought by overseas trained health professionals
  • chaplains.

Contact

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office
Phone: 1800 000 648
nursingmidwifery.doh@nt.gov.au


Student clinical placements: procedures and priorities

NT Health student placement policy and guidelines

These policy and guidelines do not apply to school work experience students.

All student placements in NT Health for courses of study leading to vocational, undergraduate and postgraduate awards and/or registration for health professionals including, but not limited to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner, allied health, nursing and midwifery, and medical students must comply with the Student Clinical Placement Policy DOCX (84.9 KB) and/or Non-Medical Student Placement Procedure DOCX (217.0 KB).

View the Non Medical Student Placement Flowchart PDF (95.6 KB) for non-medical student placement.

Prerequisites for course providers

All course providers that place students in Northern Territory (NT) health facilities are required to sign the NT student placement agreement:

  • The student placement agreement is drafted by the Solicitor for the NT and is the only legal form. Please do not sign any other documents or agreements.
  • This agreement is signed by the chief executive officer of the Department of Health and the course provider.
  • The NT student placement agreement has recently undergone a review, requests for updates to the agreement will not be considered.
  • List of student placement agreements.

To secure student placements with NT Health, the course provider must:

  1. Have a current NT student placement agreement or request permission from the Department of Health to enter into an agreement.
    • If a course provider does not have a current government agreement, the Office of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer (OCNMO) will oversee the signing of an agreement.
  2. Submit a request in writing to the health service placement coordinator at the relevant health service or clinical site.
    • Administered by the relevant health service placement coordinator. Email nursingmidwifery.doh@nt.gov.au for contact information regarding NT Health placement coordinators.

If a course provider is intending to place students in the NT within 3 months of making their enquiry, they should provide as much information as possible to the health service placement coordinator while the agreement is being processed.

Of particular consideration will be the type of experiences the student requires, the supervision and assessment requirements provided by them, and the support and supervision requested.

Once a placement has been negotiated

The course provider must submit these completed forms to the health service placement coordinator:

Priorities for student placements

The existence of a current NT student placement agreement does not guarantee a placement. Once the agreement is in place the health service placement coordinator can approve placement requests based on the following:

  • All requirements as stated in the agreement can be met by the placement site, course provider, the placement supervisor and the student.
  • High demand for student placements is guided by departmental strategies such as the Northern Territory Health Aboriginal Cultural Security Framework 2016-2026 PDF (7.4 MB) and the NT Health Strategic Plan 2023-2028 PDF (5.8 MB). Therefore, when there is competition for placements, the following priorities apply:
    • Priority 1. Aboriginal students
    • Priority 2. Domestic NT residents enrolled with a NT education provider
    • Priority 3. Domestic NT residents enrolled with an interstate education provider
    • Priority 4. Domestic interstate resident enrolled with an NT education provider
    • Priority 5. Domestic interstate residents enrolled with an interstate education provider
    • Priority 6. International students enrolled with an NT education provider
    • Priority 7. International students enrolled with an interstate education provider

Overseas applicants

Applicants from overseas universities need to have an Australian university partner and will only be considered with prior consultation with the chief nursing and midwifery officer or chief allied health officer.


Student clinical placements: scholarships

The following organisations offer scholarships or resources about where to find scholarships for students undertaking clinical placements.

CRANAplus

Each year CRANAplus offers a number of scholarships. These scholarships can be applied to the cost of fares, accommodation and other incidental costs incurred by a student undertaking an undergraduate placement in a remote area of Australia and its external territories.

Go to the CRANAplus website.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners (ATSIHP)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner (ATSIHP) scholarships are available through the Northern Territory Department of Health for people studying to be an ATSIHP.

Email AWD.DoH@nt.gov.au.

Country Education Foundation of Australia

The Country Education Foundation of Australia scholarships guide is a comprehensive list of tertiary scholarships developed for rural and regional students.

Read more on the Country Education Foundation of Australia website.

Australian College of Nursing (ACN)

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) administers a number of scholarships funded by the Australian Government's Department of Health and Department of Social Services. It is not necessary to be a member of the ACN to apply for these scholarships.

For more information go to the Australian College of Nursing website.

Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM)

The Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM) can provide information on other scholarships to assist Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander undergraduate nursing students.

For more information go to the CATSINaM website.

Contact the CATSINaM administrator officer at admin@catsinam.org.au or call (02) 6262 5761.

Indigenous Allied Health Australia

Indigenous Allied Health Australia can provide information on other scholarships to assist Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander undergraduate allied health students.

Email admin@iaha.com.au or call (02) 6285 1010.


Student clinical placements: accommodation

Domestic students from any Australian university undertaking placements in the Northern Territory (NT) can access Flinders NT supports and facilities including cultural training, access to wifi, hotdesk and meeting room facilities and pastoral care.

For more information, go to the Flinders University website.

Flinders University Department of Rural Health

Flinders NT and the Centre for Remote Health have a limited amount of short-term student accommodation in Darwin, Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Alice Springs available on a share basis. This accommodation is in high demand.

Alice Springs Hospital

  • Accommodation on the Alice Springs Hospital campus is limited.
  • Accommodation is available at Alice Springs Student Accommodation on Charles Darwin University's Alice Springs campus.
  • Student accommodation is available through the Flinders University Department of Rural Health. Please contact the Placement Team for support on ntplacements@flinders.edu.au.
  • Students can seek local accommodation independently within the town itself.

Royal Darwin Hospital

  • Accommodation on the Royal Darwin Hospital campus is limited.
  • Affordable accommodation with good transport links is available nearby at Unilodge next to Casuarina Shopping Square.
  • Affordable accommodation with a range of facilities is available at International House Darwin (IHD) and IHD Guest Apartments on Charles Darwin University’s Casuarina campus. On-campus facilities include WiFi, swimming pool and indoor multi-purpose hall.
  • Limited accommodation may be available through the Flinders University Department of Rural Health, email ntplacements@flinders.edu.au.

Katherine Hospital

  • Call 08 8973 9230 for allocation and management of accommodation at Katherine Hospital.
  • Affordable accommodation and meal options are available at Katherine Student Accommodation on Charles Darwin University’s Katherine Rural campus.
  • Limited accommodation may be available through the Flinders University Department of Rural Health, email ntplacements@flinders.edu.au.

Tennant Creek Hospital

  • Accommodation is not available at Tennant Creek Hospital and therefore students can seek local accommodation independently within the town itself.
  • Student accommodation is also available through the Flinders University Department of Rural Health. Please contact the Placement Team for support on ntplacements@flinders.edu.au.

Gove District Hospital


Before you start your student clinical placement

Students on placements must make sure they've completed the relevant requirements in the table below.

This includes a criminal history record check and a working with children clearance (also called an Ochre Card), at your own expense.

RequirementResourceAll StudentsNursing and Midwifery OnlyOther Disciplines

Student placement form

Student placement form DOCX (72.6 KB)X--
Student deed of undertakingStudent deed of undertakingX--
Criminal history checkApply for a criminal history checkX--
Working with children clearanceWorking with children clearance:X--
Certified copies of vaccination and confirming serology documents

See table below

The Australian Immunisation Handbook 10th Edition - Part 3.3.7 Vaccination of persons at occupational risk

Australian Department of Health website

X--
Annual CPR competencyHLTAID002-XCheck with relevant NT Health placement coordinator
Current first aid certificateHLTAID003 or HLTFA311A-XCheck with relevant NT Health placement coordinator
Hand hygiene certificateHand Hygiene Australia Learning Management System.
Go to the Hand Hygiene Australia website.
 XX
Appropriate permits to enter Aboriginal land as requiredAboriginal land permitsX--
Cultural awareness programCheck with your education providerX--
Department of Health privacy policyPrivacy policyX--

Immunisations

Students working in NT Health clinical facilities must comply with vaccine requirements in line with the worker immunisation against specified vaccine preventable diseases NT Health policy before they start their placement as per the student placement agreement.

Clinical resources

Guidelines

Guidelines are available to NT Health staff only on the Policy Guideline Centre.

Medication administration policy

The medication administration policy ensures the safe administration of medications by health workers and students.

NT Health medication administration policies are available to NT Health staff only on the Policy Guideline Centre.


Medical and Defence student placements

Medical student placements

Medical student placements are managed through the NT Medical Program at Flinders University.

For more information contact Northern Territory Medical Program student placement coordinator by phone 08 8920 0200 or email ntmp.clinical@flinders.edu.au.

Royal Darwin Hospital student doctor policy

Staff members can access Royal Darwin Hospital's policy on the supervision of doctors-in-training
supervision of doctors-in-training RDH policy (internal access only).

Defence placements

Australian Defence Force placements are managed by Clinical Learning Education and Research Service (CLEaRS).

For further information email TEHSPlacementCLEaRS.DoH@nt.gov.au.


Student placement agreements

All course providers that place students in Northern Territory (NT) health facilities are required to sign the NT student placement agreement.

To secure student placements with NT Health, read clinical student placement procedures.

Below are all education providers (registered training organisation) who have a student placement agreement with NT Health.

  • ALACC Health College Australia
  • Australian Catholic University
  • Australian College of Applied Psychology
  • Australian College of Nursing
  • Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors
  • Australian National University
  • Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
  • Bond University
  • Central Queensland University
  • Charles Darwin University
  • Charles Sturt University
  • Curtin University
  • Deakin University
  • Federation University Australia
  • Flinders University
  • Foundation Education
  • Fox Education and Consultancy
  • Griffith University
  • Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) Health Academy
  • Institute of Health and Nursing Australia
  • James Cook University
  • La Trobe University
  • Macquarie University
  • Monash University
  • Onfit Training College
  • Open Colleges Pty Ltd
  • Queensland University of Technology
  • Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
  • Southern Cross University
  • Swinburne University of Technology
  • TAFE New South Wales
  • TAFE Queensland
  • The University of Notre Dame Australia
  • The University of Sydney
  • University of Canberra
  • University of Melbourne
  • University of New England
  • University of New South Wales
  • University of Newcastle
  • University of Queensland
  • University of South Australia
  • University of Southern Queensland
  • University of Sunshine Coast
  • University of Tasmania
  • University of Technology, Sydney
  • University of Wollongong
  • Western Sydney University