Lifestyle and travel

If travel has always been your dream, then nursing is for you! Nursing/Midwifery is a highly portable profession - your qualifications are easily transferable to any state in Australia. Once registered as a nurse or midwife, you could tour sunny Queensland on a working holiday, with opportunities to work in a variety of hospitals and health care facilities scattered across the State.

You can also take your career with you when you travel abroad, as there are opportunities to work in countries like England, Scotland, Ireland, America and exotic countries like Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

Career development

Queensland Health is interested in enhancing nurses and midwives skills throughout their career and offer a professional development package to Registered Nurses working in permanent full and part-time positions.

This package entitles Registered Nurses to 3 days paid professional development leave and between $1500 per annum towards the cost of professional development. Any funds not used towards professional development will be paid out at the end of 2 years. Leave is cumulative for 2 years and if not used in this time it is waived.

Queensland Health also offers transition programs which have been developed and are offered across Queensland Health facilities.  Transition to Practice Nurse Education Programs (TPNEP) provides nurses, new to a clinical specialty, with the knowledge and skills necessary to practise competently and safely in their new environment.  Program areas that have been developed include:

• Cardiac Surgery
• Cancer Care
• Care of the Older Person
• Emergency
• High Dependency
• Intensive Care
• Medical / Surgical
• Mental Health
• Neonatal
• Neuroscience
• Paediatric and Child Health
• Perioperative
• Renal

Queensland Health Study and Research Assistance Scheme (SARAS) provide all Queensland Health employees the opportunity to enhance their knowledge, skills and abilities.  Queensland Health supports employees by providing leave and financial assistance.  For further information on the Scheme, please go to Study and Research Assistance Scheme. 

Queensland Health offers a range of scholarships each year which are available to all Queensland Health nurses and midwives.

Challenges and rewards

The human condition is a complex one.  There are many reasons why people become unwell, suffer accidents or need periods of specialised care.  
Nurses have the unique privilege to work closely with people across the spectrum of life encompassing all age groups.  Nurses can be found in almost any setting where people are found.  Nurses act as mentor, guide, advocate and facilitator of health care. 

The modern environment offers nurses many opportunities to influence patient care from the bedside through to setting state and national legislation and policy direction.