The Primary Care Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship program supports registered nurses and midwives to complete postgraduate study to support working in primary care. Funding has been provided by the Australian Government and the scholarships will be administered by the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP).
The objectives of the program are:
- To provide scholarships to allow registered nurses and midwives to undertake post-graduate study, including supporting registered nurses to become nurse practitioners, and midwives to become endorsed midwives.
- To increase the supply of health workers, whilst considering the changing demographics and health needs of the Australian population, and to address current health workforce shortages.
- To support the First Nations health workforce through activities that promote an increase in capacity.
- To strengthen the Australian health system, utilising full scope of practice as well as working within nursing and midwifery values, ethics, and regulatory frameworks to provide increased access to health services in communities. While not a replacement for the medical workforce, nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives can effectively provide health services in communities lacking access to other primary care services.
The intended outcomes of the program are:
- To improve the capacity, quality, distribution, and mix of the health workforce to better meet the needs of the Australian community. Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives are a key element in managing health workforce demands.
- To significantly increase the number of qualified nurse practitioners to support Nurse-Led Clinics and new models of care.
- To significantly increase the number of endorsed midwives to support the strategic direction for Australian maternity services as outlined in Woman-centred care: Strategic directions for Australian maternity services.
- To equip more nurses and midwives with the skills to work in primary care and aged care and more midwives to work in primary maternity care.
Table of Content
Summary
Requirements
- Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- Hold current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
- Enroled in postgraduate study applicable to primary care, including Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, or Master's program leading to qualifications to become a nurse practitioner or endorsed midwife
- Be currently employed in, or intend to work in, primary care settings
- Primary care examples include:
- General practice
- Aged care facilities
- Independent private practice, including mental health practices
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services/Aboriginal medical Services
- Community health centres and walk-in clinics
- Group practices
- Birth centres with midwife led programs
The following criteria are not essential, but will be given preference:
- First Nations applicants
- Applicants seeking to work in regional, rural, and remote areas, where healthcare professionals are often in high demand.
- Applicants working or intending to work in the Aboriginal community-controlled sector
- Full scholarship applications
Please read the PCNMS Guidelines and the PCNMSP Terms and Conditions and the Frequently Asked Questions below for further information, then go to the Application Portal to begin.
Application Deadline
Not SpecifiedHow To Apply
Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to
Australian Government on primarycare.acnp.org.au to apply
For more information, kindly visit Australian Government webpage.
