Graduate Nurse Program Combined Mental Health

  • Our 2025 Graduate Nurse Program (Combined Mental Health Stream) has been developed for nurses passionate about both general paediatrics and mental health.  This program will facilitate your transition from a newly graduated Registered Nurse to a competent and confident Registered Nurse, through ongoing learning and development in a safe and supportive environment. The Graduate Nurse Program (Combined Mental Health Stream) provides graduates with a 6-month rotation within the Banksia ward (Adolescent Inpatient Unit) and a 6-month rotation within the Kelpie ward (Adolescent, Oncology and Rehabilitation Care).

    The program is designed to promote:

    • Young person-centered, family and recovery-focused mental health care
    • Child-centered, family focused centered care
    • Foundations in trauma-informed care and therapeutic engagement
    • Competence in paediatric nursing practice and youth mental health nursing practice
    • Engagement in critical questioning and reflective practice
    • Integration into effective multidisciplinary team functioning

    This is a 12-month program offering a part-time, ongoing 0.8FTE position.

    Key features of the program

    Comprehensive orientation

    From day one the program is structured to include a variety of orientation days, study days, and further clinical and educational support to ensure graduates feel comfortable commencing practice in the paediatric setting.

    Ongoing education

    The Graduate Nurse Program (Combined Mental Health) include regular in-service education and training as well as scheduled Professional Development days which support the required learning outcomes and clinical competence required to become a capable and skilled Registered Nurse.

    Preceptorship model of support

    Each Graduate Nurse is assigned a individual preceptor to assist with the transition into the clinical area. During the supernumerary period you and your preceptor will work identical shifts to facilitate development of your nursing skills. Following your supernumerary period further support is available from the ward Clinical Support Nurses, Graduate Nurse Clinical Nurse Educator and other senior nursing staff within your clinical setting.

    Scheduled debriefing sessions

    Graduate Nurses are provided with opportunities to attend facilitated debriefing sessions throughout both the Graduate Nurse Program and the Career Advancement Program. Facilitated debriefing provides additional support in a safe environment, promotes reflective practice and critical thinking to improve nursing practice, and focuses on supporting the well-being of Graduate Nurses as they navigate the transition to the clinical setting.

     

    How to apply

    Application

    Please follow the instructions below carefully. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

    We recommend you utilise Chrome as your search engine to complete application forms.  Please consider applying via https://www.rch.org.au/careers directly to avoid application form issues.  If you have any additional concerns or questions, please email us at nursing.education.@rch.org.au.

    Step 1

    Register and apply via the Graduate Nurse and Midwifery PMCV Allocation and Placement system.

    Step 2

    Create a profile on the Careers at RCH website using a personal email address, not a student address provided by your university. Please note that there is no need to complete a full profile. Simply create your login and move on to Step 3.

    Step 3

    Apply for the Graduate Nurse Program via the advertised position on our Careers at RCH website (using the Apply Now button).

    The documents listed below are required for your application. Please ensure that you upload files in the correct section, according to the guidelines provided. Applications with missing or incomplete documentation will not be considered.

    Online application includes:

    1. Application form (replaces a cover letter)
    2. Resume/CV
    3. Academic transcript (to be uploaded as Pre-Employment Documentation)
    4. Two clinical appraisal documents/tools (to be uploaded as an Application Documents)

    Further Advice

    Application Form

    The Application Form is required in place of a traditional cover letter. Download the application and save to your computer/files before completing it to avoid any data corruption.

    Referees

    The application form requires referee information. Please note that the same referees should be provided to both PMVC and RCH.

    Include contact details of two professional nursing referees who can describe your nursing practice and one referee from a current employer (if not employed your referee can be from your volunteer work, sport coach, extra curriculum, church etc.). Include each referee’s name, position and title, organisation, contact number (prefer mobile) and relationship e.g. third year clinical teacher, direct supervisor.

    Upload/attach in place of the Cover Letter under the My Documents section of your application. No separate cover letter is required or will be assessed.

    Resume/CV

    Your Curriculum vitae (CV) should include the following components and a be maximum of three pages in length.

    • Contact details: include full name, residential address, phone number/s and personal email address
    • Tertiary level education history (Secondary school not required)
    • Clinical experiences as an undergraduate nurse: include information of all completed and upcoming placements with details of health facility number of weeks and hours worked for each placement
    • Recent employment history (include responsibilities in each role)
    • Volunteer experience, if any
    • Professional development, if any
    • Professional memberships, if any
    • Note that no photograph is required on the CV

    Upload/attach your Resume/CV in the My Documents section of your application.

    Transcript

    A certified** true copy of your academic transcript is required to be attached along with the application. This must be an official transcript and must include the grading key to assist the reviewing panel. Academic Records downloaded from your student portal will not be accepted. Digital PDFs downloaded from My eQuals are considered certified and will be accepted as an official document. Please ensure you download the transcript as it must be uploaded to your application. Shared documents via email from My eQuals will not be considered.

    Upload/attach your Academic Transcript as a Pre-Employment Document in the My Documents section of your application.

    Clinical appraisal documents/tools

    Copies of appraisals from both you’re your most recent clinical placement and your Mental Health placement are required. Please provide the appraisal pages only, including ANSAT assessments, reflection by student pages and comments made by preceptor for both the interim and final assessments. If only one assessment (interim or final) was completed due to the length of placement please provide the blank assessment pages as evidence.

    Upload/attach your Clinical Appraisals as Application Documents in the My Documents section of your application.

    Please note that digital copies of your transcript and/or clinical appraisals may be accepted, however must be provided unedited (including cover pages) and with all cryptographic signatures.

    After applying

    Once applications have been assessed, shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview. Those not shortlisted will also be advised.

    Interviews

    Following the shortlisting process applicants will be invited to an interview at the RCH. Interviews will take place over a two-week period. If you are shortlisted, we will email you with all relevant information including the date and time of the interview.

    Interviews will take approximately 30 minutes with a small panel of senior nursing staff. The interview is an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate understanding of the structure and content of the Graduate Nurse Program at the RCH; awareness of integrating the Nursing and Midwifery board of Australia (NMBA) competency standards for registered nurses into clinical practice; knowledge of contemporary nursing practice issues; ability to think critically; communication and interpersonal skills appropriate for paediatric nursing; child and family centred approach to care.

    Outcomes

    Once interviews are complete RCH will conduct referee checks as part of assessment and selection process. Please ensure you have informed your referees that they will be contacted.

    Candidates have until Friday 23 August at 5pm to submit final heath service preferences through PMCV.

    Once Match Results are published by PMCV candidates will be required to formally accept allocations. Following this RCH will be in contact with successfully matched applicants regarding employment. 

    Contacts

    Nurse Educator, Graduate Nurse Programs

    Claudia Barriga
    Telephone: 9345 6716
    Email: nursing.education@rch.org.au

    Lauren Cross
    Telephone: 9345 6716
    Email: nursing.education@rch.org.au