The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Graduate Nurse Program provides you with the best start to your nursing career. We are flexible, supportive and will provide you with a wealth of experience, knowledge and much more!
Graduate nurses are an integral part of the RMH commitment to taking the nursing profession into the future. This includes ensuring that graduate nurses are well supported by senior nursing leaders and that they have the opportunity to experience a range of nursing specialities.
Graduates are recognised as a major source of new staff recruitment to RMH each year and as such it is in our interests to welcome graduates into our team and assist graduates to become confident and skilled nurses who are truly part of our 'passion for caring and achieving the extraordinary'.
About the program
Our Graduate Nurse Program is designed to support graduate nurses in the clinical area and provide opportunities to consolidate both theoretical and clinical skills.
The program supports graduates making the transition from student to Registered Nurse in a friendly and stimulating working environment.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital offers Graduate Nurses a number of benefits and services, including professional study days, clinical support and a social club.
- Two x 6 month clinical rotations
- Orientation program including paid professional study days
- The most extensively staffed educator based bedside teaching program
- Extensive support network
- A Graduate Nurse Program Coordinator designated to the wellbeing and success of graduates at the Royal Melbourne Hospital
- Preceptorship
- Two intakes per year - January and February
- Between 112 - 120 positions
- Supernumerary days
- Certificate and badge upon completion of the program
- Salary packaging
- Secure car parking and bicycle storage on-site
- Emergency
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Cardiology
- Neurosciences
- Acute Medicine, including infectious diseases, respiratory and general medicine
- Acute Surgery, including colorectal, hepatobiliary, vascular and urology
- Oncology/Haematology/Bone Marrow Transplant
- Peri-anaesthetics and scrub scout
- Orthopaedics
- Plastics, head and neck surgery
- Renal
- Rehabilitation, Aged Care, Dementia and Sub-acute care
From 2018, the RMH Graduate Nurse Program offers 0.8 EFT positions. Salary as per Nurses (Victorian Health Services) Award.
Limited full time positions are available in the perioperative area only.
The program begins with a structured orientation and induction program.
Initially you will undertake the Hospital and Graduate Nurse Orientation Program. The orientation program is designed to be both fun and informative, giving you the opportunity to get to know other graduates as well as the members of the nursing education team.
The orientation is comprised of different activities, workshops and lectures to help you feel more relaxed and confident about beginning your role as a Registered Nurse.
Following the workshops and lectures, you will commence your first rotation side by side with your allocated preceptor for four supernumerary days.
Throughout the year there are a further two paid professional study days. These days will provide you with up-to-date knowledge to assist you with your clinical and professional development.
The Graduate Nurse Social Club committee is run by individual graduates from each intake. They get together regularly to discuss and organise what fun and exciting things you can all do next.
The social club is a great opportunity to get to know other graduates and is especially valuable for those coming from interstate. So come and join in on the fun!
Clinical nurse educators & clinical support nurses
We have one of the largest nursing education teams in Victoria with expert clinical nurse educators who provide orientation and bedside teaching to the clinical staff and to you during your graduate year.
In addition to the clinical nurse educators, there are also clinical support nurses whose primary role is to foster and promote your development as a graduate nurse. Our clinical nurse educators are expert clinicians in their specialty areas.
Preceptor support
A preceptor will work along side you in the initial period of your rotation, ranging from four to six weeks. This individualized support will help you to facilitate a positive clinical experience.
Our staff in Nursing Education conduct a number of Preceptorship Workshops to prepare our staff to take on this vital role.
Clinical nurse consultants
We have a number of clinical nurse consultants who can be accessed via pager for expert advice including stomal therapy, intensive care, palliative care, discharge planning, and infection prevention to name just a few.
Nursing team
Our dynamic nursing team at The Royal Melbourne Hospital will welcome you and are always willing to help you within your graduate year and beyond.
RMH prides itself on assisting in the development of future nursing leaders.
RMH graduates are highly sought after within the health care industry, with greater than 90% of our graduates electing to seek employment back with RMH.
Ongoing employment is offered following successful completion of your Graduate Nurse Program with the opportunity to undertake clinical rotations in specialty areas.
We also conduct university-affiliated Post Graduate programs. Find out more about our Post Graduate Nurse Program.