Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Health have made a ground breaking announcement to support the healthcare industry with the introduction of a Free Nursing and Midwifery initiative. The initiative offers free degrees, scholarships, and sign-on bonuses to aspiring nurses and midwives. The government’s $270 million investment aims to recruit and train over 17,000 nurses and midwives, removing financial barriers for future students.
Under this initiative, over 10,000 nursing and midwifery students beginning their studies this year or next will be reimbursed up to $16,500, covering their degree costs.
Professional-entry nursing or midwifery students will receive $3,000 a year for up to three years, with the remaining $7,500 upon completing two years of work in a Victorian public health service. Additionally, there are incentives for nursing and midwifery graduates to take up work in the Victorian public health sector, with an additional $5,000 in bonus payments after two years of work.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas stated, “We’re recruiting thousands of nurses and midwives, which means more support for our healthcare workers already on the ground – so they can continue to deliver patients the care they need.”
The package also includes scholarships of up to $15,000 for nurses and midwives to update their qualifications and complete required training.
Overall, the Andrews Labor Government’s Free Nursing and Midwifery initiative aims to recruit and upskill the current workforce, with scholarships available for enrolled nurses to become registered nurses, postgraduate nurses to specialize in intensive care, emergency, paediatrics, and cancer care, and the recruitment of 100 highly skilled nurse practitioners across the state.
Applications for scholarships open on April 19 and can be found at https://www.health.vic.gov.au/nursing-and-midwifery/free-nursing-and-midwifery-study
