ANMF (Vic Branch) welcomes the thousands of nursing and midwifery graduates who have joined our professions in 2025. While this is always a challenging, and exciting, time for graduates, we understand that it has been a particularly challenging start for some graduates.
We know that a small number of final-year students and graduates ended 2024 with the unwelcome news that their contracted hours at three Metropolitan hospitals were being offered at less than 0.8 EFT.
The Branch has also been in ongoing contact with some final-year students who will be delayed in commencing their graduate programs as a direct result of universities not securing their required clinical placement hours in during their course, therefore delaying registration with the NMBA.
We understand this issue lies with the educational institutions – specifically we have been assisting students at two metropolitan education providers. We strongly encourage student nurses and midwives to be ANMF members, track their clinical hours throughout their course and alert their education provider and ANMF early to these issues.
Student and graduate nurses and midwives are a critical pipeline for our future nursing and midwifery workforces. The quality of the educational and workplace support and treatment they receive during their studies and in the early years of their career is an indicator for the likelihood they will stay in nursing or midwifery throughout their career. The quantum of their clinical placement hours is a requirement for their graduation and subsequent registration.
Our understanding is that employers are attributing the reduced early-career EFT in some metropolitan health services to retention of existing workforce. While this could be cause for optimism, we have been questioning this rationale in the context of a reduction of some services, and without the provision of detailed workforce data to support the rationale.
ANMF made this point in urgent advocacy that, positively, has convinced two services – Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s – to retain positions at 0.8 EFT. At the time of publication, The Alfred has continued with 0.6 EFT contracts for graduates, and has proposed graduates pick up extra hours via the supplementary roster.
We have also been in discussion with federal and state government to continue advocating for greater support for graduates to consider undertaking part, if not all, of their graduate program in regional facilities, and for stronger long-term investment in the future of our professions that begins with ensuring nurses and midwives begin their careers fully employed.
The Branch has been in frequent contact with affected graduates to ensure they’re getting regular hours, and to offer support and advice.
Regarding the unmatched graduate positions and registration delays, ANMF has elevated these issues to government in pursuit of a longer-term plan around early career positions and support. Part of this work is seeking solutions that will strengthen the role of PMCV, especially when it comes to communication.
In the meantime, graduates who have experienced delays with their NMBA registration are encouraged to:
- Ensure you have submitted all relevant documents for your application
- Contact your university – if this is where the delays occur – to confirm that they have provided the required academic/grad list to AHPRA
- Once AHPRA have all the correct information, list of grads included, the approval of registration generally occurs quickly.
If you have any questions, fill out the member assistance form and the Branch’s graduate and final year student support officer will be in touch.
