Grades and levels what does it all mean?
As a nurse or midwife your ‘classification’ is usually found in your enterprise agreement and reflects your role and responsibilities.
Each classifications has grades, and most have sub-grades and increments, or year levels, to reflect that with experience your skills develop and attract higher wage rates.
Where can I find information about pay scales?
If you are employed under the Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Health Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2016 -2020 classifications and grades can be found at clauses 82, 83 and 84. The pay rates attached to those grades are in Appendix 2.
ANMF members can access pay scales specific to their place of work, if you have updated your membership details, via the ANMF member portal.
How will I progress?
Public sector employers are required to adjust your experience increment after each ‘year of experience’. This is known as your ‘anniversary date’.
What does a year of experience mean?
Most enterprise agreements define a year of experience as working an average of three shifts or more per week in a year. If you average less than three shifts per week or 48 hours per fortnight (whichever is the lesser), you must complete an additional year to advance one increment.
What does experience mean?
Experience in the public sector agreement is paid service, whether in Australia or internationally, as a registered nurse, midwife or enrolled nurse, following registration by the professional registration body, in a grade or sub-grade at least equal or comparable to the grade in which you are employed or about to be employed. The exception is when an internationally trained nurse is granted registration with conditions. Experience will not be recognised whilst those conditions are in place.
What is an anniversary date?
An employee’s anniversary date is the date the employee started work as a registered nurse, midwife or enrolled nurse following registration in Australia or internationally (subject to any conditions).
The onus is on you to demonstrate your completed years of experience. Your employer may require evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person of your experience with any previous employer/s.
If during the year you perform duties in a higher grade, this experience counts towards your substantive grade experience.
The majority of private sector and aged care employers apply the above principals. Visit the member portal to view your workplace agreement
How does this apply to enrolled nurses?
EN Level 2.3 is the entry to practise rate for the first year of experience of an enrolled nurse who holds a NMBA approved diploma of nursing.
Under some enterprise agreements, an enrolled nurse who completes an undergraduate course which leads to registration and is subsequently registered as a registered nurse will commence at the Grade 2 registered nurse increment immediately above the rate of pay (including senior allowance and/or qualification allowance (where applicable) applicable to that employee.
How does this apply to mental health nurses?
Nurses working in mental health services will be classified as RPN 1 during their initial year of nursing. The pay is equivalent to a graduate Grade 2 Year 1 in the general public sector. From the second year, you are classified as RPN 2 with yearly increments up to year 9.
I’m paid under the Nurses Award, how do I progress?
The Nurses Award 2010 applies similar principals but the definition of a year of experience differs and the hourly requirement is greater at 1786 hours.
Progression for all levels where there is more than one pay point, will occur annually, or in the case of a part-time or casual employee when you have completed 1786 hours of experience.
Progression must also consider the acquisition and use of skill and knowledge, described in Schedule A in the Award, gained through experience in the practice settings over such a period.
There is no requirement for the employer to consider your hours only on your anniversary date. Progression should occur yearly if you meet the 1786-hour requirement. Otherwise once you do reach the 1786-hour requirement your increment will rise to the next available increment.
