Assistant Secretary Sam Casey
Under many, but not all, industrial instruments, if you hold a qualification in nursing and/or midwifery you may be eligible for payment of an allowance that reflects the extra knowledge you bring to your role. An industrial instrument is the enterprise agreement or award that describes your pay and conditions. You can access your agreement in the ANMF Member Portal.
In Victoria, if an agreement/award includes a qualification allowance provision, it is important to be aware of the following:
The allowance is not paid for the qualification that led to your registration
In other words, a Bachelor of Nursing does not meet the requirement. However, in some cases a graduate-entry Master of Nursing or a double degree may.
If in doubt, contact ANMF Member Assistance.
The qualification must be relevant to your current role
Many aged care agreements specify the types of qualification they will accept – for example, that you can only receive the allowance for a business-focused qualification if you work in a management role.
In the public sector and some larger private hospitals, it is sufficient if a component of the qualification is relevant. For example, holding a post-graduate certificate in emergency nursing and working in an emergency department.
Eligible qualifications are usually taught in the tertiary sector and require at least six months full time to complete
Shorter courses, including nurse immunisation, are not eligible. The sole exception for RNs and midwives is if you work in the public sector and are required by your employer to hold a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. In that case, you are entitled to the allowance for this qualification.
Payable allowance date
The allowance is payable from the first full pay period on or after the date you have provided your employer with evidence you hold the qualification, regardless of how long it takes your employer to assess your request. Evidence may be a testamur or certified transcript of results. If your qualification is from an international education provider, you will first need an independent assessment to determine how the qualification compares to the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Eligibility for backpay of a qualification allowance can be challenging
If you are unsure whether you are entitled to receive a qualification allowance and backpay, please contact our Member Assistance Team.
