Hey, I’m back!
After a few weeks offline and putting the blog on pause, I’m finally sitting down to write again. Life has been full lately—I flew home to the UK, my brother got married, and just a few weeks before that, he and his incredible wife welcomed their beautiful baby boy. I’ve been soaking up time with family, ignoring my phone (actually losing it for an entire weekend… and not looking too hard to find it, if I’m honest!).
Life Update: Why I’m Now Looking for Permanent Work
While I was home, I started seriously applying for permanent nursing roles in Australia. My partner and I are hoping to have children in the next few years, so we want to start building up maternity leave entitlements. We’re also saving to buy a house, so we’re aiming for rural paediatric nursing jobs with subsidised housing—yes, I’ve made things niche and definitely not easy!
Agency Nursing vs Permanent Nursing in Australia
I’ve worked as an agency nurse for over 15 months now, and it’s been nothing short of amazing. I’ve travelled to places I didn’t even know existed, managed rare conditions, and learned how to thrive with minimal resources. If you’re a nurse who:
✅ Has no dependents
✅ Loves to travel
✅ Is flexible on location
Agency nursing is brilliant. It gives you variety, higher pay, and an incredible life experience.
But eventually, you start to crave stability—somewhere to settle, maybe decorate your own little rental, or even just sign up for a local gym and not cancel it a month later. That’s where I’m at now: ready for the next chapter.
Where to Find Nursing and Midwifery Jobs in Australia
If you’re flexible on location, role, and specialty—you’ll be spoilt for choice. But if, like me, you have very specific criteria (hello, paeds + rural + housing), it gets a little trickier. Here’s where I look:
✅ State Health Department Job Boards
These are by far the best places to find permanent nursing jobs—they often post roles before they reach general sites like SEEK.
Queensland Health (QHealth)
NSW Health
ACT Health
WA Health (Search WACHS for rural & CAHS for child health)
NT Health
Tasmania Health
💡 Tips: WA and the NT often offer relocation assistance, rural/remote incentives, and government housing—worth checking the job ads closely for this info.
✅ General Job Boards
These are useful for filtering by specialty (e.g. midwifery, paediatrics) or region:
Jora – often includes government and private roles
SEEK – especially good for private hospitals and health services
Indeed – great for comparing salary ranges and conditions
Facebook Groups – Join groups like “Nursing Jobs Australia” or “Midwives in Australia” for informal leads and advice
Know Your Own Caveats (and Don’t Apologise for Them)
Here’s what I was looking for—feel free to make your own list:
✅ Rural or remote location – I love small towns, the slower lifestyle, and the sense of community.
✅ Nurse housing – With permanent roles, you often pay rent—but it’s heavily subsidised (think $175–$300/week).
✅ Commitment to education – I’ve moved around a lot, so finding a ward that supports development and CPD is non-negotiable for me.
✅ Job opportunities for my partner – We needed to find somewhere that also offered mechanical work locally.
What You’ll Need to Apply
After 11 applications (and counting), I’ve learned a few lessons:
✅ CV & cover letter – Write a generic cover letter template you can tweak for each role. Make sure to highlight your rural experience if relevant.
✅ References – Let your referees know in advance. Some job sites request their contact details in the first stage.
✅ Immunisation records – Have digital copies ready. Hep B, MMR, dTpa, and flu vax are common requirements.
✅ ID – Keep scans of your passport, driver’s licence, visa, and birth certificate handy.
✅ Visa – Upload a clear, current copy with matching passport info.
✅ AHPRA registration – This is non-negotiable. Employers won’t consider international nurses without this.
✅ English test results / ANMAC – Some employers ask for these even after AHPRA registration—especially in government roles.
✅ Certificates – Any specialty certs (e.g. immunisation, chemotherapy, NRP, ALS) should be uploaded too.
✅ Police Check – Valid for 12 months. Most employers will accept one you’ve already done.
✅ 2025 flu vaccine – One employer asked for mine during the application—lesson learned!
The Interview Process
If you’ve made it this far—congratulations!
Most interviews I’ve had (three so far!) have been online, probably because I’m an international applicant. Each one has been different, so it’s hard to prepare perfectly—but here are some useful tips:
🔹 Interview Prep Checklist
💻 Reliable internet – I’ve done one interview from a library to get stable Wi-Fi.
📄 Know your stuff – Brush up on conditions common to your specialty. For paediatrics, think respiratory infections, sepsis, gastro, bronchiolitis. 🧘 Stay calm – It’s OK to ask for a question to be repeated or to take a moment to think.
🥤 Water – Keep a glass nearby.
📓 Notes – It’s fine to glance at notes, but don’t rely on them too much.
🌏 Time zones – Don’t assume everything is in AEST. Always double-check the time zone of your interview.
🏥 Mission statement – Google the hospital or health service’s mission and values. Show them you’ve done your homework.
💬 STAR method – Prepare for the usual: “Tell me about a time you dealt with conflict,” “How do you prioritise care?” “Describe a challenging patient.” Having 2–3 solid examples ready makes things so much smoother.
Final Thoughts
Finding a permanent rural nursing job in Australia—especially in paediatrics—isn’t always easy. But it is possible. If you’ve been working agency and are thinking about transitioning to a more settled lifestyle, I hope this post gives you a head start.
You’ve already done the hard part—showing up. So take a breath, open that application, and start pressing submit.
As always,
Thank you so much for reading.
All the best,
Emily the UK Nurse Down Under
xxx
📸 Instagram: @emilytheuknursedownunder
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💌 Email: emilytheuknursedownunder@gmail.com
UK Nurse in Aus 