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International nursing applicants
Townsville Hospital and Health Service is always looking for passionate nurses and midwives to join our team.
You don’t need to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident to apply, we welcome applications from all experienced health professionals.
Work for a leader in health, research and education and play a pivotal role in providing world-class care to communities in northern Australia.
Our health service consists of more than 20 facilities, including 19 hospitals and community health campuses as well as two residential aged care facilities.
Townsville University Hospital is the region's major tertiary referral hospital and the largest teaching hospital in northern Australia. Townsville is the largest city in north Queensland with almost 240,000 residents and a steady, diverse economy.
Join us in paradise and enjoy everything working in north Queensland has to offer.
What are the legal requirements for working as an International Qualified Nurse or Midwife in Australia?
You can work in Australia as a nurse or midwife, as long as you meet the registration standards and qualification criteria of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) regulates the practice of nursing and midwifery in Australia, developing standards, codes and guidelines which together establish the requirements for the professional and safe practice of nurses and midwives in Australia.
NMBA in partnership with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is responsible for assessing registration applications from internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) to ensure they are suitably trained and qualified for registration in Australia.
You may also need to apply for a visa issued by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. More information on visa applications, including skills assessments and assessing authorities is available on the Australian Department of Home Affairs - Immigration and citizenship website.
International applicants who are registered in New Zealand
Applicants who have the legal authority to practise as a nurse or midwife in New Zealand are subject to certain entitlements under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.
More information can be found on the NMBA website.
Mandatory registration requirements
You will have to meet the registration requirements for nursing and/or midwifery to be eligible for registration. All IQNMs must meet the minimum registration standards and qualification criteria including:
- Criminal history
- English language skills
- Continuing professional development
- Professional indemnity insurance arrangements
- Recency of practice
For more information see the NMBA’s registration standards.
Qualification criteria
- Qualification recognised for registration
- Quality assurance and accreditation of qualification
- Academic level of qualification is comparable to a relevant bachelor (Level 7) according to the Australian Qualification Framework
Useful resource
Self-check and Portfolio for nursing and midwifery registration
You will need to complete an NMBA Self-check and, on completion, you will be assigned to one of three streams, which have different assessment stages to complete prior to being eligible for registration.
More information can be found on the NMBA website.
Recommended Pathway for International qualified nurses and midwives
What we offer nurses and midwives
Working at the Townsville Hospital and Health Service has some great benefits including:
- Permanent employment
- Assistance with Visa processes
- Assistance with gaining registration
- Attractive remuneration
- Up to 6 weeks annual leave including 17.5 % leave loading payment
- Flexible working arrangements
- Penalty rates for working afternoon, nights, weekends and public holidays
- Professional development leave (annual)
- Professional development allowance (annual)
- Long Service Leave (after working 7 years) in addition to your annual leave
- Paid sick leave
- Uniforms provided
- Free car parking
- Employer superannuation contribution
- Salary packaging benefits
How can I develop my skills and career?
Townsville Hospital and Health Service values and encourages life-long learning for our nursing and midwifery workforce. We are a teaching hospital with James Cook University, which is situated in the adjoining campus. There are many professional development, education, and training opportunities including:
- Orientation and induction
- Professional development three days annually
- Professional development allowance of $1,500 annually
- Education and training in the Simulation Centre
- Access to clinical leadership programs
- Career progression and opportunities
- Clinical experience across a range of clinical specialty areas
- Online learning and clinical education modules
What expenses from my moving costs will be covered?
Townsville Hospital and Health Service may provide relocation assistance which includes:
- Visa fee for you and your spouse or partner
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) application fee
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) assessment fee
- Up to $3000 per family for removal costs
- Economy flights for you, your spouse or partner and dependents
- Up to six weeks accommodation
How do I apply
Our Professional Nursing and Midwifery Recruitment Service will be able to assist you with your application, NMBA registration and visa processes. We can walk you through the processes and career opportunities.
Contact us on {"ct":"n9896pqXRWY4LL32SFcE2DB1V1bCAuSKBu7WTECmXUs=","iv":"47502c1f08b1b1050b019a894fb45c96","s":"867de1caedfe6b2d"} for all your enquires and we will make a time with you to talk.
Have a chat with someone who has made the move.
Ready to move? Email us via {"ct":"bqWrdZXKDN0wa0Tx8kWNZyqQsYU8BDp31KtclfoxALU=","iv":"e6e4199618c1d610506f5f602b54ce12","s":"316dd674a68c7226"} and we'll be in touch.
Johanna Cromley, Nurse Unit Manager
I am a registered paediatric nurse from the south of the United Kingdom. My Australian experience started, like many, as a backpacker in 2000 as a new nurse who had worked for only one year in London.
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I spent the year travelling and working and fell in love with the people, lifestyle and weather.
I returned to Australia in 2004 under a sponsorship visa and moved to Queensland in 2007, before making my way to Townsville University Hospital (TUH) in 2014 when the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) opened. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to move to a city I had previously visited and loved, and I have not been disappointed.
Townsville attracted me because it was a big city, with lots of activities and opportunities, yet still small enough to have a warm, community feel. Townsville has approximately double the population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people compared to the state average, so it had a fantastic mix of tertiary-level hospital care and the privilege of working with indigenous families.
As a paediatric nurse I worked in PICU for two years before I commenced as a paediatric nurse navigator, which aims to help children and families to navigate the complex health care system. I now work as the acting Nurse Unit Manager for our Public Health Unit, which is evidence of the progression you can make here.
Townsville is also a fabulous place to live. You have stunning views from Castle Hill, which you can walk, ride or drive up, easy beach access at The Strand, and my dogs favourite walk, the winding pathways of Riverway. I met my partner here in Townsville and it's been great to see our children go to school here and grow. My partner and I have a converted bus and we make the most of this by getting away as often as possible.
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Ruth, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Born in the United Kingdom, I came to Townsville in 2007 after an international recruitment of nurses and was appointed as a Registered Nurse, enabling me to live and work in Australia.
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My partner and I arrived when I was 26-years-old and 15 years, a marriage, two children and an ongoing successful career in nursing later, Townsville is now our home in paradise.
Townsville University Hospital has provided many career opportunities for me. While working, I have completed a post graduate certificate in neonatal nursing and thereafter a Masters of Nurse Practitioner. I am now in my dream position as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in the neonatal unit of the Hospital. Townsville hosts the only tertiary neonatal unit in North Queensland, with a modern 50-bed unit and a retrieval service that covers 550,000 square kilometres. As part of my day-to-day work, I fly over beautiful North Queensland in a jet or a helicopter to transfer critically ill neonates to where they need to be cared for. My job truly is the #bestjobintheworld.
I know I live in paradise; however, I would like to give even more context about the city I call home. Townsville has beautiful beaches, is sunny all year around, and is a short ferry ride from Magnetic Island - making it the perfect tropical getaway. Townsville is also close to luscious rainforests and waterfalls, which are spectacular to take in. With all these wonders to explore, not only do I enjoy working, but the hospital provides me with the perfect family friendly roster so that I can enjoy my days off giving me the perfect work/life balance.
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Contact us
Are you interested in living and working in north Queensland?
We are always looking for talented nurses and midwives to join our team. Don't wait to see a position advertised, contact us now.
Phone: (07) 4433 1096
Apply today
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The Townsville Hospital and Health Service acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which our health facilities have been built and on which we meet today.
We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging; and we value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and knowledge.