Emergency, Critical Care and ICU Nurses jobs in Australia

Licensing

Licensing by state

Registration is national, not state-based. You register once as a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia through Ahpra under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, and that registration is valid in every state and territory. There is no separate state licence and no endorsement specific to critical care. What varies locally is the employer — each state's public health system or a private hospital group — the industrial instrument (state nursing enterprise agreements cover most public ED and ICU nurses, not the federal Nurses Award 2020), the state drugs and poisons law that authorises nurse-initiated medicines and standing orders in emergency departments, the credentialling and competency framework each service applies before you take a ventilated or triage-category patient load, and local screening requirements including police checks, immunisation and working-with-children or vulnerable-people registration.

the Australian Capital Territory

Canberra Health Services operates the territory's major ED and ICU under the ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement, serving a large surrounding NSW population. Medicines are regulated by the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2008 (ACT), and Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration is required for clinical roles.

New South Wales

NSW Local Health Districts employ ED and ICU nurses under the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award. Nurse-initiated medicines and standing orders operate under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW) and Regulation. NSW Health requires Category A vaccination compliance. Critical care retrieval runs through NSW Ambulance's Aeromedical Retrieval Service, a common secondment for experienced ICU and ED nurses.

the Northern Territory

NT Health's Top End and Central Australia Health Services run EDs and ICU at Royal Darwin and Alice Springs hospitals, under the Northern Territory Public Sector Nurses and Midwives' Enterprise Agreement. Medicines are governed by the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2012 (NT). Long-distance aeromedical retrieval, high acuity, tropical and remote presentations, and cultural safety practice with Aboriginal patients are defining features of NT critical care; an Ochre Card is required for child-related roles.

Queensland

Queensland Health's Hospital and Health Services run the state's EDs and ICUs, with nurses covered by the Nurses and Midwives (Queensland Health and Department of Education) Certified Agreement. Nurse-initiated medicines and rural emergency practice are authorised through Extended Practice Authorities under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (Qld), and the Rural and Isolated Practice Registered Nurse (RIPRN) pathway supports remote emergency care. Retrieval is provided through Retrieval Services Queensland; a Blue Card applies to child-related roles.

South Australia

SA Health Local Health Networks run the state's EDs and ICUs under the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement. Medicines are governed by the Controlled Substances Act 1984 (SA). MedSTAR provides adult, paediatric and neonatal retrieval across the state, and DHS screening checks apply according to the role.

Tasmania

The Department of Health Tasmania runs EDs and intensive care at the Royal Hobart, Launceston General and North West Regional hospitals, with nurses covered by the Nurses and Midwives (Tasmanian State Service) Award and Agreement. Medicines fall under the Poisons Act 1971 (Tas). Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP) is required, and interstate retrieval to Victoria is a routine part of critical care practice.

Victoria

Victorian public health services employ critical care nurses under the Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement, and Victoria's legislated nurse-to-patient ratios under the Safe Patient Care Act 2015 apply to ED and inpatient areas. Medicines are governed by the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic). Adult retrieval is coordinated through Adult Retrieval Victoria and paediatric retrieval through PIPER.

Western Australia

WA Health Service Providers, including the WA Country Health Service, employ ED and ICU nurses under a WA state industrial agreement. Medicines are regulated by the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 (WA). WACHS emergency telehealth means regional nurses often manage resuscitations with a remote emergency physician on screen — a distinctive WA model. A Working with Children Check (WA) applies to child-related roles.