Aged Care Nurses jobs in Australia

Licensing

Licensing by state

Registration is national, not state-based. Nurses and midwives register once with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through Ahpra under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, and that registration is recognised in every state and territory — you do not re-register when you move interstate, and there is no separate state nursing licence. What genuinely varies by jurisdiction is: who employs you (a private or not-for-profit aged care provider under the federal system, or a state public health service); which industrial instrument applies (the federal Nurses Award 2020 or a provider or state enterprise agreement); the state or territory drugs and poisons law that governs how you store, administer and supply scheduled medicines; and the local screening checks — police certificates, NDIS worker screening and working-with-children or vulnerable-people registration, each issued by a different agency in each jurisdiction. Aged care also adds Commonwealth requirements that apply everywhere: the Aged Care Quality Standards, police certificate or statutory declaration requirements, and mandatory registered nurse coverage and care minutes reporting for residential providers.

the Australian Capital Territory

Canberra Health Services and the ACT Health Directorate are the main public employers, with staff covered by the ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement; most aged care employment is with private and not-for-profit providers under the Nurses Award 2020. Medicines are regulated by the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2008 (ACT). The ACT requires Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011, which frequently covers aged care and disability roles.

New South Wales

Public sector roles sit with the 15 Local Health Districts and specialty networks under the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award, a NSW industrial instrument rather than the federal award; aged care providers remain in the federal system under the Nurses Award 2020 or their own agreement. Scheduled medicines are governed by the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW) and Regulation. A Working With Children Check from the Office of the Children's Guardian applies to child-related roles; NSW Health also runs its own vaccination and Category A screening requirements.

the Northern Territory

NT Health runs the Top End Health Service and the Central Australia Health Service, with public sector nurses covered by the Northern Territory Public Sector Nurses and Midwives' Enterprise Agreement; aged care providers, including remote community-controlled organisations, use the federal Nurses Award 2020. Medicines are governed by the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2012 (NT), which supports remote practice arrangements. An Ochre Card (Working with Children Clearance) is required for child-related work, and remote and Aboriginal community aged care roles often require cultural orientation and a 4WD licence.

Queensland

Most public sector nursing sits with Queensland Health's 16 Hospital and Health Services, but the great majority of aged care nurses work for private and not-for-profit providers under the federal Nurses Award 2020 or a provider enterprise agreement; Queensland Health staff are instead covered by the Nurses and Midwives (Queensland Health and Department of Education) Certified Agreement. Medicines handling is governed by the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (Qld) and its Extended Practice Authorities. A Blue Card (working with children) is only needed where the role involves children; a police certificate is required for all aged care work.

South Australia

SA Health operates through Local Health Networks (Central Adelaide, Northern Adelaide, Southern Adelaide, Women's and Children's and the regional LHNs), with public sector nurses covered by the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement; aged care providers sit under the federal Nurses Award 2020. Medicines are regulated by the Controlled Substances Act 1984 (SA). A Working with Children Check through the DHS Screening Unit is required for child-related roles, and SA screening checks are also commonly required for aged care and NDIS work.

Tasmania

Public services are delivered by the Department of Health Tasmania through its hospital and statewide services, with nurses covered by the Nurses and Midwives (Tasmanian State Service) Award and Agreement; aged care providers use the federal Nurses Award 2020. Medicines fall under the Poisons Act 1971 (Tas). Tasmania requires Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP) — a distinctive state requirement that commonly applies to aged care and NDIS-funded work, not just child-related roles.

Victoria

Victoria is unusual in having a substantial public sector residential aged care system run by public health services, so a meaningful share of aged care nurses are covered by the Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement rather than the federal Nurses Award 2020. Medicines are regulated under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic). A Victorian Working with Children Check applies to child-related work, and Victoria's legislated nurse-to-patient ratios apply in public sector settings.

Western Australia

WA Health delivers public services through Health Service Providers — North, South and East Metropolitan, Child and Adolescent, and the WA Country Health Service — and public sector nurses are covered by a state industrial agreement (the WA Health System registered nurses and midwives industrial agreement), not the federal award; private and not-for-profit aged care providers use the Nurses Award 2020 or their own agreement. Medicines are governed by the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 (WA). A Working with Children Check (WA) applies to child-related roles.