Aged Care Nurses jobs in Adelaide

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.

Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide University and Flinders University are among the largest employers in Adelaide. Most aged care nurses here, though, are hired by small and mid-sized businesses rather than by the names everyone recognises — which is why so many local vacancies never reach a big job board.

The qualification is national, not local: Bachelor of Nursing (three years, AQF Level 7) from an Ahpra-approved program, leading to registration as a registered nurse What changes between states is the licensing or clearance — see the South Australia requirements above.

Modern awards are national instruments, so the same award applies in Adelaide as anywhere else in Australia: Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) and Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018). Award coverage depends on the work performed rather than the job title, and pay rates change each 1 July — check the current rate for your classification with the Fair Work Ombudsman rather than relying on any figure quoted elsewhere.

No. General registration as a registered or enrolled nurse with the NMBA through Ahpra covers aged care anywhere in Australia. Aged care adds employer and Commonwealth requirements — a police certificate, the Aged Care Quality Standards and provider induction — but not a separate nursing licence.

Yes. Enrolled nurses (HLT54121 Diploma of Nursing) make up a large share of the aged care nursing workforce and work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Medication administration by an EN depends on holding the medicines unit in the diploma and on the employer's policy and state drugs and poisons law.

Residential aged care providers must meet Commonwealth mandatory care minute targets, including a set share delivered by registered nurses, and most homes must have a registered nurse on site around the clock. In practice this has increased demand for RNs and made accurate rostering and documentation part of the clinical role.

Yes, immediately. Registration under the National Law is national. You update your address with Ahpra, but you do not re-apply. You may need a new state screening check — for example a Tasmanian RWVP registration or an ACT WWVP card.

A Graduate Certificate in Gerontological Nursing, Dementia Care, Palliative Care or Wound Management is the usual step, followed by leadership study for clinical care manager roles. Nurse practitioner endorsement requires an NMBA-approved master's plus 5,000 hours of advanced practice.

Most aged care nurses are covered by the Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) or a provider enterprise agreement; care and support staff may fall under the Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018). Public sector aged care roles use the relevant state or territory nursing enterprise agreement instead. Check the current instrument on the Fair Work Ombudsman site for rates.

Yes. Aged care builds strong assessment, complex chronic disease, palliative and leadership skills that transfer well into community nursing, general medical wards, rehabilitation and nurse management roles.

Licensing is the check most employers get wrong, because it is set by South Australia rather than nationally. 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. Verify the licence number against the regulator's public register rather than accepting a photo of a card, and confirm the licence class actually covers the work you are hiring for — a restricted licence looks identical to an unrestricted one on paper.

Modern awards are national, so Adelaide is no different from anywhere else in Australia: Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) or Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018). Coverage follows the work actually performed, not the job title on the contract, and classification within the award determines the minimum rate. Rates change each 1 July — check the current figure with the Fair Work Ombudsman before you make an offer, and keep a record of how you classified the role.

You are competing for the same people as Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide University, who can usually offer more structured conditions than a small business can. What small employers win on is the things large ones can't move quickly on — starting date, variety of work, and a straight answer about pay. Advertising where candidates are already looking for that specific trade in Adelaide, rather than on a national board where the listing is one of thousands, is the cheaper half of the problem.

This is a qualified profession rather than an apprenticeship trade. The entry pathway is set nationally — Bachelor of Nursing (three years, AQF Level 7) from an Ahpra-approved program, leading to registration as a registered nurse — so the lever is the graduate and early-career pipeline, not on-the-job training. Smaller employers who compete well here do it by offering supervision and a named mentor, study leave, and a clear scope of practice in writing, because those are the things a graduate is actually weighing. If the constraint is time rather than intent, Valont People can design the role and the advert, place it, and shortlist against the must-haves you set.