Nurse
As a Registered General Nurse, you’ll bring your qualifications to a rewarding, part-time role where you’ll work alongside committed professionals providing care to your Army colleagues at every level of the organisation. You’ll work in both operational and non-operational environments, and have opportunities to contribute to ADF exercises and missions. Whatever your specialisation, the Army Reserve has a place for you.
If you’re looking to experience adventure and excitement outside the everyday, earn tax-free pay and work as part of a close-knit team, this is an exciting opportunity that can work around your lifestyle.
What you'll do
You’ll be an integral component of the Army’s health capability, where you’ll work within a range of units providing both pre-hospital trauma and primary care or in-patient field hospital level care. You’ll work alongside expert health professionals from across Australia, and train and deploy alongside your Army colleagues.
If you’re passionate about nursing, this is an excellent opportunity to give back to your country while learning and growing skills that you can take back to your full-time civilian role. The Army welcomes applications from a wide range of nursing specialties with postgraduate clinical qualifications and experience.
Your duties may include:
- providing expert clinical knowledge
- providing primary health and in-patient care in a variety of environments
- assisting in the planning and deployment of a health team on operations
- coordinating the clinical training of health care professionals
- supporting the health needs of ADF members
- working across multidisciplinary teams.
The Army Reserve has units located all across Australia and offers you the flexibility to serve where you live. There are training locations in cities, small towns and regional areas. Even if there isn’t a unit close to you there may be other ways to serve. You’ll have a Careers Coach who you can ask about your options.
You can expect to be posted to a Health Battalion, located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin and Townsville, with smaller detachments located around Australia. So, no matter where you live, there will be a local unit that may require nursing support. There are also opportunities to work overseas wherever Australian troops are currently deployed.
Army life challenges you to step up and be the decision maker in a lot of situations.
Requirements and training
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
The minimum requirement for entry into this role is registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a Registered Nurse (DIV 1).
You must also have completed 2 years recent postgraduate experience, ideally in one or more of the following areas:
- general medical nursing
- surgical nursing
- emergency nursing
- high dependency nursing
- perioperative nursing
- health education
- intensive care
- critical care
- rehabilitation
- mental health.
If you have experience in other areas, you are encouraged to apply. You may be required to undertake a period of compulsory employment in one of the clinical areas listed above prior to being deployed.
To join the ADF, you must be healthy and physically fit. This is partially assessed from the completion of an extensive questionnaire covering your medical history, followed by a physical examination.
You’ll also be required to successfully pass a physical fitness assessment.
Male
- Push-ups: 8
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
Female
- Push-ups: 4
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
There is no minimum number of years required in the ADF Reserve as service is voluntary. You can volunteer until the Defence Reserve retirement age of 65, subject to the requirements and your suitability for further service.
Reserve service is flexible and can fit around your family, life and work responsibilities. In your first year, you can choose to serve between a minimum of 20 and up to 150 days, which includes Initial Employment and Military Training. After that, you can choose to serve 20 to 150 days each year, with the potential to extend to 200 days. On training completion, you can serve from as little as one night a week, one weekend a month, or in consecutive weeks - in a way that suits your lifestyle.
Course: Specialist Service Officer First Appointment Course (SSO FAC)
Duration: 25 days
Location: Royal Military College – Duntroon, Canberra, ACT
You’ll learn fundamental knowledge of:
- leadership and military justice
- weapons handling
- command and control
- unit and personnel administration
- basic military skills
- the ideals of officer behaviour
- attitudes necessary for future employment.
This course is delivered in 2 parts for both full-time and part-time (Reserve) Officers.
- Part 1 – 10 days
- Part 2 – 15 days.
Course: Logistic Officers Basic Course (LOBC) – Health
Duration: 14 days
Location: Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC), Bonegilla, Vic
You’ll undertake this course in the first 12 months of your appointment, where you’ll learn the fundamental skills required to operate in a deployed environment. The course includes theory, practical and simulated activities.
The LOBC aims to provide Logistic and Health Officers with corps and integrated skills and knowledge to fulfil a range of command and health specialised appointments at the rank of Lieutenant in a foundation warfighting environment.
Course: ADF Extended Practice Nursing Course 1
Duration: 3 weeks
Location: Army School of Health, Albury/Wodonga
This course focuses on primary healthcare delivery in a military environment that will provide you with the advanced skills you’ll need as a clinician within Defence and on operations.
Course: ADF Extended Practice Nursing Course 2
Duration: 3 weeks
Location: Army School of Health, Albury/Wodonga
You’ll learn advanced skills in patient assessment and management in trauma and resuscitation. Course topics include:
- Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC)
- Advanced Life Support 2
- Emergency Management of Severe Burns (EMSB) course
- Major Incident Medical Management (MIMM)
- Immunisation accreditation.