A large majority of the rural facilities HCA places candidates in are hospitals which consist of one key ward with visiting specialties. These sites are known as Multipurpose Services (MPS) and provide Emergency Care, Acute Inpatient Services & Residential Aged care all within one collaborative space. Candidates working in MPS environments need to be able to deal with all sorts of patients with a variety of presentations and reasons for admission. Additional skills and certifications may be required and/ or recommended before you can consider applying for agency work at these locations.

Examples of training and education required for these types of facilities include:

• IV Cannulation & Venepuncture
• Advanced Life Support

HCA has strict compliance standards in regards to Mandatory Training and Competencies nationally for all of our candidates from Support Workers to Technicians to Nurses. Some states have additional requirements to others, and in addition to online learning requirements (which are all offered through our eHCA portal), there are different practical requirements for different clinical specialities which need to be updated periodically.

HCA has a large offering of practical courses available in offices across the country to help staff to keep their practical mandatory training up to date. Many courses are free and others are subsidised… and fully claimable with the HCA Education Allowance (for eligible candidates)

You can view our available courses here.

The Advanced Life Support Certificate is one of the most highly recommended professional development certificates for Registered & Enrolled Nurses working or wanting to work in rural and remote areas. For many placements it is mandatory, and some sites require it to be completed annually. There are two Advanced Life Support training courses – ALS1 & ALS2.

The training is offered at various times throughout the year in Healthcare Australia Offices across the country, in addition to being offered externally by many providers.

You can view our next available courses here.

In Western Australia, the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Triage Certificate is mandatory for Registered Nurses who wish to work in most rural and remote public facilities in the Emergency Department or in a Multipurpose facility. The requirement was introduced by the WA Department of Health to ensure that appropriately skilled Nursing staff can triage using the Australasian Triage Score.

The competency is NOT a training course, rather it recognises prior experience and training in triage. Nurses must have a minimum of two years’ experience in an Emergency Department or Critical Care environment where the triage role is completed. You can achieve this competency in several ways, including on your first placement in WA with Healthcare Australia, if you met the eligibility criteria.

The HCA Travel Nurse consultants have a wealth of knowledge and should be your first port of call if you are looking to work in rural or remote Western Australia. They can speak to you about your pathway to achieving this competency.

Remote Primary Healthcare Clinics in Australia are staffed by Remote Area Nurses (RANs). The journey to becoming a Remote Area Nurse is a long, but very rewarding one which requires several Professional Development courses to be completed, in addition to extensive nursing experience in an Emergency Department. Healthcare Australia can assist eligible candidates on their journey to becoming a Remote Area Nurse on our guided placement pathway – the New to Remote Pathway in Primary Health.

In addition to Advanced Life Support, required Remote Area Nursing professional development courses include:

• REC (Remote Emergency Care) Course

Allows participants to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to respond with confidence to emergency situations and to deliver safe and quality care in the remote setting.

• MEC (Maternity Emergency Care) Course

Commonly referred to as “Birthing in the Bush”, MEC enables the remote health workforce to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to provide emergency care for expectant mothers and their babies in a remote or isolated setting.

• Pharmacotherapeutics for Remote Area Nurses

Assists Remote Area Nurses to develop knowledge and skills in the use of medications, the risks associated with them, and strategies to increase the benefits and minimise the risks of treatments.

• Immunisation Certificate

Providing immunisations in remote areas is common. There isn’t a nationally recognised immunisation course available, however the one that is preferred across most areas of Australia is the South Australian certificate – Understanding Vaccines and the National Immunisation Program.

• 4WD course

Can assist in ensuring nurse safety in all aspects of remote work, not just clinically. Many RANs have nationally recognised driver and safety training. The roads are not often sealed, so when the wet season arrives, it’s vital to be confident in driving in tougher conditions.