Returning to practice
Clinical care, knowledge and skills change rapidly.
The nursing and midwifery standards of practice are regularly updated to ensure practitioners work safely and effectively.
To find out more about returning to nursing or midwifery practice (or if you are thinking of having a break from nursing or midwifery), please read the Getting back into nursing or midwifery factsheet.
Nurses and midwives with current registration
If you are currently a registered nurse or midwife but have had a break from nursing practice, consider a refresher program to update your knowledge and clinical skills.
You can check the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website to see if you are still registered as a nurse and/or midwife, see the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency – Registers of Practitioners.
Some Victorian public health services offer nursing or midwifery refresher programs, allowing you to build your confidence and skills within a short period of time.
Refresher programs
Refresher pathway for nurses and midwives 2023 and 2024
As part of the Victorian Governments ‘Free nursing and midwifery study’ initiative, 225 nurses and midwives will be supported to return to practice in public health services through a refresher pathway.
This program is offered to nurses and midwives who are registered but have had a break from work in a hospital setting and want to refresh their skills or upskill.
For more information, see Refresher pathway for nurses and midwives.
To find out more about nursing or midwifery refresher programs, speak with your prospective employer and read our factsheets:
Nurses and midwives with lapsed registration
If you are a former registered nurse, enrolled nurse or midwife, contact the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to find out how to regain your registration or endorsement.
The NMBA may advise you to complete a re-entry course. The NMBA's website has a list of approved programs of study which can assist in gaining registration, endorsement and notation of applicants for registration as an enrolled nurse (EN), registered nurse (RN) and registered midwife.
Re-entry pathway scholarships for nurses and midwives
The Department of Health is offering scholarships for up to 25 registered nurses and midwives a year to return to practice via the re-entry pathway. For more information, see Re-entry pathway scholarships for nurses and midwives.
Reviewed 14 June 2024
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More information
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency – Registers of Practitioners You can use the register to check the registration status of all health practitioners who are registered to practise in Australia.
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Regulating Australia's nurses and midwives
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