Transition to Practice Program
Applications for Group 4 will open in early 2021 (end of Feb)
Please email transitiontopractice@apna.asn.au with your name and contact details, to be notified when applications open
Please note this information is subject to change.
The Transition to Practice Program provides an evidence-based framework of support over 12 months to nurses who have transitioned to primary health care and feel they would benefit from additional support.
The program will support a maximum of 150 nurses Australia wide, who have recently transitioned to primary health care. There will be four small groups and intakes, over a four year period (2018–2022). Information on previous programs and successful applicants can be found in the documents at the end of this page.
Please note: This program does not match or allocate nurses to a workplace. Nurses must already be working in a primary health care setting (or ensure they are by the time the program starts) to apply. If you don't currently have a job in primary health care, click here to check out the top tips we've prepared for when you're looking for a job in primary health care.
Statement of support and information for workplaces
APNA has developed a one page information sheet for nurses to give to their managers if they are applying for the program, which includes a statement of support to upload with your application (optional for mentors):
Contents:
1. Program Overview
2. Who can apply?
4. Key dates
5. Q&A
Program overview
All information can be found in this Program Overview document.
Program key dates
Group |
Application dates |
Program Duration |
Induction workshop |
1 |
Closed |
February 2019 – January 2020 |
Completed |
2 |
Closed |
September 2019 – August 2020 |
Completed |
3 |
Closed |
July 2020 – June 2021 |
Completed |
4 |
Feb - 16 April 2021 |
May 2021 – April 2022 |
21 May 2021*
|
*Dates are indicative only. Please ensure you are available for all of the dates stated, regardless of location. Successful applicants will be advised of confirmed date at the time of notification.
What's involved?
Program induction training:
- Compulsory one-day program induction training for all nurses in the program. Details will be made available closer to each program start date
Education:
- View the education provided in the program
- APNA has over 150 education activities for nurses to access.
- Nurses are expected to complete the 12 core education activities by program end
- Education has been divided up as
- Core: education crucial for nurses to know within their first 12 months
- Key: education important for nurses to know within their first 12 months and
- Optional activities: additional education available in or outside of the program
Clinical and professional mentoring (mentors):
- An experienced registered primary health care nurse (or nurse practitioner) with four or more years experience in primary health care who will support a maximum of two transitioning nurses over 10 months.
- Mentors will focus on their transitioning nurses' skills development, career, and personal skills development and growth.
- A minimum of 40 hours of clinical and professional mentoring is to be provided (directly or indirectly)
- The mentor is supported by APNA throughout the program
- Mentors are provided with $2,400 per transitioning nurse they support
Self-assessment tool:
- An online self-assessment tool to assist nurses with prioritising and planning their education needs throughout the program.
Quality improvement:
- All participants are required to provide regular feedback about the program to APNA. One such example is the submission of a quarterly report (template provided by APNA).
APNA Program support:
- All participants are supported by APNA throughout the program.
Reimbursement note:
- Transitioning Nurses are reimbursed for the protected time required (50 hours over 12 months) required to participate in the program ($2,000 ex GST).
- Clinical and professional mentors are reimbursed for their time required to participate in the program ($2,400 ex GST per transitioning nurse they mentor)
Who can apply?
APNA is looking for applications from nurses all over Australia, from:
- Transitioning nurses and
- Experienced nurses working in primary health care who will mentor them
All nurses need to ensure they have adequate professional indemnity insurance that will provide them with cover if they do any offsite visits, i.e. visiting mentor's/mentee's place of work for observation purposes.
Contact
Rebekah Cox: Program Manager
Emma Halloran: Project Officer
transitiontopractice@apna.asn.au or 1300 303 184
The Transition to Practice Program has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health