The Australian Government's Aged Care Nursing Scholarships Program has 1,050 scholarships available of up $30,000 and will run for two years.
Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae earlier this week announced the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners will deliver the program.
The aims of the program are to:
- encourage aged care workers to complete formal qualifications in aged care nursing,
- develop their leadership skills,
- progress their aged care nursing careers and improve career pathways,
- collect data in each year of the program
- boost the capacity and skills of the aged care workforce, and
- increase the capacity of the First Nations aged care workforce.
Scholarships are available from a Certificate III to a Masters, or undertake training in specialised areas such as clinical leadership, palliative care, dementia care and infection prevention and control. They are available from $6,000 up to $30,000.
Places are guaranteed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care workers and nurses.
The Aged Care Nursing Scholarship Program was announced as part of the Government's 2024-25 announcement for continued investment to support, attract, and retain the aged care workforce.