Free aged care nursing course opens for registered nurses

A reminder regarding the free registered nurses course for nurses working in aged care: Nurses can access a fully funded professional development course valued at $2,500 as part of a national effort to strengthen Australia’s aged-care workforce.

The program, known as the Gerontological Nursing Competencies (GNC) Aged Care Transition to Practice Program, is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and delivered through the University of the Sunshine Coast.

The six-month online course is designed to support nurses either entering aged care or building specialist expertise in caring for older Australians. Eligible participants can complete the training at no cost until 2027.

According to the program overview, the course combines online learning, mentorship, virtual workshops and portfolio development to help nurses strengthen clinical leadership and gerontological care skills.

The initiative comes at a time when aged care providers across Australia continue to report workforce shortages and growing demand for experienced registered nurses. Community discussion forums for Australian nurses frequently highlight recruitment difficulties, workload pressures and the need for better career pathways in aged care.

Who is eligible?

Fully funded places are available for several groups of nurses, including:

• newly graduated registered nurses working in aged care
• experienced nurses who are new to the aged-care sector
• overseas-trained registered nurses beginning practice in Australia
• nurse practitioners and virtual eHealth nurses
• First Nations registered nurses entering aged care practice.

Participants are generally required to work with an approved aged-care provider.

What the course includes

The program is delivered over 24 weeks and focuses on areas, including:

• clinical care for older people
• leadership and communication
• evidence-based aged-care practice
• professional development and mentorship
• alignment with the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.

The curriculum is also designed to align with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia standards for practice.

Nurses who complete the portfolio requirements may also receive postgraduate academic credit equivalent to university study units.

Growing investment in aged-care education

The course forms part of broader federal efforts to expand training opportunities across the aged-care sector. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has recently increased access to free and subsidised education programs, including eLearning modules, workforce transition initiatives, and fee-free TAFE pathways.

Industry leaders say improving access to professional development is critical as aged-care reforms continue and providers prepare for increasing complexity in resident care needs.

More information about the program is available through the UniSC Gerontological Nursing Competencies Program and the ADHERe GNC Program Information.