School Nurses Handbook
APNA developed this handbook to support school nurses. It serves as a comprehensive tool, guiding them in best practice guidelines, evidence-based practices and providing essential resources.
Clinical Placement Programs
Our Clinical Placements Team manages high quality student nurse placements in primary health care settings, including but not limited to:
- Aged care
- General practice
- Schools
- Community Health
- Correctional Health
We partner with Education Providers to understand their students' learning outcomes, source appropriate placement sites and coordinate all elements relating to student placements.
We provide ongoing clinical support to our nurse supervisors, ensuring they are equipped to guide students through their placements and achieve their learning outcomes.
Our Placement Programs
National Nursing Clinical Placement Program
Australia needs a strong and accessible primary health care system to keep people well and out of hospital. Nurses play a vital role in achieving this. But with a predicted shortfall in nurses working in primary health care in coming years, we need to act now to make this vibrant and exciting sector the first choice for graduates.
This is why APNA collaborates with education providers and primary health care workplaces to provide high-quality placements for undergraduate and postgraduate students. We showcase the rewarding and varied career paths a primary health care nurse can take.
Our program offers students the opportunity to experience primary health care nursing in various urban, regional, rural, and remote locations, including general practices, schools, and community health settings.
And it works - seven in ten students who complete placements with us say they will consider a career outside hospital settings on graduating.
The National Nursing Clinical Placement Program is supported with funding from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placement Program
APNA’s Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placement Program supports undergraduate nursing students (Bachelor of Nursing, Diploma of Nursing, Masters, Return to Practice) wishing to experience what it is like to work in this exciting sector.
Students are supported on placements by dedicated Clinical Nurse Facilitators (RNs) funded by APNA. The facilitators ensure students meet their learning outcomes and assessments are mapped specifically to each Education Provider. This model of supervision and learning aims to reduce any impact on the Aged Care facility’s existing staff workload and ensure the continuation of workflow.
Student nurses on our placements receive the support they need to acquire higher-level skills, including leadership, chronic disease management, complex care, and head-to-toe assessments.
Our Aged Care Knowledge Hub also provides resources, tools and support for nursing students taking the first steps towards a fulfilling career in aged care.
The Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placement Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
In the news
- Training nurses on Country - Primary Times (Summer 2025-6)
- New funding announced for Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placement Program - APNA media release (January 2025)
- From the city to the outback - A nursing student’s life-changing experience in remote Australia - Primary Times (Summer 2024-5)
- Inspiring change through quality nurse placements - Primary Times (Winter 2024)
- New funding for the next generation of student nurses - APNA media release (July 2024)
- APNA launch Aged Care Knowledge Hub to support next generation of nurses - Rural Health Pro (November 2023)
- APNA’s Aged Care Student Nurse Placement Program - Primary Times (Summer 2023-4)
- Aged care nursing clinical placements program inspires next generation of nurses to join sector - Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal (January 2024)
Find out more
- Information for student nurses
- Information for workplaces and supervisors
- Information for education providers
Any questions?
To speak to someone on the Clinical Placement Programs team, call 03 9322 9500 or email placements@apna.asn.au
Also in this section
The future of primary health care nursing begins with you
Hosting student nurses with APNA's Clinical Placement Program is easier than you think.
Clinical Placement Programs success stories
Hear from student nurses and nurses participating in APNA's Clinical Placement Programs.
Information for workplaces and supervisors
APNA is looking for new primary health care workplaces to host students and nurses to become nurse supervisors.
Information for education providers
Most nurses start their career in a hospital. Historically, it was an onerous task for universities and tertiary education providers to arrange placements for student nurses in primary health care… until now.
Information for student nurses
APNA offers student nurses like you the opportunity to get a taste of what it's like to work as a nurse in primary health care and aged care.
Professional Indemnity Insurance
You can add APNA-Member Professional Indemnity Insurance to your membership, when you join APNA.