🚀｜Kickstart Your Healthcare Career with Undergraduate Student Employment Programs

Victoria continues to lead the way in supporting and growing its future healthcare workforce. One of the most successful and recognised pathways is the Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing (RUSON) program. Launched in 2016 and later extended to midwifery students in 2020 (RUSOM), this model provides undergraduate nursing and midwifery students with valuable paid work opportunities in public healthcare settings—while they study.

🩺 What Is a RUSON?

The RUSON role is available to second and third-year nursing students (including those in combined nursing/midwifery degrees or Master of Nursing Practice). Employed by public health services and covered under the Nurses and Midwives Enterprise Agreement, RUSONs work under RN supervision in acute, subacute, and aged care settings. Tasks typically include:

• Assisting with personal hygiene and mobility

• Supporting basic observations (once assessed)

• Maintaining a safe and organised ward environment

This role not only supports registered nurses by reducing workload pressure, but also strengthens the student’s transition to professional practice.

🧸 What About RUSOM?

The Registered Undergraduate Student of Midwifery (RUSOM) followed shortly after RUSON’s success, thanks to the strong advocacy of the ANMF (Vic Branch). RUSOMs support midwives in postnatal wards and maternity services by assisting with essential non-clinical duties, providing comfort care, and ensuring smooth day-to-day functioning of maternity units.

🧠 Pre-Qualification Employment Program (2023)

Recognising the workforce needs in mental health, Victoria introduced the Pre-Qualification Employment program in 2023. This initiative allows undergraduate students across nursing, allied health, and medicine to work part-time in area mental health services during their studies. It’s a promising early exposure to mental health practice, designed to attract and retain students in a crucial area of care.

🎉 Labor Government Commitment

Here’s the exciting part: the Albanese Labor Government has officially committed to expanding and strengthening the RUSON/RUSOM models across the country. With Labor’s re-election in April 2025, we can now expect further investment into:

• Improving access and consistency of the RUSON/M employment models nationwide

• Supporting more health services to adopt and sustain these roles

• Enhancing transition-to-practice pathways and workforce sustainability

As student employment programs become a cornerstone of healthcare workforce development, Victoria remains a leader in innovation and early-career support.

📌 If you’re a student nurse, midwife, or health professional in training—these opportunities might just be your gateway into the healthcare system.

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