Frequently asked questions for the Transition to Professional Practice Program (TPPP)

Yes, you can apply for a combined registered nurse and midwife TPPP positions through the midwife application process.

Applications for all Registered Nursing TPPP positions, including applications for Research TPPP, MHN-TPPP and ACC-TPPP can be made through the registered nurse application web page. When completing your application form, you will be asked to select your preference for one or more of these positions.

Each Local Health Network (LHN) offers a variety of specialty programs. The number of positions available will vary according to service and operational needs of the LHNs.

When completing your application form you will be asked to select your location/site preferences.

Please note you will be asked to nominate one mandatory preference and if you wish, a second and third preference.

It is recommended that candidates include a maximum of three preferences to increase the chance of receiving an offer, however, we ask that you do not nominate a preference that you do not intend to accept.

You will only be offered one position through the TPPP campaign. If you decline an offer for one of your preferences, you will not receive another TPPP offer.

Before you nominate your preferences, please ensure you spend adequate time researching the LHN, their location, accommodation availability and rotation/specialty offerings.

Please review the information on the LHNs that you are interested in working at. Each LHN provides information on rotations available, intake dates and also a point of contact if you have any questions. LHNs may also facilitate information sessions, and this information will be available on the respective LHN’s web pages.

Helpful hint: During the online interview, you will be asked to explain the reasons and motivations for choosing the LHN, location/site and program specialisations.

• Flinders Uni transcript example (PDF 562KB)
  
• Torrens University transcript example (PDF 104KB)
  
• University of Adelaide transcript example (PDF 11KB)
• Uni SA transcript example (PDF 63KB)

You must submit two clinical referees, one must be from your most recent clinical placement(s).

The definitions of a clinical and non-clinical referee are:

You must submit two clinical referees, one must be from your most recent clinical placement(s). If you have not completed a third year placement at the time of application, you are to use a referee from your most recent second year placement.

The criteria required for clinical referee are:

Clinical referee 1 (minimum of 1 required)

• has worked/supervised the applicant as a registered nurse or midwife, or student nurse or midwife, during the most recent clinical placement/s
• has a minimum of two years’ experience working as a registered nurse or midwife
• has observed the applicant’s clinical practice within the past two years.

Clinical referee 2 (maximum 1 referee only):

• has worked/supervised the applicant as a registered nurse or midwife, or student nurse or midwife, during the most recent clinical placement/s
  
  OR
  
  
• is a clinical facilitator or tutor during university studies, or during university workshop/simulation and can provide comment on the applicant’s clinical performance.
  
  OR

• has worked/supervised the applicant during employment as an enrolled nurse or assistant in nursing/midwifery.
• referee must have a minimum of two years’ experience working as a registered nurse or midwife
• has observed the applicant’s clinical practice within the past two years.

It is important to check that your referees are willing and available to complete the referee report during the application period. If a referee report is not completed and returned by the due date, your application cannot be further assessed.

Ahpra’s English language standard applies to all nurses and midwives applying for initial registration, regardless of whether they qualified in Australia or overseas.

SA Health is not able to advise on or assess eligibility for these requirements. If you believe these requirements may apply to you, please confirm with Ahpra, and consider this when preferencing your start date to allow sufficient time to meet all pre-employment requirements, including obtaining Ahpra registration.

If you are required to, please enrol to sit an updated English language test immediately.

The final stage of the application process is the completion of an online interview. Please review the Applicant Handbook (PDF 1264KB) for useful information about this stage of the selection process.

Applications are assessed using a rubric system, in accordance with selection criteria in the Registered Nurse RN1 Role Description (PDF 211KB) and Midwife Role Description (PDF 212KB), via a merit-based selection process.

Once applications have been assessed and ranked, successful applicants will be offered the highest available preference based on their ranking and vacancies available.

You can edit most sections and contact details within the application form until the applications close. Refer to the Recruitment Timeline and key dates within the Applicant Handbook (PDF 1264KB).

If you are not successful in meeting all requirements of your qualification and are required to sit a supplementary exam (or similar), any offer of a TPPP position will stand providing you successfully fulfil these requirements and gain registration a minimum of four weeks prior to your employment commencement date.

If you cannot evidence successful completion of your qualification with sufficient time for you to meet the pre-employment requirements, the provisional offer will be withdrawn and no further offer will be made.

When indicating your preferences for commencement dates in the online application form, please allow enough time to gain successful registration. Commencement date preferences are not guaranteed and are negotiated with the employing Local Health Network.

You must contact your TPPP coordinator at your allocated site to advise them, and must commit to providing regular updates to assist with planning of rotations.

No, you do not need to complete your NCCHC and/or WWCC before applying for the TPPP, however a valid NCCHC and/or WWCC will be required as part of the provisional offer pre-employment requirements, as confirmed by the employing LHN.

Successful TPPP registered nurses/midwives will be employed in accordance with the Nursing / Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022 (and/or any successor) (the Agreement), and will be renumerated at the first increment of Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 1 (Year 1) in accordance with this Agreement (pro rata for part time employees),

In addition to base salary, these positions attract penalty rates as applicable to rostered shifts, 11.5% superannuation, leave loading provisions and salary sacrificing benefits.

The Agreement provides for sick and annual leave entitlements, in addition to other paid and unpaid leave entitlements.

Successful applicants will be required to work across a seven-day roster (whether you work full-time or part-time) which may include morning, afternoon and night shifts, as well as weekends and public holidays. Base hours of work are based on a 76-hour fortnight.

If you are seeking a part-time working arrangement, you must negotiate this with the Local Health Network (LHN) TPPP Coordinator at the time a provisional offer is made to you.

Questions relating to rostering and leave planning should also be referred to the LHN TPPP Coordinator. Roster requests will be considered but may not be possible to accommodate.

Employment contract acceptance includes a commitment to fully participate in and complete the TPPP. Those not meeting the TPPP requirements will be considered unsuccessful in completing the TPPP and a certificate of completion will not be issued.

You must follow the instructions outlined in the email to accept or decline the provisional offer within the specified timeframe.

If you do not respond by the date indicated, your provisional offer will be withdrawn, and no further offers will be made to you.

If you accept a provisional offer then decide to later withdraw, you must contact the Local Health Network Coordinator to confirm your withdrawal.

Do not accept a provisional offer if you are unwilling to live and work in that region.

Please await further updates which are often provided via email. If all positions are not filled from the first round of offers, second or subsequent offers will be made to remaining applicants per available vacancies, and an applicant’s ranking and preferences. Given the number of vacancies and applicants, this may not occur for several weeks. Please do not contact the Local Health Networks to seek information about available positions or future offers. 

The Local Health Network (LHN) TPPP coordinator at your employing LHN is the best point of contact and will provide you with additional contacts.

It is important that if you are experiencing any challenges or difficulties during your TPPP employment, you raise these issues with your relevant TPPP Coordinator (or other contact as advised) as soon as they arise.