Australia announces $21.5m Aged Care Nursing Scholarships Program

To help aged care workers and nurses progress in their careers, the Australian Government has announced the $21.5m Aged Care Nursing Scholarships Program. To be delivered by the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP) until June 2027, more than 1000 scholarships are available in the program — with guaranteed places for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care workers and nurses.

“Workers are at the frontline of our government’s aged care reforms — and giving them the development opportunities they need to build meaningful careers will help us deliver better care to every older Australian,” Australia’s Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae said. “These scholarships will attract more nurses and aged care workers to the sector and help those already working to build on their skills and deliver the world-class care older people deserve.”

Designed to make sure aged care workers and nurses have the skills to deliver high-quality aged care that prioritises the complex needs of older people, scholarship participants can complete formal qualifications in aged care ranging from a Certificate III to a Masters, or undertake training in specialised areas such as clinical leadership, dementia care, infection prevention and control, and palliative care.

“We look forward to raising awareness of the roles of aged care workers and nurses, while supporting them to aspire to more advanced clinical roles and career paths to provide more advanced and complex care for older Australians,” said Leanne Boase, Managing Director of Grants and Scholarship Programs — ACNP. “Programs like these not only provide scholarships for study, they can promote awareness and advancement, ultimately leading to better care.”

Aged care workers and nurses can apply for a scholarship here, via the ACNP website.

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