About the payment
This payment recognises the integral role of registered nurses in delivering high quality care for our older Australians.
Payments for either 6 months or 12 months of employment will be available to registered nurses who work for the same aged care provider over the eligibility periods, up to a total of $6,000.
Full-time nurses eligible for the 12-month payment will receive up to $3,700 or if eligible for the 6-month payment will receive a half payment.
Part-time and casual nurse payments will be determined on a pro-rata basis.
An additional payment of up to $2,300 will also be available for registered nurses who meet one of 3 criteria set out below – Additional Payment Eligibility.
Employers are responsible for applying on behalf of their eligible registered nurses and passing on the full payment as soon as possible after receiving the grant payment.
Who is eligible
Registered nurses must be employed by any of the following:
- an approved aged care provider funded by the Australian Government
- multi-purpose services that offer aged care services
- state or local government approved Residential Aged Care or Home Care Providers
- providers that offer aged care services under the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program
- an agency or broker employing aged care registered nurses to work in one of the above organisation types
- self-employed nurse practitioners.
The payment is available to registered nurses working in residential aged care, home care and Commonwealth Home Support Programme settings.
The 12-month payment is available to registered nurses who work for the same provider over the following time periods:
- 1 November 2021 – 31 October 2022
- 1 November 2022 – 31 October 2023.
The 6-month payment is available to registered nurses who work for the same provider for the following time periods:
- 1 May 2022 – 31 October 2022
- 1 May 2023 – 31 October 2023.
Registered nurses who do not work in a direct care role such as management, administration or training are eligible if they are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Other aged care workers including personal care workers, enrolled nurses, cooks, cleaners and allied health professionals are not eligible for the payment.
Additional payment eligibility
Registered nurses may also be eligible for an additional payment per year of up to $2,300.
To receive this additional payment, registered nurses must meet one of these criteria:
- work in a rural or remote area (classified MMM 3-7)
- hold a relevant formal postgraduate qualification (Graduate Certificate or higher)
- take on additional leadership or training responsibilities in their workplace.
Registered nurses will only receive one additional payment for meeting at least one of these three criteria.
Part-time or casual nurses who meet one of these criteria will receive a pro-rata payment.
Registered nurses eligible for the 6-month period, and an additional payment, will receive up to $1,150 (or a pro-rata payment for casual and part-time nurses).
How to apply
The first round of applications closed on 28 February 2023.
Providers requiring variations to grant agreements for round 1 have until 2pm (AEST) Friday 29 September 2023 to submit requests. The department will no longer accept any variation requests after this time.
All variation requests must be sent to acrnpayment@health.gov.au.
A second round of payments will available after the end of the second eligibility period and employers are encouraged to consider using these payments as part of their strategies to attract and retain nurses.
Contact
For information about the payment, including eligibility requirements and the grant application process, please contact us:
Aged care grants contact
Questions about the first round of applications should be sent no later than 5:00 pm AEDT on 21 February 2023.