Capital Health Network

Capital Health Network (CHN) is offering 30 fully funded Nurse Immuniser Scholarships, funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care. These scholarships are designed to support Ahpra Registered Nurses working in general practice to provide immunisations without a medical order in the ACT.

Overview of the program

The Understanding Vaccines and the National Immunisation Program run by SA Health is designed to equip health professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver high-quality immunisation services, safely and competently.

The course is accredited by HESA (Health Education Services Australia) and awards a Certificate of Completion to applicants who meet all criteria and successfully complete the program. This certificate is recognised by ACT Health, allowing nurses to administer immunisations without a prescription or standing order in the ACT.

Course requirements                                                                                                                                     

• The program must be completed within a period of 20 weeks from the date of enrolment. Participants at significant risk of not completing the program within this timeframe will have their scholarship transferred to another candidate.
• The course requires internet access and a current browser. It is recommended to use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge (Internet Explorer 10 and above). The course can be accessed via desktop and laptop; however, mobile devices are not recommended as some tables may be difficult to view.
• Scholarships are conditional upon completing the course. Applicants who do not finish the course will be required to reimburse CHN for the value of the scholarship ($350).

Course assessments

• The course consists of 4 modules, each with multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessments that must be passed within 2 attempts to progress.
• The final summative assessments are based on an immunisation encounter scenario and include catch-up calculations. An overall score of at least 80% is required for the MCQs throughout the course and Exam 1. For Exam 2, which includes catch-up scenarios, a Pass/Fail is required – 100% accuracy is needed for a Pass, with up to 3 attempts allowed.
• A clinical assessment is not required to successfully complete this program. However, nurses who feel they need further development in clinical competency are strongly encouraged by SA Health to arrange clinical supervision from an experienced immuniser, followed by a clinical competency assessment.

Clinical support for course content is provided by a team of immunisation nurse experts via phone and email. The phone service is available Monday – Friday, from 8:30am – 5pm Australian Central Standard Time (ACST), and emails are responded to by the next business day. Technical support is provided by Digital Media.

Academic integrity

It is a requirement that a course user’s answers to assessment questions represent their own work. SA Health reserves the right to cancel the enrolment, suspend or remove student access to the program if academic misconduct/dishonesty is proven.

Who can apply?

Registered Nurses who have Ahpra registration and are working in general practice in the ACT.

How to apply?

Each applicant must submit a personalised recommendation letter from their direct supervisor or Practice Manager containing their Ahpra number. This letter of recommendation must be submitted to CHN at primarycare@chnact.org.au.

Successful applicants will be notified by CHN within 5 business days and will receive an email from SA Health to create their account to start their course.