When allocating clinical rotations we take into consideration applicants’ areas of clinical interests combined with their ability and undergraduate placements. This allows graduates to build confidence and consolidate clinical knowledge and skills to facilitate their growth as a member of our nursing teams.
All graduate registered nurses rotate six monthly, during their 12 month graduate program, to either a medical, surgical or specialty areas or sub-acute.
All the rotations listed below are available to Graduate Nurse participating in the Aboriginal Graduate program and the RN Graduate program.
Participants in the Care of the Older Person program rotate between Ellerslie and GEM (Fitzroy & Kew).
All graduates in the Enrolled Nurse Transition to Practice Program rotate four monthly through three rotations over 12 months commencing in residential care, then transitioning to sub-acute at GEM or Rehab (Kew or St Vincent’s on the Park) then ending in a medical or surgical ward (Fitzroy).
High Dependency Area
4 East is a 20-bed unit includes 4 respiratory medicine beds and provides care for cardiac and thoracic patients. Admissions include post-ICU patients with temporary pacing, as well as those undergoing CABG, valve replacement, pacemaker insertion, or thoracic surgery (VATS pleurodesis, lobectomy, pneumonectomy). All beds have cardiac monitoring, requiring strong assessment skills to respond to rapid patient changes.
Surgical Unit
7 East is a 28-bed general surgical ward that provides specialised care for patients with colorectal, gastrointestinal and urology conditions. The ward is fast paced and high in acuity. Common conditions managed include post-operative care, stomal management, urological drains and complex gastrointestinal conditions. Management of these patients can include bladder irrigation, parenteral nutrition, ascitic and pleural taps and nephrostomy care.
High Dependency Area
4 West is an 18-bed unit includes 6 CCU beds and 12 cardiology/respiratory beds. It specialises in cardiology care, including post-angioplasty, acute MI, unstable angina, endocarditis, heart failure, arrhythmias, and pacemaker insertion. Respiratory patients are managed for acute exacerbations of chronic conditions such as asthma and COPD, with some requiring non-invasive ventilation.
DPU is a busy unit which has a throughput of approximately 60 patients a day. The DPU comprises (admissions, recovery room, endoscopy suite, and minor procedures room) where you will see procedures such as gastroscopies, colonoscopies, lithotripsy, angiograms, day surgery cases and ECT. It is a great place to consolidate your time management, patient assessment skills and organisational skills. You will learn about managing sedated patients, acute pain and post-op care.
St Vincent’s Nephrology Service provides a full range of dialysis services for patients experiencing acute and chronic renal failure. It caters for a wide range of patient needs including acute, satellite and home services, as well as pre-dialysis assessment and education and work up for transplantation.
The main Dialysis Unit is a 15-chair community facility at the Fitzroy campus where you will appreciate the role and importance kidneys play as a major body system.
The Dialysis Unit also has a Home Therapies Unit –the teaching for both home haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis is undertaken in the community unit and at home.
You will have the opportunity to spend time in the acute Dialysis Unit in the inpatient building and gain experience with dialysis access, education, sterile techniques and state-of-the-art dialysis technology.
The Transitional Care at St Georges is a 34-bed inpatient unit and also has a 7 chair day respite service for clients who have carers that work or study. Patients on the Ellerslie Unit have a wide range of conditions including dementia, neurological, orthopaedic and cardiac conditions.
The Ellerslie Unit facilitates patient’s transition from acute care to the sub –acute setting and eventually discharge to the community. Ellerslie nurses are highly skilled in assessment, consultation, liaising with relevant parties and referral to ensure patient’s needs and goals are accurately met.
In this post-acute care setting, promotion of “life out of hospital” is paramount and begins with comprehensive discharge planning on day one of admission.
ED is a high-acuity, fast-paced environment that provides 24/7 care for patients presenting with a wide range of conditions, from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies. Patients may arrive by ambulance or independently and include those with trauma, cardiac and respiratory emergencies, sepsis, stroke, and acute exacerbations of chronic illness. The department includes resuscitation bays, acute care cubicles, and short-stay observation areas. Clinical priorities can change rapidly, requiring strong assessment, triage, and critical decision-making skills.
Medical Unit
8 East is a 24-bed general medical unit includes four acute medical beds and four GEM (Geriatric Evaluation and Management) beds. Patients present with a wide range of complex conditions, offering exposure to specialties such as neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology, respiratory, endocrinology, oncology, gerontology, and infectious diseases. The ward is also the primary discharge destination for medical patients from ICU and emphasises a multidisciplinary team approach to assessment, care, and discharge planning to achieve optimal outcomes.
8 West is a 24-bed general medical unit provides multidisciplinary assessment and care for patients admitted via Emergency or ICU. The ward includes 4 cardiac-monitored beds and 4 GEM/sub-acute beds. It is a dynamic environment with high patient turnover, supporting a diverse patient population with complex and rapidly changing medical needs.
Fitzroy
Fitzroy is a 22-bed sub-acute unit provides comprehensive geriatric assessment and care for older patients with complex medical and post-surgical conditions, including orthopaedic, cardiac, respiratory, diabetic, renal, neurological, and delirium-related presentations. Nurses work closely with the multidisciplinary team to optimise health, function, and independence prior to discharge, while building expertise in managing multimorbidity and frailty.
Kew at St George's
Kew at St George's is a 25-bed GEM unit specialises in the management of older patients with chronic and complex conditions, including cardiac, respiratory, endocrine, and other age-related illnesses. The focus is on holistic geriatric assessment, goal-directed care, and discharge planning in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. Nurses develop advanced skills in elder care, pharmacology, and functional assessment to support safe recovery and transition of care.
Medical Unit
6 West is a 22-bed haematology–oncology unit provides specialised care for patients with blood and cancer-related conditions. Admissions include those with acute leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and both primary and metastatic tumours. The ward also supports patients undergoing autologous stem cell and islet cell transplantation, with care focused on complex treatment regimens, close monitoring, and managing treatment-related complications.
This weekday only rotation involves the areas of Medical Imaging, CMMI, MRI and Angiography. Nursing experience and education incorporates department competencies, and patient care from pre-assessment through to procedure and recovery care. Graduates will work alongside Radiographers and Doctors to perform procedures such as biopsies, drainages, cardiac stress tests and lumbar punctures. Learning is well supported in this multi-disciplinary team, with opportunities to develop clinical and organisational skills in patient-focused nursing.
Acute Inpatient Service (AIS) provides intensive support for adult consumers (aged 18–64) experiencing acute emotional or psychological distress. The support is provided in a 44-bed unit, located across two inpatient floors (PSG and PS1). Care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team including mental health nurses, psychiatrists, and allied health staff, with interventions such as medication review, mental state assessment, psychoeducation, therapeutic group engagement, and coordinated discharge planning. The service includes a Gender Sensitive Area to support individual, cultural, personal or other safety needs, and an Extra Care Unit with six beds for consumers requiring higher levels of care or risk management.
Surgical Unit
10 East is a 24-bed acute surgical unit specialises in the perioperative care of patients with brain and spinal conditions. Procedures commonly include craniotomies, tumour resections, spinal surgery, haemorrhage drainage, and aneurysm clipping. The ward also supports complex neurosurgical interventions and investigations, including procedures for the management of epilepsy.
Surgical Unit
6 East is a 24-bed surgical unit, caring for patients undergoing elective joint replacement surgery, emergency orthopaedic procedures and tumours of the musculoskeletal system. Orthopaedic surgery offers nurses the opportunity to manage complex sarcoma patients, learn advanced pain management techniques, manage traction and develop core surgical nursing skills.
The Palliative care unit is located in Kew and provides care to patients and their families with progressive diseases that are not responsive to curative treatment. Diagnoses include cancer and end stage organ failure.
Palliative care can be a very rewarding rotation for graduate nurses, where they can gain skills in assessing and managing pain and other symptoms, using syringe drivers, and communicating with patients and their families while assisting them with their psychological, emotional and spiritual concerns. The model of care encourages holistic assessment by the multidisciplinary team. Graduates are encouraged to attend regular staff support sessions and a Palliative Care education program.
The program assists in consolidating knowledge on topics such as pain and symptom management, caregiver needs, and spiritual, pastoral and ethical principles.
Surgical Unit
5 East is a 28-bed surgical unit that specialises in Vascular, Plastics and ENT surgery. Common surgical procedures include AAA repairs using endoluminal grafts, vascular bypass surgery, skin grafts, complex plastics reconstruction with free flaps following oncology surgery and microsurgical replantation of digits and limbs. ENT surgery offers nurses opportunity to care for complex airways and tracheostomy patients and many patients under the Plastics and Vascular units require complex wound care.
Fitzroy
Fitzroy is a unit that admits patients from across the hospital (excluding ICU and Emergency), offering nurses broad exposure to surgical and medical conditions. Many patients are admitted shortly after surgery or within the first week post-stroke, requiring ongoing acute care such as IV therapy, tracheostomy care, catheterisation, peritoneal dialysis, and nasogastric management. Nurses develop skills in comprehensive assessment, time management, discharge planning, and functional rehabilitation, working within a large multidisciplinary team with a strong teaching focus.
Kew
Kew at St George's is a 20-bed unit provides rehabilitation for patients recovering from stroke, neurological conditions, hip replacements, and a range of medical and post-surgical illnesses. Nurses gain experience in medication management, discharge planning, and working within a multidisciplinary framework to optimise recovery. Clinical skills include wound care, IV therapy, catheterisation, bladder ultrasound, ECG monitoring, blood transfusions, suture removal, and nasogastric care. This ward offers a broad scope of practice and a supportive environment with minimal night duty
9 West is a 16-bed unit provides care for patients with renal, endocrine, and rheumatology conditions. Common presentations include acute and chronic kidney disease, kidney transplantation, and endocrine emergencies such as DKA, HHS, thyroid disorders, and Addison’s disease. The ward also admits patients with complex autoimmune conditions including lupus, systemic sclerosis, and vasculitis, often requiring specialised immunosuppressive therapies. Nurses gain experience in managing complex, chronic conditions with high-acuity care and multidisciplinary involvement.
This rotation gives Graduates the unique opportunity to experience the full spectrum of St Vincent’s specialties, across both medical and surgical care. The clinics provide a diverse and dynamic learning environment where nurses refine specialist skills such as plastering, complex wound management, advanced assessment techniques, and dressing applications. Working in a Monday–Friday service, Graduates gain exposure to a wide variety of patients and conditions, supporting continuity of care and the development of specialised clinical expertise in an outpatient setting.
Medical Unit
10 East is a 20-bed unit provides specialised care for patients with neurological and stroke conditions. Common presentations include epilepsy (diagnostic monitoring and pre-surgical workup), multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular disorders, peripheral neuropathies, refractory migraine, and acute strokes such as ischaemic, haemorrhagic, and TIA. The ward also cares for Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) medical patients, who often present with complex needs requiring multidisciplinary management. Nurses develop expertise in neurological assessment, seizure and post-stroke management, and the delivery of advanced therapies, working closely with the multidisciplinary team in a highly specialised environment.
Surgical Unit
7 West is a 24-bed general surgical ward with 3 main surgical units. Common surgical procedures include laparoscopic management of cholecystitis, Whipples procedure, esophagectomy, thyroidectomy, mastoidectomy and drain tube insertions to manage biliary obstruction. With a wide and varied patient cohort nurses are provided the opportunity to develop many surgical nursing skills.