St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Mental Health offers an exceptional start for nurses passionate about making a difference. We provide ongoing specialist treatment and support to individuals with serious mental illness in the cities of Yarra and Boroondara. Our rotations are tailored to provide a strong foundation for a long and fulfilling career in the Mental Health sector.
Learn and develop your skills with close guidance from your preceptor/mentor and our dedicated Mental Health Education Team.
- Are you looking for your next challenge with a value driven culture?
- Are you inspired to contribute to a changing clinical landscape?
- Do you want to work with a service that cares about their people?
We believe that people have the capacity to recover, reclaim and transform their lives and strive to support individuals on their recovery journey.
We want to help you grow into competent and capable clinicians to support all those we work with!
- Opportunity to work in the heart of vibrant Fitzroy
- 0.8 EFT to promote work-life balance
- Salary packaging
- Five weeks annual leave
- Staff GP health clinic
- Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Weekly supervision
- Supportive learning environment
- Rotations across different parts of the SVHM Mental Health Services
- Opportunity for ongoing employment upon successful completion of graduate program
2027 we have two distinct rotation preferences within the Mental Health Graduate Program:
(The Blended Emergency/Mental Health program will now be available as rotations within our Mental Health program)
- Mental Health (12-month program)
- Blended Mental Health/Emergency Department (6 months per rotation)
Mental Health Rotation (12-month program)
To support consolidation of knowledge and maximise learning, graduates rotate across a range of clinical environments, which may include:
- Adult Acute Inpatient Services (AIS)
- Community Services (Clarendon Clinic, Hawthorn Clinic, Footbridge CCU)
- Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Services (Depaul House)
- AIS Group Program
- Older Adult Mental Health (Normanby)
All graduates will complete a rotation within Adult Inpatient Service (AIS) and are able to nominate preferences for other clinical areas of interest.
Further information about specific rotations is available via the job advertisement and position description on Workday, or by attending our information sessions.
On each rotation, graduates are supported by a dedicated preceptor within the clinical area.
Clinical Nurse Educators and the Graduate Support Nurse also provide direct support and supervision to foster transformation of theory into practice, assisting your development into a well-rounded mental health clinician.
Blended Emergency Department / Mental Health Rotation
This rotation comprises two six-month rotations across Emergency and Mental Health clinical areas. Graduates will complete:
- One six-month rotation within the Emergency Department, gaining exposure to all areas including Short Stay, Acute Care cubicles, the Mental Health & AOD Hub, and Fast Track.
- One six-month rotation within the AIS, providing focused experience in mental health assessment and care.
Graduates who participate in the Blended Emergency department/Mental Health rotation receive he opportunity to opt in to a second year via an Expression of Interest (EOI) as part of the Pathway to Specialty Practice program’ See PSP details below in the ‘Already and Registered Nurse’ section.
Mainstream General / Mental Health Rotation
Please visit the General Education Team Graduate Nurse Program Graduate Nurse Program Website for more information.
Registered Nurse
January 2027
- 15x positions - Mental Health Rotation (12-months)
- 6x positions - Blended Emergency Department/Mental Health
- 4x positions - Mainstream General Nursing Program/Mental Health recruited through the General Education Team
July 2027
- 5x positions - Mental Health Rotation (12-months)
Enrolled Nurse
July 2027
The Mental Health Graduate Program contains over 20+ study days on a range of topics to support you to become a well-rounded clinician.
- Supporting consumers who use substances
- Recovery Model of Mental Health Care
- Risk assessment and formulation
- Physical Health
- Shift-Leading
- Mental Health Wellbeing Act (2022)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Working with suicide and self-harm
- And many more!
The academic component of the graduate program comprises of 4x assessments, 2x case presentations and clinical competencies. Each assessment is tailored to your place of work and is relevant to your career growth and clinical skills.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive recognition of prior learning (RPL) when you enroll into post-graduate diploma in mental health nursing the following year.
Pathway to Specialty Practice (PSP) - Mental Health
Grow your career with our 12-month, part-time (0.8 EFT) Pathway to Specialty Practice program, designed to build your knowledge and skills in two specialty practice areas. The program uses a blended learning model, utilising self-directed content, study days, program assessments and hurdles.
This program offers a pathway for:
- Registered Nurses currently in acute care wanting to build skills in two specialty areas.
- Registered Nurses looking to re-enter acute care after a short break.
- Registered Nurses transitioning from sub-acute to acute hospital settings.
Mental Health Pathways
- Mental Health / Medical
- Mental Health / Emergency Department (ED) (Other non-mental health streams are also available within the PSP program).
Optional Academic Program for Post-Graduate RPL
If you are on a Mental Health rotation, you can 'opt-in' to a specialised academic program.
- Benefit: Gain significant Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing with one of our university partners.
- Activities Include: A case presentation, paid study days, reflective practice, and two academic assessments.
The academic component of the graduate program comprises of 4x assessments, 2x case presentations and clinical competencies. Each assessment is tailored to your place of work and is relevant to your career growth and clinical skills.
General PSP Program Requirements: All participants will complete a portfolio of work including patient assessments, an oral presentation, reflective tasks, and professional development plans. Attendance at all study days is mandatory.
For more information about the programs, eligibility criteria, position descriptions and how to apply, please visit Specialty Practice Programs - St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne.
Step 1 - Apply for PMCV
For more information, please visit PMCV The Match - Graduate Nurse Midwifery Program
Step 2 - Preparing your online application and applying to St Vincent's Workday
The following documents are to be uploaded to Workday (Word document or PDF):
- A passport sized photo
- A 250 word career intention statement
- Curriculum vitae/resume (maximum of 3 pages).
- Academic transcript to date, with results legend.
- 2x copies of your most recent clinical placement reports.
- Reports must be sent in their entirety and not selected parts or pages. If your reports are paper based, they will need to be certified (electronic placement reports do not need certification).
- One of your reports should be from your most recent mental health placement, unless you have not completed this yet. Please inform us at interview if you have not yet had a mental health placement.
- One of your reports should be from your most recent acute medical/surgical placement
Additional information required:
- The name and details of two referees (one must be a Clinical Teacher, Preceptor or a senior nurse to whom you have recently reported to in a mental health setting).
- Ensure you inform your referee of your intention to list them.
- All components of the application are considered when shortlisting applicants for interview. Notification for interview will be via email.
If you require assistance submitting your application online contact St Vincent’s People & Organisational Development (HR) on 03 9231 1500.
Step 3 - Attending an interview
All our graduate interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams and are in a group interview format.
If your application is successful, and you are offered an interview, we will give you more information regarding the interview process at that time.
There will be two interviews:
First group interview – conducted 28th July – 12th August
- 5 minutes to answer a question related to a clinical placement experience, St Vincent’s values or inspiration for mental health or general nursing.
- Within this interview it is important that you inform us of your preferences for rotations e.g.. if you would like to be considered for the Blended ED/MH rotation, the 12-month Mental Health rotation, or both. This will determine which interview questions you are asked in the second group interview
Second group interview – conducted 18th August – 3rd September
- 50-minute group interview containing 6 questions
Step 4 - Outcome of PMCV GNMP Match
PMCV GNMP Match results will be released on the Wednesday 16th September 2026.
If you are successfully matched to St Vincent’s Hospital you will be contacted via phone after the results have been released.
If you would like more information, please address enquiries to:
St Vincent’s Mental Health Education Team
Email: MHTrainingEducation@svhm.org.au
Phone: (03) 9231 2194 or (03) 9231 4122