Mental Health Graduate Nurse Program

St Vincent's 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 programs 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. Benefit from opportunities like group supervision to develop your practice in a supportive setting.

• 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!

Employee Benefits 

• 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

Clinical Rotations 

St Vincent’s Mental Health provides inpatient, community, and specialist mental health care across a range of sites, including aged and adult services.

To ensure you maximise your learning and consolidate your skills, graduates rotate worksites across adult acute (AIS), community services (Clarendon or Hawthorn Clinics, Footbridge CCU), AOD services (Depaul House), AIS Group Program and Older Adult Mental Health (Normanby).

All graduates complete a rotation on one of the wards of the Adult Inpatient Service (AIS) and are able to preference other areas of interest. Please see the job advertisement and position description on Workday or attend our information sessions to learn more about our clinical services. 

On each rotation you will be allocated a preceptor to support and assist you in that particular clinical area. Our Clinical Nurse Educators and Graduate Support Nurse provide direct support and supervision to foster transformation of theory into practice, assisting your development into a well-rounded mental health clinician. 

Graduate Positions 

• 15x positions - 12-month Mental Health Program recruited via PMCV for January start
• 6x positions for Blended Mental Health / Emergency Department recruited via PMCV for January start
• 5 positions for 12-month Mental Health Program July 2026 start via PMCV
  
  

Study Requirements 

The Mental Health Graduate Year 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 enrol 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. 

Intakes

• January & July 2026 

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 the Specialty Practice Programs website.