New nurses and midwives to call country WA home

WA Country Health Service (WACHS) is on-track to see a record number of newly qualified nurses and midwives join its teams across country WA.

Close to 200 graduate nurses and midwives will commence from late January 2025.

Working across a variety of clinical settings, the newly qualified nurses and midwives will gain experience in supportive environments, acquiring new knowledge and practice while establishing evidence-based clinical skills.

Chief Executive Jeff Moffet said the record intake builds on recruitment efforts and continues WA Country Health Service’s focus on growing its own workforce.

“We’re proud to continue welcoming new nurses and midwives to the country.

“We have – and continue to make – a real effort to attract and retain more healthcare professionals to the bush. This means offering generous incentives to those entering the workforce and supporting them to stay longer-term,” Mr Moffet said.

Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery Maria Flynn said nurses and midwives who choose the country will have a unique experience.

“Nurses and midwives who come country are choosing an experience unlike any other.

“They’re choosing a broad scope of clinical settings and scenarios, and a unique lifestyle of work and play – including seeing some of WA’s best landscapes.

“We know that those who work in regional and rural areas build new knowledge and skills faster, while learning from some of the best mentors. It’s really a great opportunity to kickstart a healthcare career,” Ms Flynn added.

There will also be a second intake of newly qualified nurses and midwives in July 2025, with applications opening in February via GradConnect. 

This record builds on WA Country Health Service’s work to grow a sustainable rural and remote workforce.

In 2024, this resulted in more than 2600 new employees joining the organisation. In 2025, we’ve also welcomed a record number of medical interns and another cohort of pharmacy interns.