Professional Experience Placement Placement Requirements Nursing and Midwifery

Nursing and Midwifery

What you need to do

As a JCU professional health student, it is your responsibility to ensure all pre-placement requirements (PPRs) are met. Please seek the advice of your placement coordinator or the Professional Experience Placement Unit to confirm the pre-placement information and resources related to other States, services and facilities.

Students entering the undergraduate degree with Recognition of Prior Learning, at the Year 2 Level, are required to provide evidence of all mandatory requirements. It is essential that you commence this process at the time of enrolment.

Please ensure you have read the guide to submitting PPRs.

View the Nursing and Midwifery Placement Checklist.

View the 2023 Bachelor of Nursing Science / Bachelor of Midwifery Placement Calendar.

View the 2024 Bachelor of Nursing Science / Bachelor of Midwifery Placement Calendar.

Pre-placement enquiries: Please contact the Professional Experience Placement Unit Other enquiries: Email the Nursing and Midwifery Professional Experience Placement team or phone (07) 4781 5492 (TSV), (07) 4232 1780 (CNS).

Website: College of Healthcare Sciences.

COVID 19 UPDATE FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING PLACEMENT IN ALL HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN QUEENSLAND:

Students attending placements in Queensland Health facilities must continue to follow the directions on the Queensland Health website Preparing for your Clinical placement.

Students are classified as healthcare workers and can follow the same directives as healthcare staff. Queensland Health requires that employees, or prospective employees, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and maintain that vaccine protection (through any relevant booster doses). This has been a mandated requirement since September 2021.

Further information on accessing proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status is available on the QH webpage Proof of COVID-19 vaccination

Information on entering or returning to placement in a high-rise workplace setting is available on the QH webpage Visiting high-risk settings.

Information on Boosters and additional doses- COVID19

Mater Health Facilities Queensland

If you are going on placement to a Mater Health Facility in Queensland please read the document below regarding COVID requirements:

COVID Update Student Placements

Postgraduate Students

Postgraduate students (including Graduate Diploma of Midwifery and Graduate Certificate of Diabetes Education) are required to complete Pre-Placement Requirements (PPRs) prior to placement.

You must complete and submit the following Pre-Placement Requirements (PPRs) prior to the submission deadline outlined below, according to your course:

  1. Evidence of currency as a Registered Health Practitioner
  2. JCU Health and Immunisation Form - all sections must be completed
  3. Tuberculosis (TB) Screening
  4. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certificate
  5. JCU Confidentiality Acknowledgement
  6. JCU Student Declaration
  7. Additional State and/or Facility requirements may also be required.

Further information, including the relevant forms, can be located in the black tabs below. Using your JCU email account, email your completed documents to healthplacements@jcu.edu.au and include your email signature in the body of your email.

Postgraduate Course PPRs Submission Deadline
Graduate Diploma of Midwifery 14 February 2022 at 9am
Graduate Certificate of Diabetes Education1 July 2023

Undergraduate Students

Please read the below-listed placement procedures, and complete and sign the Student Declaration (PDF, 271 KB) to confirm that you have read and understood them.

The below documents contains vital information for all healthcare students about the responsibilities of both students and the University concerning professional experience placement.

Professional Experience Placement Procedures (PDF, 449 KB)

Procedure for Infectious Disease (PDF, 1518 KB)

JCU Social Media Policy

JCU Student Conduct Policy

JCU Professional Experience Placement Requirements Procedure

JCU Review of a Student's Suitability to continue a Course involving Placement

JCU WHS - PRO-023 Infection Control Procedure

Once you have completed and signed the above-linked Student Declaration, please email it to the Professional Experience Placement Unit.

You must complete and sign the JCU Confidentiality Acknowledgement every year.

It is recommended that students download Adobe Acrobat Reader to be able to fill/sign forms. This is a free program. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

In signing the Acknowledgement, you – the student – acknowledge that you have been instructed in the concept of patient, client and business confidentiality, and will respect clients’ confidentiality at all times, including during tutorials, lectures and discussions, both professional and private.

Download, complete, sign and email the Confidentiality Acknowledgement to the Professional Experience Placement Unit and retain a copy for your professional portfolio.

The Working with Children Check (QLD Blue Card) is a screening process that assesses your suitability to work with children based on available disciplinary and police information.  It is your responsibility to maintain a current Blue Card throughout your course.  You must renew your Blue Card before it expires to maintain its currency.

Applying for a Queensland Working with Children Check (QLD Blue Card) has changed.

All applications are now completed online, and new Blue Cards will now display your photo.

Identification

All applications (including renewals and linking)  will require you to have a Customer Reference Number (CRN) from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).  You can find your CRN on your QLD Drivers Licence or QLD Proof of Age Card.  QLD Blue Card Services is now verifying your identity this way.

If you do not have a CRN number, you can obtain one by visiting, in person, a Transport and Main Roads (TMR) office.  If there is no TMR office in your location, you can visit a QLD Police Station or a Queensland Government Agent Program (QGAP) office.

You will need to take along 100pts of Identification for ID verification.  Once verified, your photo is taken, and you are issued with a CRN.  There is no cost if you are not applying for a QLD Drivers Licence or Proof of Age card.

Please note your photo must have been taken within the last six years and nine months.  If your image is older than six years and nine months, you will need to visit a Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads office or alternate agency to have a new photo taken.  There is no cost for updating your photo.

IMPORTANT: You will not be able to register on the QLD Blue Card Services online portal without your CRN.

Once you have your Queensland Department of Main Roads and Transport Customer Reference Number (CRN) you can proceed with the online registration and application process.

Please read the below information carefully.

NEW QLD Working with Children Check Application

  1. Visit  QLD Blue Card Services, scroll down, click on the Register for an online account button and enter the required information.
  2. Once you complete the registration section, you will get a registration account number (6 digits).
  3. Email your registration account number to the Professional Experience Placement Unit - please make your subject heading "Blue Card Registration Account Number - (insert your full name)"
  4. The Placement team will activate your registration account number, linking you to JCU.  (Please allow up to 48 business hours for this to be actioned)
  5. Once activated, you will receive a text message from QLD Blue Card Services to advise that you can now proceed with your online application. Return to the Blue Card Services website and click on the 'Log in to the online applicant portal' (this cannot be completed until JCU activates your code).
  6. Once QLD Blue Card Services have approved your application, you will receive a confirmation email, and your new Blue Card will be mailed to your nominated address.  JCU is also notified that your card has been approved and will update InPlace accordingly.

RENEWAL Applications (current Blue Card already linked to JCU)

Application submitted before current Blue Card expires

Please note, as advised above you will require a CRN and photo recorded with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads to complete your application.

  1. Visit  QLD Blue Card Services, scroll down, click on the Register Now button and enter the required information.
  2. As you are already linked to JCU, you will be able to continue with your renewal application via the 'Log in to the online applicant portal'.
  3. Once QLD Blue Card Services approve your renewal application, you will receive a confirmation email, and your new Blue Card will be mailed to your nominated address.  JCU is also notified that your card has been renewed and will update InPlace accordingly.
Application submitted after your  Blue Card has expired
  1. Please see the process to complete a New QLD Working with Children Check Application as above.

Link your current paid/volunteer card to James Cook University

  1. Email a copy of your current QLD Blue Card to the Professional Experience Placement Unit. Please make your subject heading 'Link current Blue Card'.
  2. The Placement team will link your current QLD Blue Card to James Cook University.  (Please allow up to 48 business hours for this to be actioned)
  3. You will receive an email from QLD Blue Card Services that your QLD Blue Card is linked to James Cook University.

It is also your responsibility to ensure your contact details are up to date with Blue Card Services. 

if you change your address or phone number, you must contact QLD Blue Card Services

If you have a lost/damaged card, you must also notify QLD Blue Card Services

Do not apply for an NDIS Workers Clearance unless you have been instructed to do so.

If you have been allocated a placement with a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider or state-funded disability provider, you may be required to hold a disability worker screening clearance card.  You will receive an email from the nursing placement officer if you are required to obtain a clearance.

Prior to placement, you must obtain a NDIS/Qld Disability Worker Screening Clearance. Once approved, it is valid for five years.

New clearance required - If you do not already hold a valid clearance, you will need to apply for the screening via the QLD Department of Communities. Please read through this application guide before commencing the process.

  1. Register for an online account. Like the Blue Card process, you will require your CRN from the Department of Main Roads to complete this process (Drivers Licence, Proof of Age Card, Photo Identity Card - your photo must have been taken within the last 5 years and 3 months).
  2. Complete application - when going through the online application, please enter the following information for Purpose & Role.
    1. Select Volunteer
    2. Select - Another Service Prescribed by Regulation
    3. Enter Employer Details - In the first instance please search and select James Cook University - Registration/Employer ID 4-433C-1951
  3. As your clearance will be linked to JCU, we will get notification of your card information and will update InPlace accordingly.
  4. When your clearance is approved, and you receive your card, you will need to provide the details to your placement provider, so that they can link you to their organisation. At the end of your placement please ensure that you are delinked from the organisation.

Existing Worker Clearance - If you already hold a valid clearance, please ensure you email a scanned copy of your Worker Screening Card to the Professional Experience Placement Unit, and we will add your details to InPlace. You must provide your Worker Screening Clearance Card details to your placement provider if requested so that they can link you to their organisation for the period of your placement.

Prior to placement, you must obtain a National Police Certificate (NPC), which is issued by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The fees for National Police Checks and related services are $42.00 for each National Police Check application from an individual.

It is important to begin the application process as soon as possible because the certificate can take up to 3 months to process and finalise. Application costs must be borne by you, the student.

A National Police Check obtained from a third-party organisation is NOT an acceptable alternative to an NPC issued by the Australian Federal Police.

When ordering an NPC, select to receive both digital and hard copies of the check. Please retain both copies should you need to present this to the facility.

A fingerprint check is not required.

Section 8 of the NPC application form (Purpose of Check) asks you to select the one main purpose of your application by checking a box beside a code number. You should check code number 37 (Care, instruction or supervision of children/ Care of intellectually disabled persons / Aged Care staff/volunteers).

The NPC states that the 'information contained in this document is valid as at date displayed', i.e. when issued. However, for the purposes of satisfying requirements of most placement facilities, including registered aged care facilities, the certificate is valid for 3 years from the date of issue.

For further information, visit the Australian Federal Police National Police Checks website. Start your online application now.

When you receive your certificate, provide a copy to the Professional Experience Placement Unit.

International Students

If, at any time after turning 16, you have been a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than Australia, you will need to complete this Commonwealth Statutory Declaration to meet the aged care requirements of a Criminal History Check.

All students are required to complete an Australian Nationally Accredited First Aid and Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR training course and maintain currency for the duration of the course.

Please make an appointment with a registered training organisation that offers the following course codes -

First Aid - Provide First Aid HLTAID003 or HLTAID011 (includes CPR component) -  First Aid valid for 3 years.

CPR renewal - Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation HLTAID001 or HLTAID009 - CPR valid for 1  year.

First Aid and CPR certificates from Queensland Health facilities (Non-Accredited Training Provider) and online courses are not accepted. Students must attend the training course in person. First Aid and CPR Certificates provided by Non-Accredited Training Providers will not be accepted.

A copy of your proof of course completion (i.e. the certificate) must be emailed to the Professional Experience Placement Unit.

If you are a registered Health Practitioner (e.g. Registered Nurse/Pharmacist), you are exempt from submitting First Aid. However, you are required to submit a valid CPR certificate from a registered training organisation annually.

It is the student's responsibility to meet the costs of an Accredited First Aid and CPR course.


It is a JCU requirement that ALL professional placement students have a doctor complete the applicable sections of the JCU Health Record and Immunisation Form. The doctor cannot be a relative.

Please email a copy of the completed form, and any serology results if available, to the Professional Experience Placement Unit.

Further advice relating to vaccinations and immunisation is available through JCU Health General Practice, Level 1, Clinical Practice Building, JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas or your General Practitioner.  Recommended Vaccination Schedule at JCU Health General Practice.

For more vaccination information please visit the Queensland Health website.

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Immunisation Requirements

In accordance with Queensland Health and JCU procedures, students who are enrolled in health courses must be fully immunised before commencing their professional experience placement, or by the end of the first teaching period, whichever comes first. Students must be protected from the following diseases:

Disease

Vaccination Evidence Required

Hepatitis B

You are required to provide evidence of completed immunisation course or proof that you are immune to Hepatitis B (Seroconverted).

Measles, Mumps & Rubella

Documented evidence of positive antibody (IgG) for each on serology or documented evidence of two MMR vaccinations at least one month apart.

Varicella

Documented evidence of positive varicella antibody (IgG) on serology or two doses of varicella vaccine at least one month apart (evidence of one dose is sufficient if the person received their first dose before 14 years of age).

Pertussis

Documented evidence of pertussis booster vaccination in the previous 10 years.

International Students must have their vaccination records translated into English and complete all forms in English.

COVID-19 Vaccination

All students studying this course will be required to undertake placement activities in a healthcare setting.

Students are classified as healthcare workers and can follow the same directives as healthcare staff. Queensland Health requires that employees, or prospective employees, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and maintain that vaccine protection (through any relevant booster doses). This has been a mandated requirement since September 2021.

Evidence of vaccination compliance must be provided to the Professional Experience Placement Unit Students should only provide a copy of their Apple/Android wallet version of their COVID-19 vaccination certificate. If students provide the MyGov Medicare certificate, the Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) number must be ‘blocked’ out.

Influenza Vaccination (FluVax)

James Cook University strongly recommends that all students get the latest influenza vaccination, especially for the period April to September each year.

Students undertaking a placement in a Residential Aged Care or Multi-Purpose Heath Service facility, or who may visit an aged care facility during their placement, are highly recommended to have a current influenza vaccination before they enter.

Please email evidence (letter from GP or Pharmacist/ MyGov Medicare Certificate with IHI blocked out) of this vaccination to the Professional Experience Placement Unit.

If you cannot be vaccinated due to a medical condition, please get a letter from your doctor and email it to the above address.

All students must be assessed for their risk of tuberculosis (TB) before commencing clinical placement.

Tuberculosis Risk Assessment FAQ for Workers in QLD Health Facilities

  1. Please complete the QLD Health Tuberculosis Risk Assessment Form for Students. Read the form carefully and respond to the questions.  If you do not understand the questions please complete the form with your doctor’s help.
  2. Email the completed form and any additional documentation (if required) to the Professional Experience Placement Unit
  3. Retain a copy of this form and any relevant documentation to take with you if any further assessment is required.

N.B Some facilities e.g Torres & Cape HHS require all students to have further testing.  You will be advised by your placement coordinator if this is required.

The hand hygiene online learning module provides education on hand hygiene and, more broadly, the principles of infection prevention and control.

Please visit National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) Learning Management System (LMS). Register NHHI LMS profile to do online training. Once your profile is created, you can then enrol in the Hand Hygiene for clinical healthcare workers module, when you log into the system.  The module should take approximately 15-30 minutes to complete.

After completing the learning package and correctly answering all of the quiz questions a completion certificate will be emailed to you. Please provide a copy of the certificate to the Professional Experience Placement Unit. Retain a copy of the certificate in your professional portfolio

Queensland Health has recently updated the legal instruments and subsidiary documents governing pre-entry clinical placements in Queensland Health facilities. All students must complete orientation before commencing a placement within a Queensland Health facility. You will not be able to commence your placement until your orientation is completed.

1. Student Deed Poll  

Read and complete QH Student Deed Poll

Page 1 - tips for completion

Page 8 - Tips for completion

  • Your signature must be witnessed. The Witness could be anyone over the age of 18.
  • All signatures and dates must be entered as required. All sections must be completed.
  • The signature date must be current and relevant to the period of the placement.

Please download, complete, sign, and email QH Student Deed Form (all 8 Pages) to the Professional Experience Placement Unit and retain a copy with your Student Orientation Checklist,  for your placement professional portfolio/resources for placement.

2. Student Orientation Checklist

Example of a correctly completed  Student Orientation Checklist

Please tick every box on pages 1 and 2 (even if the document does not apply to you) to acknowledge that you have read and understood all of the potential Queensland Health placement requirements.

Tips for completion

Page 1

Legal Check section

  • Enter the  Date of Check or Date of Completion and Expiry (where applicable) for pre placement requirement, mandatory to your placement (Blue card , General Criminal History Check)

Vaccinations

  • Enter date of vaccination , if applicable , as per your JCU Health and Immunisation form records
  • Enter comments , If you have serology results for your evidence of immunity , enter 'Immunity confirmed by serology' and include the date of your serology
  • COVID19 -  enter the  name of vaccine in  "Comments" section

Page 2

Students are required to complete relevant mandatory training listed in the Mandatory Training HR G6 Policy for Department of Health employees as part of the Department of Health - Mandatory training requirements standard through iLearn prior to commencement as detailed in the following table:

iLearn Module

Frequency

First-Response Evacuation Instructions (FREI)

Annually (30-minute duration)

Code of Conduct

Annually (20 minutes duration)

Prevention and Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD)

once only (20 minutes duration)

Health, Safety and Wellbeing Induction

once only  (20 minutes duration)

Public Interest Disclosure (PID)

every 2 years  (30 minutes duration)

Occupational Violence Orientation (awareness only)

once only  (5 minutes duration)

Additional mandatory training to be completed on commencement at the facility includes:

  • General Evacuation Instructions
  • Infection Prevention and Control.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Practice Program is offered face-to-face and is not currently available in iLearn.

Please note, there may be additional local additional requisite or essential training mandatory training to undertake as directed by the placement supervisor/line manager.

For students enrolled in Australian education facilities preparing for clinical placement the link is as follows, Preparing for your clinical placement | Queensland Health.

On completion tick the All mandatory orientation as per Queensland Health Human Resources Policy Mandatory Training G6 (QH-POL-183) box on the QH Orientation Check List and send it to healthplacements@jcu.edu.au for recording.

Print the applicable certificate and retain a copy for your placement professional portfolio.

It is your responsibility to keep these checks up-to-date and to adhere to Queensland Health placement requirements for your own safety and the safety of others during your professional experience placement.

Page 3

Certification / Declaration

  • Enter all required information and date
  • Please download, complete, sign and email QH Orientation check list (Pages 1-3) to the Professional Experience Placement Unit and retain a copy for your placement professional portfolio.

This course has been designed for Student Nurses to introduce Cerner's PowerChart application and the ieMR (the patients integrated electronic medical record).  Students only have to complete this once.

Please access your Queensland Health iLearn account (see the Queensland Health Placements tab for information on registering for iLearn if you do not already have an existing account).

Once you log in, use the Search for Courses option at the top of the page, search for (MSHHS-C) Student Nurse ieMR WBT. Click on the course to bring up the course details, and then click on Launch Course to start.

Nursing Students

The link for the Student Nurse module is: https://ilearncatalogue.health.qld.gov.au/course/1852/student-nurse-iemr-wbt

Midwifery Students

The link for the Student Midwife module is: https://ilearncatalogue.health.qld.gov.au/course/1935/student-midwife-iemr-wbt

Using the Table of Contents listed on the screen's left-hand side, please complete the following sections - Introduction, Getting Started, Orientation & Navigation, Basic Admission, Obs & Sign Off, Documentation and Sign off Discharge and Appendix 3: Specimen Collection.  This is an interactive training module, and you will be required to carry out instructions as you progress through the different sections.

Once the above sections are completed click into End of Course and enter your name for the certificate, then click into the Certificate section and print this off.  If you don't get the option to print from this screen, go to your iLearn Certificates page, and you should be able to locate the Student Nurse ieMR Certificate saved here and print it.  Certificate Example

In addition to completing the above training, you must watch a related video on Managing Deterioration.

Once you have completed both tasks, please email a scanned copy of the Student Nurse ieMR Certificate to the Professional Experience Placement Unit and save the original with your other placement documents.

To undertake a clinical observation or placement in the JCU Clinics at the Clinical Practice Building students must complete additional requirements as listed below:

Fire & Evacuation Training - Please select location Clinical Practice Building, select Visitor and then select Levels 1 and 2.  Once you complete the training, you will receive a certificate which will be valid for 12 months.

JCU Student Confidentiality Deed - Read and sign to confirm understanding.

JCU Health - Student Pre-Placement Manual - Read and understand.

Please submit the Fire & Evacuation Certificate and the signed Confidentiality Deed via email to the Professional Experience Placement Unit

All students going to Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS) facilities must submit additional pre-placement documents. You will receive an email from the facility outlining these additional requirements.

Townsville HHS Fire Training

Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS) require all students doing a placement at any of the THHS facilities, including regional hospitals and community health centres to complete Fire & Evacuation training.

When undertaking a placement at the Townsville University Hospital, please complete training for the Main Hospital Building (Ground Level, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3) and the Sub Acute building. This certification is only valid for 12 months. If completing a placement at any of the other THHS facilities, please complete the training applicable to that facility.

THHS Fire and Emergency Response Training (You must use your JCU email address to create your account).  If you require assistance to complete the training, please refer to the Fire and Emergency Response Training User Guide

Please email your completion certificate to the Professional Experience Placement Unit and to the THHS contact email address.

Note: Please ensure to submit your THHS fire training certificate within 10 working days of being notified of your placement allocation.

Learning Online (LOL) Training - please note this training is required in addition to the QLD Health iLearn training modules.

Please follow the direction from the email that you will receive from THHS. Once you have completed the LOL training please send it the Professional Experience Placement Unit and to the THHS contact email address.

Townsville HHS Hand Hygiene Training

Please note that this is additional to the National Hand Hygiene Initiative online package.

Please email your completion certificate to the Professional Experience Placement Unit and the THHS contact email address.

Important:  Only to be completed by students allocated to a Torres & Cape Hospital &  Health Service (TCHHS) placement.  Students who are allocated a TCHHS placement will receive an email outlining instruction for additional requirements.

Influenza Vaccination - students must have the current influenza vaccination. Please submit evidence to the above-mentioned email addresses.

COVID-19 Vaccination - students attending placement at Cooktown Multi-purpose Health Service or Weipa Hospital Multi-purpose Health Service must have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination by the 16 September 2021.

TCHHS Student Orientation Self Direct Learning Package -  you will receive instructions on how to complete this.

Students will also be required to include copies of the below QLD Health requirements, which should have already been completed.

  • QLD Working with Children Blue Card - email a scanned copy of your card
  • Immunisation Evidence - email a scanned copy of your JCU Health & Immunisation record
  • QLD Health documents - Student Deed Poll, Student Orientation Checklist and the five OH&S module certificates from iLearn
  • First Aid & CPR
  • Hand Hygiene Certificate
  • Tuberculosis -  Students must use the most recent  QLD Health TB Self Assessment form (released 2019).  If you had subsequent TB testing or vaccination e.g Mantoux, please supply this with the Self Assessment form.

Please attach all documents to one email and submit to TCHHS-Nursing-SCP@health.qld.gov.au and the Professional Experience Placement Unit

All students undertaking a placement with a Mackay Hospital and Health Service facility will receive an email requesting additional pre-placement requirements.  You are to provide the following documents at least one week prior to their placement, along with any other documents requested:

1. Student Passport size photo

2. Student orientation checklist

3. Student Deed Poll

4. Evidence of immunisation status

5. Tuberculosis self-assessment and Mantoux test if applicable.  TB self-assessment must be sighted and signed by your GP or the GP nurse.

6. My Learn modules as requested by the facility.

All above documents to be emailed to: mkyplacements@health.qld.gov.au and cc to nursingclinical@jcu.edu.au

Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination: Students attending placement at Clermont Multi-purpose Health Service or Collinsville Hospital must must have evidence of the current Influenza Vaccination. Students must also have evidence of receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination by 16 September 2021 and be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 31 October 2021.

If you have placement in the Northern Territory you are required to visit the Northern Territory Department of Health web page: Before you start your student clinical placement. Ensure you read all the information on this page.

Students on placements must make sure they’ve completed the relevant requirements in the table provided, this includes a current criminal history check (less than 3 years) and a working with children clearance (also called an Ochre Card) at your own cost. If you have the form  NT working with children volunteer concession form completed by your placement coordinator, this can reduce the cost of the Ochre card.  Students will also need to provide a recent hand hygiene certificate.

Take note of the Immunisation requirements.

Students are to produce Certified copies of vaccination and confirming serology documents for the following vaccine-preventable diseases:

  • Measles, Mumps & Rubella
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
  • Hepatitis A (if you will be working with children or in remote communities)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Varicella
  • Influenza
  • Tuberculosis (dependent on work area) – Mantoux test.

If you require Mantoux testing there are free Tuberculosis Services throughout Queensland.

Students are encouraged to read the Queensland Health Tuberculin Skin Test Fact Sheet.

Additional requirements for Alice Springs

AFP Certificate - Criminal History check to be issued within 6 months of placement commencement. JCU Students are eligible to apply through the Northern Territory Police as a volunteer at a minimal cost of $14.  Please have the Volunteer Form signed by your Placement Office. Once this is completed Apply here

Provide a copy of all pre-placement documentation to the Professional Experience Placement Unit.

Before placements in NSW Health facilities can proceed, James Cook University must have a current Student Placement Agreement with the Local Health District in which the placement is to occur. Without the Student Placement Agreement, the placement cannot proceed. Please check with the Professional Experience Placement Unit.

In preparation for your placement in New South Wales please go to the following website: https://www.heti.nsw.gov.au/Placements-Scholarships-Grants/clinical-placements/student-compliance

FAQs for student placements in NSW

Student clearances for clinical placements

Before a student can commence a clinical placement in a NSW Health facility, students must complete the following mandatory requirements:

1. National Criminal Record Check

  • Read the policy directive Employment Checks – Criminal Record Checks and Working with Children Checks
  • Students attending clinical placements in NSW Health are not required to obtain a WWCC. Except for existing NSW Health staff members, students aged 18 years and over wishing to undertake clinical placements must have a satisfactory National Police Certificate, which must be valid for the duration of any placement. Students attending clinical placements in aged care work or NDIS work may be subject to additional requirements (refer to Sections 7 and 10 of the Policy).
  • The Professional Placement Unit should have a copy of your current National Criminal History Check

2. NSW Health Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct Declaration (electronic version)

3. Health and Immunisations

4. Exposure Prone Procedures (only to be completed by Medicine, Dentistry, and Midwifery students)

All forms should be emailed to your JCU Placement Coordinator in the first instance and then emailed to the Professional Experience Placement Unit

Students undertaking clinical placements in hospitals or other health services in NSW are not required to obtain a Working with Children Check however, Students must ensure that their Queensland Working with Children check (Blue Card) remains current.

Whilst you are preparing your mandatory requirements for verification, your JCU Placement Coordinator will enter your Name, DOB, email address and Student ID number on Clinconnect, the NSW Student Placement Portal. All student placements in NSW Health facilities are processed through Clinconnect.

When the NSW Placement coordinator has reviewed your mandatory requirements, they will then update your status to “Verified” on Clinconnect. This will then allow the processing of your placement to be approved.

Approximately 2 weeks prior to the commencement of your placement, the Student will receive an email to inform you of your StaffLink ID and temporary password.

Mandatory Online Learning Modules

Students will be required to log in to My Health Learning with their eight-digit StaffLink ID username and password.

Students will be compliant with mandatory training when all modules are listed as Completed except for Hand Hygiene which when completed will be termed, Current. It is advised that you start and complete a module in the one session. All modules need to be completed before the placement commences.

The mandatory modules include:

  • Privacy – It’s yours to keep (replaces Privacy Module 1 - Know your boundaries: students must complete the new module)
  • Work, Health & Safety and Hazardous Manual Tasks (replaces Introduction to Work Health and Safety: students must complete the new module)
  • Introduction to Work, Health, and Safety
  • Hand Hygiene
  • Between the Flags – Tier 1: Awareness, Charts and Escalation (eLearning)
  • Cyber Security Fundamentals
  • Infection Prevention and Control Practices - Clinical (Course Cod: 46777047)
  • Personal Protective Equipment for Combined Transmission Based Precautions (Course Code: 294450660)
  • Donning and fit checking of P2 or N95 respirators in NSW healthcare settings (Course Code: 319438161)
  • Security Awareness

eHealth NSW is strengthening security for NSW Health’s corporate systems by asking NSW Health students to set up a profile. This profile will provide greater security and will help students to spot security threats more easily. It will also enable students to reset their passwords without having to contact the State-Wide Service Desk.

Refer to the:

For any technical issues, users will need to contact the State-Wide Service Desk on 1300 28 55 33. Refer to Guide for students in Contacting the State-Wide Service Desk

Updated 12/9/2023

Clinical ID cards are not the same as JCU Student ID cards. To get a Clinical ID, you must have first obtained a JCU Student ID.

During professional experience placement, you must wear your Clinical ID at all times, including placements at the JCU Dental, JCU Health General Practice and JCU Allied Health and Interprofessional Clinics within the JCU Clinical Practices Building.

First-Year Students - After the census date, you will receive an email from the Professional Experience Placement Unit with instructions on how to order and collect your card. (Townsville Building 134 and Cairns A1).  Cost $15.

Scan and email a copy of your Clinical ID card once purchased from student services to the Professional Experience Placement Unit

Clinical ID cards are valid for the duration of your enrolment. It should be returned to JCU on completion of your degree.

Lost or Expired Cards - If you lose your card or it expires before you complete your course, please send an email to the Professional Experience Placement Unit to receive instructions on how to get a new card. Cost $5.

All students are now required to have respiratory mask fit testing prior to attending placement in a Hospital or any QLD Health facility.

Mask fit testing is an annually renewed requirement. Students need to be fitted for 2 masks.

All Mask Fit testing will now be conducted by Alliance Safety Equipment Pty Ltd.

All students must use the online booking platform for fit testing appointments. This is for students on the Townsville, Cairns and Mackay campuses.

JCU booking platform

Townsville students

Please use the link above to make your appointments. This is a Townsville based company so you can make your bookings at anytime that it suits you.

Mackay students

Please contact the Placement Unit for any further enquiries on 0747 81 4697

Cairns JCU Smithfield Campus

Alliance Safety Equipment Pty Ltd will be on the SMITHFIELD JCU Campus, Room A004-229C from Wednesday 1st November to Friday 3rd November.

Please click on the link Cairns Campus Bookings to make your appointment.

Please contact the Placement Unit for any further enquiries on 0747 81 4697

Which facial hair styles are suitable with a disposable respirator?

Free mask fit testing for students who book and attend the appointment, 2 missed appointments will result in the student having to source and pay for their own mask fit test.

Cancellations of appointments must be made the day before - “no shows” may result in the student having to pay for their mask fit test.

You will be required to show your student card at your appointment and your certificate will be emailed to you.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL)/Placement Scholarship

Applications Close 27 October 2023

Students enrolled in a confirmed placement of a minimum of 1 week or 36 hours in length, arranged within the 2023 academic year will be eligible for a base amount of $500; plus an additional $250 per week, when required to relocate from semester residential address to undertake the placement. The maximum amount of scholarship per placement will be $3,000.

Further information about the program and the application guide is available at : https://www.jcu.edu.au/scholarships/search/work-integrated-learning-wil-scholarship

All JCU students attending placement at Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service are required to submit additional pre-placement requirements.

Please ensure you read the information on the following website:  Student Placement Hub | Queensland Health

Pre-placement requirements.

All additional  Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service documents must be  submitted to sc.student.hub@health.qld.gov.au and healthplacements@jcu.edu.au

Please retain copies of all PPR documents for your professional portfolio. You must take all your pre-placement documents with you as you need to demonstrate compliance on the first day of placement. This includes Police Check, Blue Card, JCU Health and Immunisation Form (including serology reports you may have), TB Risk Assessment form, CPR Certificate, and all iLearn certificates. All documents must be current.

Contact the Student Hub

If you have any questions about our student placements, you can email the Student Hub at SC.student.hub@health.qld.gov.au.