Expressions of interest are sought for all clinical skillsets – doctors (general, limited and specialist registrants), nurses, midwives, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, allied health professionals (therapies and sciences) and paramedics. University students enrolled in many of these disciplines will also be integral to the COVID-19 health workforce response.
Since April 2020 more than 15,000 dedicated members of Victoria’s health workforce have expressed their interest in working within the Victorian health system as part of the response to COVID-19. Over 100,000 shifts have been undertaken during the pandemic by this surge workforce.
The department is seeking additional candidates to offer their time and skills to assist with the COVID-19 Health response.
If you would like to express interest in any of the opportunities listed below please register at Torrens Health at https://www.torrenshealth.com.au/#apply or apply for roles that have been advertised by services undertaking these roles. Please also refer to Table 1 which shows the settings your professional background might be best suited to.
For further information about emergency vaccination workforces please see page 32 – 40, Click here
The department of health has partnered with Torrens Health to recruit health professionals.
Ready to join the COVID-19 outbreak response workforce?
When you register with Torrens Health, you can provide your availability and location preference. Long-term placements (of 3-6 months) are available.
List of roles and workforce groups
The list below is intended to provide high level advice on the types of
roles to which each health care workforce may be suited.
Each role will require appropriate training, induction, and supervision.
✓ = Emergency authorised workforce and emergency authorised student workforce
✓ *= Pharmacists, intern pharmacists and final year pharmacy students are categorised in both emergency authorised workforce and emergency authorised surge workforce
✓ = Emergency authorised surge workforce and emergency authorised surge student workforce
✓ = Limited scope COVID-19 vaccinators – limited scope vaccinators have additional training requirements. Please see the position description and eligibility requirements at Here
| Health care worker category | Vaccination | Testing | Covid+ pathways | PPE Spotter | PHO/contact tracing | Hotel Quarantine | Acute care | Aged care |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current enrolment in a TAFE or university health-related course | ✓ | |||||||
| Currently or previously employed in a health or community service setting | ✓ | |||||||
| Aboriginal health practitioners | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Ambulance transport attendant (diploma) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Audiologists | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Chinese medicine practitioners | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Chiropractors | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Dentists | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Dentistry student (2nd year and above) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Dentistry student (4th year/3rd year Masters) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Dental assistants (certificate III and above) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Dental hygienist | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Dental/Oral health therapists | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Dieticians | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Emergency services workers (certificate trained) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Enrolled nurses | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Exercise physiologists | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| First aid responders (certificate trained) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Health science qualification | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Intern pharmacist | ✓ | |||||||
| Medical Laboratory Technician | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Medical Laboratory Scientist/Researcher | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Medical Laboratory Science student (final year) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Medical Radiation Practitioner | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Medical practitioners | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Medical students (2nd year) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Medical students (3rd year or 2nd year Master's/post-grad and above) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Nursing and/or midwifery students (2nd year) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Nursing and/or midwifery students (3rd year/2nd year Masters) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Nurse practitioner | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Occupational therapists | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Occupational therapy students (4th year/2rd year Masters or equivalent) | ✓ | |||||||
| Optometrist | ✓ | |||||||
| Oral Health student (3rd year) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Orthoptist | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Osteopaths | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Pathology collector (completed Cert III minimum) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Patient transport officer (certificate trained) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Paramedic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Paramedicine students (2nd year) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Paramedicine students (3rd year) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Personal Care Attendants | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Pharmacist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Pharmacy student (4th year) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Pharmacy student (2nd and 3rd year) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Physiotherapists | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Physiotherapy students (2nd and 3rd year) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Physiotherapy students (4th year or 2nd year Master's or equivalent) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Podiatrist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Podiatry student (4th year) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Prosthetist/Orthotist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Registered nurses | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Registered midwife | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Speech pathologists | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Speech pathology students (2nd year and above) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
To prepare and/or administer the COVID-19 vaccine to suitably screened and consenting individuals, according to vaccine administration protocol.
You can apply for the COVID-19 vaccination program workforce if you fall into one of these workforce or student groups:
| Category | Role | Workforce |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing and paramedic workforce | Prepare and administer |
|
| Aboriginal health workforce | Prepare and administer |
|
| Dental and oral health workforce | Prepare and administer |
|
| Allied health workforce | Prepare and administer |
|
| Pharmacy workforce | Prepare and administer |
|
| Pathology workforce | Prepare and administer |
|
| Medical, dentistry, oral health, allied health, pharmacy, nursing/midwifery and paramedicine students | Prepare and administer |
|
| Laboratory science, research and technician workforce | Prepare only |
|
| Medical laboratory science and pharmacy students and dental assistants | Prepare only |
|
You need to complete free online training to administer and/or prepare the COVID-19 vaccine.
During onboarding at a vaccination site, you will need to provide proof you have completed all required training. You will then need to complete practical training and competency assessment at the site.
| Workforce |
|
Practical training Victorian COVID-19 Clinical Skills and Competencies Certificate |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised immunisers | ✓ | X Paramedics with experience in immunisation not exempt |
Strongly recommended | X | ||||||
| Emergency authorised workforce and students authorised to prepare and administer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Emergency authorised workforce and students authorised to prepare only | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ Including practical training for preparation activities only (Part 1) |
||||||
| Emergency authorised surge workforce and students authorised to prepare and administer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Including practical training (Part 1) |
||||||
| Emergency authorised surge workforce and students authorised to prepare only | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ Including practical training for preparation activities only (Part 1) |
||||||
| Supporting administrative, logistics and non-clinical workforce | Strongly recommended | X | X | X | ||||||
The Victorian Department of Health has partnered with Torrens Health to help recruit COVID-19 testing staff. If you are a qualified dental assistant and restrictions are impacting your dental practice, please consider working at a COVID-19 testing site during this time.
This is an opportunity to contribute your skills, experience, and expertise to the pandemic response, and assist the people of Victoria to meet the challenge of COVID-19.
To manage the surge workforce, the Department of Health has partnered with Torrens Health, who will conduct all relevant background and qualification checks. As an expression of interest process, the information provided by applicants will assist in identifying people as potentially suitable for further discussions regarding employment opportunities.
You may be contacted to seek further information to determine suitability for employment for a specific position.
> Please see Workforce Suitability Table for more detail
To contribute to the workforce surge response, please go to apply now and register your interest. Roles may also be available in supporting our vaccination program.
A standard site induction will be provided for all clinicians new to the site.
Am online PPE module is to be completed ahead of time (prior to your commencement at a testing site) with PPE donning and doffing to be observed by a clinical supervisor (up to four times) to ensure the correct procedure is undertaken safely.
On-site training will cover undertaking the complete swabbing procedure and also cover current practices, protocols and risks.
To deliver COVID-19 tests to suitably screened and consenting individuals.
The COVID-19 Positive Care Pathways program (C+P program) is the Victorian statewide program for assessment and management of COVID-19 patients. The C+P program provides an initial clinical and social assessment, then allocates pathway care, monitoring and support for all people who test positive for COVID- 19. It also ensures that patients who are at risk of deteriorating are identified early and transitioned to higher levels of care.
This position contributes to the investigation, management, and control of COVID-19. The position provides technical support, advice, and professional guidance on public health issues to a range of stakeholders.
The PPE Spotter will provide support and guidance for staff when donning and doffing PPE when staff are providing care and support to patients and when staff are in common areas interacting with other staff members.
Works closely within a multi-disciplinary team to provide high quality patient care and clinical functions in the network of quarantine hotels throughout the state.
Provide support for aged care providers by joining ready-to-deploy teams that deliver surge health professionals to Aged Care facilities.
