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Applications for rural nursing re-entry scholarships close 27 September 2002

Nurses in rural and remote areas who are considering re-entry into the workforce or upgrading their skills can apply for re-entry scholarships, the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said today. Applications for the latest round of the rural nursing re-entry scholarships close on the 27 September 2002.

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19 September 2002

Applications for rural nursing re-entry scholarships close 27 September 2002

Nurses in rural and remote areas who are considering re-entry into the workforce or upgrading their skills can apply for re-entry scholarships, the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said today.

Applications for the latest round of the rural nursing re-entry scholarships close on the 27 September 2002.

Two hundred scholarships are available providing up to $6,000 per applicant for rural nurses who wish to re-enter the workforce, or update their skills in non-acute settings such as working in General Practice, Aged Care or Community Health Centres.

"Nurses are a vital part of health care in rural and remote communities," the Minister said. "By providing these scholarships, we hope to remove some of the financial barriers faced by former nurses in isolated areas considering re-entering the workforce, or looking to upgrade their skills."

The scholarships are open to former registered and enrolled nurses from rural and remote areas whose registration has lapsed and who are interested in undertaking an accredited program for re-registration or re-entry into the workplace. There is also an upskilling component available to nurses who are currently employed.

The Commonwealth Remote and Rural Nursing Scholarship Program offers incentives to nurses wishing to persue or build on a career in rural or remote area nursing. The program is administered by the Royal College of Nursing and consists of four different scholarship schemes: Re-entry and Upskilling, postgraduate, conference and undergraduate.

The scholarships are part of the Commonwealth Government's commitment to improving health services for country Australia under the $562 million Regional Health Strategy: More Doctors, Better Services.

For more information on this and other nursing scholarships contact the Royal College of Nursing on freecall 1800 11 22 40 or website www.rcna.org.au

Media Contact: Marnie Gaffney, Senator Patterson's office (02) 6277 7220
Ian Watt, Department of Health and Ageing (02) 6289 5442