Mental health nurse recruitment for regional employers

Mental health nurses assess and care for people with mental illness in inpatient units, emergency departments, community teams, older persons' services and primary care. The work includes assessment, building a relationship with the person and their family, and working with psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers under a care plan.

There is no separate registration for mental health nursing. A mental health nurse holds general registration as a registered nurse.⁶ A nurse whose only qualification is in mental health nursing is registered with a notation that they are solely qualified in that area, and must complete an approved program before practising outside it.⁷ The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses credentials registered nurses who show specialist or postgraduate mental health qualifications and relevant experience.⁸

The Nurses Award 2020 has no separate mental health rate. Where it covers the role, a registered nurse other than an aged care employee earns at least $1,219.50 a week at level 1, pay point 1, $1,504.40 at level 2 (clinical nurse) and $1,631.20 at level 3, pay point 1, from 1 July 2026.³ Different classifications and higher minimums apply to aged care employees from 1 August 2026. Public mental health services pay under their state's own instrument instead, such as the New South Wales Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025.¹⁸

No earnings figure exists for mental health nurses alone. They are counted in the Registered Nurses group (ANZSCO 2544), whose national median full-time earnings were $2,192 a week in May 2025.¹ That median covers all registered nurses, so we talk with you about the rate, allowances and housing that will compete for an experienced mental health nurse.

Start with the service: an inpatient unit, an acute or older persons' unit, a community or crisis team, an emergency department, or primary care. Then the level, and whether the role carries a statutory function under your state's mental health Act, such as an authorised or designated practitioner role.

Then the practical details: the roster and on-call, home visits and the travel they involve, whether you require a postgraduate qualification or a credential, and the support and supervision on offer for a nurse new to mental health.

We start with nurses already in your region and then widen the search to people planning a move, including city nurses looking for a regional service.

Tell us early about housing, relocation costs, a vehicle for community work, study support and clinical supervision. We raise them in the first conversation.

If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Register with Hire Australia and tell us the services you have worked in, your qualifications, any credential or statutory role, and where you would like to work. Registered nurses wanting to move into mental health are welcome to register too.