Assistant in Nursing Jobs in Cairns

Sanctuary Recruitment is an aged care recruitment consultancy in Australia, with years of unwavering commitment to the aged care sector behind it. We work with some of the top aged care providers across the country and provide staff on temporary, contract and permanent assignments in regional, rural, metro and remote locations.

We are hiring assistant in nursing jobs in Cairns and across Queensland on a casual and contract basis. If you are looking for a new opportunity or would like a free resume assessment, submit your interest below

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Assistant in Nursing Jobs in Cairns FAQs

Assistant in nursing, otherwise known as personal care workers or simply care workers, are healthcare assistants that work across a variety of medical sectors. They help patients and residents with their daily care. This could be during meal rounds, showering and hygiene, toileting and grooming for example. 

This is an entry level role in the aged care industry, which can open the door to many other positions such as an enrolled nurse, registered nurse, aged care management and beyond.

Since inception, we have nurtured strong relationships with aged care homes across the country. Through Sanctuary, there is the option to work in areas that are metro, regional, rural and remote.

Queensland has fantastic areas to explore and work in which includes:

  • Bundaberg
  • Brisbane
  • Gold Coast
  • Hervey Bay
  • Sunshine Coast
  • Townsville
  • Whitsundays
  • Wide Bay

and more!

Pay rates are stipulated by the Aged Care Award. This will vary depending on your experience, job title and location of work. A personal care worker will receive casual pay of $29 - $71 per hour.

You can earn bonuses, as well as receive incentives and allowances for eligible certain contract placements. Aged care reforms have led to pay rises for aged care workers in recent years, with more developments to come.

As a rule of thumb, you need a minimum of six months Australian aged care experience to work through our agency. Once you have reached this level, which equates to 910 hours, get in contact with our team who can go through the onboarding process.

To be an assistant in nursing, you would need a relevant qualification. In Australia, this is a Certificate III/IV in Ageing Support/Individual Support/Health Services Assistance. This course is around 5 months long (full time) and can be studied through various educational institutions.

Once qualified as an assistant in nursing, you can choose to work on a temporary/casual and/or contract basis. Casual work, or shift filling, is usually done ad-hoc or last minute. Contract roles range in length and last 4 - 12 weeks in rural, regional and remote areas of the country.

We ensure all of our nursing pool are up to date with their knowledge and skills. We offer continuous online training via our Learning Management System (LMS) at no cost to you. This is regularly updated to reflect new legislation and practices.

Working on a casual basis allows you to:

  • Structure your work day/week to your schedule
  • Explore areas of the country whilst getting paid for it, with free travel and accommodation included for certain placements
  • Set your own level for work/life balance
  • Receive a higher hourly rate than if you were a permanent employee

Rewards and Benefits

market leading pay rates

Market leading pay rates

bonuses and incentives

Bonuses and incentives

industry expert consultants

Industry expert consultants

discount programs

Discount programs

Free online education modules

Free online education modules

Referral scheme

Referral scheme

Aged Care Blog
Meet our Sanctuary Nursing Team

First published: September 2024 Getting to know our nurses on a personal as well as clinical background is important to us. When you join the Sanctuary team, the sense of community that you get through building relationships with other nurses and your consultant provides a foundation of support and opportunity. Kingsley, a AIN based in…

Delivering Impact: How our Partnership with Alphacrucis University College is Changing the Lives of Pacific Islander Aged Care Workers

First published: October 2024 Sanctuary Recruitment and Pulse Staffing Australia, under the global healthcare partner Acacium Group, have secured a bid for this year’s Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme. Aiming to fill labour gaps and alleviate work shortages across the country in a multitude of sectors, the PALM scheme allows for workers from the…

An Interview with our Nursing Team

First written: August 2024 The second in our ‘Meet the team’ series, we spoke to Rhys, one of our wonderful Sydney based AINs. He has been part of the Sanctuary team for the past three years, working on a casual basis in homes across Western and Northern Sydney, NSW. He has worked in a variety…

The Australia Federal Budget 2024 – 25: What it Means for Aged Care

First published: July 2024 Last month, the Federal Budget for 2024 – 25 was released. It is broken down into five main initiatives: Easing cost-of-living pressures Building more homes for Australians Investing in a Future Made in Australia Strengthening Medicare and the care economy Broadening opportunity and advancing equality All of these initiatives are underpinned…

Aged Care Pay Rise Increases in 2025

First published: October 2023, revised March 2025 As part of the aged care reform roadmap, a further aged care pay rise has been implemented this year. On 1 January 2025, a 3% increase was added to pay rates for general workers under the Aged Care Award.  Aged care pay rise 2025 breakdown  From 1 January…

What is Duty of Care in Aged Care?

First published: November 2024 Duty of care in aged care is the legal and moral obligation and responsibility an aged care worker has, to ensure the physical and emotional safety of residents in their care. Alongside being legally and ethically sound, this encompasses providing a high-quality level of care that meets the clients needs, keeping…

Once in a Generation Aged Care Reform

First published: September 2024 On the 12th September 2024 the Albanese Government announced their plans to deliver historic aged care reforms, with $5.6 billion being invested into a package that will bring the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years. It is projected that within the next 40 years, those aged 65 and over…

Touchdown for our PALM Scheme Class of 2024!

On Tuesday 4th March our PALM Scheme Class of 2024 arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, marking the start of their four year journey in Australia, making a difference in residential aged care homes in Mildura and Port Macquarie for Regis Aged Care. Under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme, 40 participants from Fiji were recruited…

Aged Care Careers

First published: April 2025 Aged care careers cover working in clinical and non-clinical roles across an array of environments including residential aged care, home care/independent living and retirement communities. There is a wealth of employment opportunities that will allow you to explore roles that fit your knowledge and skills, that you can make a long…

Fast tracked AHPRA conversion for overseas nurses

Published February 2025 From April 2025, internationally qualified nurses from six countries will be able to receive their AHPRA registration using a more effective, less timely process. Nurses from the United Kingdom, Ireland. the United States, Singapore, Spain and parts of Canada (British Columbia and Ontario) will be able to register as a healthcare practitioner…