Assistant in nursing jobs in Melbourne

Sanctuary Recruitment is actively hiring assistant in nursing/personal care worker positions in aged care across Melbourne and further into regional Victoria. We are Australia's leading aged care recruitment consultancy, and due to our close relationships with aged care providers across the country we can provide placements for workers looking on a temporary, contract and permanent basis.

We are currently recruiting in Melbourne, into Victoria and interstate for assistant in nursing/personal care worker roles. If you are looking for a new opportunity or would like a chat around the aged care industry, please get in contact with us, or view our jobs board.

Register with Sanctuary

register with sanctuary

Express your interest

Send in your resume or register your interest and our industry expert consultants will be in contact.

register with sanctuary

Prepare for work

Complete the onboarding process and become fully compliant. Our compliance team can help you through this step by step.

register with sanctuary

Being working with Sanctuary

Choose from 100's of roles that suit your needs, values and requirements.

Assistant in nursing jobs in Melbourne 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. Examples could be during meal rounds, showering and hygiene, toileting and grooming.

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.

In Melbourne, we cover each area as well as regional Victoria:

  • Ballarat
  • Bendigo
  • Geelong
  • Mildura
  • Ringwood
  • Wodonga

to name a few!

The Aged Care Award will stipulate the pay brackets. This will vary depending on your experience, job title and location of work. The average personal care worker casual pay rates are in-between $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 this experience, 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 weeks - 3 months in rural, regional and remote areas of the country.

We ensure all of our nurses are up to date with their knowledge and skills so they can provide high quality care to residents. 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.

A casual employee can enjoy perks such as:

  • Structuring your work day/week to your schedule
  • Exploring areas of the country whilst getting paid for it, with free travel and accommodation included for certain placements
  • Setting your own level for work/life balance
  • Receiving 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 Recruitment 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…

Duties and responsibilities of an aged care worker

First published: July 2024 Aged care workers working in the Australian aged care industry are responsible for more than just fundamental duties and responsibilities. They are expected to provide personal, emotional, and holistic support to their residents, playing a key part in a resident’s twilight years. Working in aged care is an admirable profession, one…

What is the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS)?

The Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) is a government initiative and subsequent reporting system implemented to reduce abuse and neglect of older people receiving aged care services. SIRS is a mandatory requirement for approved aged care providers, including residential aged care homes and home care services (encompassing Home Care Packages, the Commonwealth Home Support Programme…

2024 flu vaccination requirements in aged care in Australia

First published: July 2024 The Aged Care Quality Standards states that for the purpose of infection control, aged care providers and relevant organisations should promote the benefits of the influenza and coronavirus vaccinations for both their residents and staff. These vaccinations are to be renewed annually, adapting to each new strain of influenza. Key aims…

How to become an aged care worker

First published: November 2023, revised April 2024 The aged care industry encompasses the services provided and delivered to care for the elderly population. The Department of Health and Aged Care governs the quality of these services and focuses on continuous improvement and development, with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in charge of government…

Establishing and maintaining work role boundaries in aged care

First published: November 2024 Working in the aged care industry gives you opportunity to develop close relationships with the residents in your care. The superheroes that are healthcare professionals understand their patients and residents on a deeper level, especially in aged care as nurses can be interacting with the same residents for years. Work role…

12 aged care interview questions and answers

Revised: May 2025 Are you preparing for an aged care interview?  Knowing the most common aged care interview questions and how to answer them can help you feel confident and ready to showcase your skills. Within our detailed guide, we’ll help you to prepare for the 12 most frequently asked aged care interview questions. We’ve…

Your guide to getting involved in aged care volunteering

First published: May 2025 Aged care volunteering is an opportunity to give back to the community whilst providing companionship and support to older people whilst both living in aged care homes or receiving home care. Aged care volunteering options that are available include assisting with daily living activities to make day to day tasks easier,…

Day in the life of an aged care registered nurse

Aged care nursing is fast paced and deeply rewarding. Every shift brings new challenges and the chance to make a real difference in someone’s day. It’s a career built on compassion, skill and a commitment to ensuring each patients needs are met and their voices are heard. Within this blog, we will outline what a…

Aged care pay rise increases in 2025

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 2025, general workers covered…