Placement
Tailored placement for students
Mater is committed to the development of future health professionals, that's why our Mater Education team coordinate, monitor and evaluate placements throughout your study pathway.
Student placement
Workplace experience placements are an integral part of study, consolidating knowledge within the real nursing environment. By applying theory to practice, students will learn in supportive environments across our hospitals in Brisbane, Springfield, Townsville, Bundaberg, Mackay, Redland and Rockhampton.
We offer student placement opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying nursing, midwifery, medicine, allied health and other health disciplines through Mater Education or select university partners.
Information for Mater Education students
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Mater welcomes students on placement and aims to provide exceptional supervision and guidance as you further develop your knowledge and skills in the workplace.
All requests and arrangements for student placements should be made through your Education Provider by requesting that they contact Mater’s Clinical Placement Coordinator (studentplacements@mater.org.au).
All students accepted for placement at Mater must read the Mater Student Placement Orientation Resource before starting placement and complete the Student Placement Checklist and Acknowledgement in Appendix 1. It is important that all students attend any relevant orientation of the hospital and/ or clinical area you will be working in and have met all placement requirements such as compulsory vaccinations and criminal history checks. This will be coordinated and checked by your Education Provider and Mater Student Placements.
- Placement may include day, evening and night shifts across weekdays and weekends; shifts and days will change each semester.
- Allocation of placement may vary according to the acuity of the hospital and selection of elective units of competency.
- While we make every effort to ensure each student secures the electives of their choice, Mater Education reserves the right to allocate electives according to availability and the academic capabilities of individual students.
- Placement must be undertaken in Queensland.
- All students completing placement are required to adhere to Mater Education's dress code:
Diploma of Nursing students Certificates III and IV students Diploma of Nursing studentsMater Education scrub top
Certificates III and IV studentsMater Education uniform shirt
Diploma of Nursing studentsClosed in black leather shoes
Certificates III and IV studentsClosed in black leather shoesDiploma of Nursing studentsBlack scrub pants
Certificates III and IV studentsBlack business pants or knee-length black skirt* (preferably with pockets)
*Certificate III in Pathology Collection students are to wear stockings if wearing a skirt
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Course Hours required Diploma of Nursing Semester 1: 120 hours of workplace experience placement
Semester 2: 120 hours of workplace experience placement
Semester 3: 160 hours of workplace experience placement (inclusive of elective subject learning hours)
Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance 120 hours at the end of the course. Certificate III in Health Services Assistance Assistant in Nursing Pathway: 80 hours at the end of the course.
Hospital Assistant Pathway: 40 hours at the end of the course. Certificate III in Pathology Collection Minimum of 35 hours at the end of the course. -
Students are offered a discounted parking rate at Mater car parks for entry between 12pm-12am only. Public rates are charged at all other times. Information on parking at each of our hospitals can be viewed here.
You can find information on getting to each of our hospitals, along with campus maps here.
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At Mater we use the Student Placement Online Tool (SPOT) to manage student placements and student rosters. Students on a placement at Mater will be given a SPOT login and password to access their placement details and/or roster and the Mater Student Placement Handbook. Any students experiencing issues with their SPOT account should contact studentplacements@mater.org.au or speak to your supervisor.
How to guides
- How to book shifts
- How to complete feedback forms
- How to report an unplanned worked shift
- How to book multiple shifts at once
- How to view details and placement history
- How to complete end of placement evaluation form
- How to manage photo
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The Australian Government's Commonwealth Prac Payment offers eligible Diploma of Nursing students support while they are undertaking mandatory placements. Eligible students will be able to access $331.65 per week during their placement. This amount will change each year on 1 January to match the Austudy single rate.
You may be able to access cost of living support while undertaking placement during your Diploma of Nursing.
How do I know if I’m eligible?
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a domestic student
- Be undertaking at least 30 hours of full-time mandatory prac placement per week
- Meet a need to work test
Find out more about the Commonwealth Prac Payment:
- The CPP (VET) Program Grant Guidelines
- Eligibility check tool
- Program information fact sheet
- Eligibility criteria fact sheet
- How to guide to set up your access to the Your Career Portal
- Grant application how to guide
Information for Education providers
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To request a student placement at Mater, Education Providers are required to contact Mater's Clinical Placement Coordinator (studentplacements@mater.org.au) or phone 07 3163 8758. A student deed is required to be in place between the Education Provider and Mater. Once a student deed has been established and placement details have been agreed on by both parties, a schedule for the placement needs to be completed to accompany the deed.
Mater co-ordinates all our student placements through our Student Placement Online Tool (SPOT). Education Providers will be guided to complete an online placement request through SPOT to process all requests efficiently.
Our education providers must ensure all their students and staff provide all consents and permissions necessary or required under the Deed prior to commencement of a Placement, including those requirements specified in Schedule 5.
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- Using the education provider Dashboard
- Creating a placement request
- Selecting students for a placement
- Assigning facilitators
- Uploading student photos
- Upload student details
- Using the 'find a student' function
- Assigning a student to an area
- Editing student details
- How to bulk upload students to placement requests
Hear from our students on placement
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New mum balances study and parenting to pursue a career in phlebotomy
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Student nurses unearth hidden gem in Mater Private Hospital Bundaberg
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A new wave of students starting their healthcare placement
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Exploring new regions makes for exceptional experience
