Standing out in the Job Market

This webinar has been designed to address one of the most common gaps in professional development for nurses: understanding how Australian healthcare recruitment panels assess written applications. This webinar is suitable for nurses and midwives at all career stages, including those applying for graduate roles, advanced practice positions, leadership roles, or returning to the workforce.
CPD HOURS: 1
 Registration Year 2025/2026

Course Content

Nurses and midwives across Australia often find themselves submitting multiple job applications without progressing to interview, despite being clinically capable and experienced. This webinar has been designed to address one of the most common gaps in professional development for nurses: understanding how Australian healthcare recruitment panels assess written applications.

This session provides a clear, practical overview of how nursing and midwifery applications are assessed within the Australian context, particularly within public health services. Participants will gain clarity on the distinct purpose of each application document, including the curriculum vitae (CV), cover letter, and the two-page statement or selection criteria response. Rather than focusing on generic writing tips, this webinar explains how panels interpret evidence, alignment, and professional capability when shortlisting candidates.

Using a real Australian nursing role description as an example, the webinar unpacks how role purpose, key responsibilities, and domains of practice guide assessment decisions. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding domains of practice, which are often the most challenging component for applicants. Participants will learn what domains of practice are designed to assess, how panels score responses, and why strong clinicians may still miss out if they do not effectively translate their practice into evidence-based written responses.

The session also explores common mistakes nurses make when preparing applications, including descriptive rather than analytical writing, over-reliance on task lists, and misunderstanding the intent of selection criteria. Participants will be introduced to a simple, repeatable framework for responding to selection criteria that focuses on judgment, accountability, impact, and professional leadership.

This webinar is suitable for nurses and midwives at all career stages, including those applying for graduate roles, advanced practice positions, leadership roles, or returning to the workforce. It provides foundational knowledge that builds confidence, reduces overwhelm, and equips participants with a clearer understanding of how to position their experience effectively within the Australian nursing job market.

Why this Session may be Relevant to your Work

This sessions supports more informed career planning, clearer articulation of my capabilities, and alignment of my ongoing professional development with workforce expectations — all of which are directly relevant to maintaining contemporary practice and meeting CPD registration requirements.

Learning Outcomes

In this session you will:
  • Gain an understanding of how Australian nursing recruitment panels assess written applications 
  • Review the purpose and expectations of CVs, cover letters, and selection criteria responses 
  • Explore how domains of practice are used to assess professional capability 
  • Recognise common application mistakes and how to avoid them 

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 Lisa Lucas

RN, BSN, MSN (Emergency Nursing - Trauma)

Lisa Lucas is a multi-award-winning Nursing leader with over 20 years of experience across specialties including Oncology, Surgical, Cardiology, Retrieval Services, and Emergency Nursing.