Registered Nurse - Surgical

The Hospital:

The Royal Children’s Hospital’s (RCH) Vision is “A world where all kids thrive”.

RCH is a cornerstone member of the Melbourne Children’s Campus, partnering with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.

RCH has cared for the children and young people of Victoria for more than 150 years since it was founded in 1870. A full range of paediatrics and adolescent health services are provided plus tertiary and quaternary care for the most critically ill and medically complex patients in Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW and other states around Australia and overseas. The Hospital has more than 6,000 staff, a budget of $850M, 12 wards and 350 beds. Annually, the RCH has 300,000+ Specialist Clinic appointments, 90,000+ Emergency Department presentations and 20,000 elective surgeries.

The RCH is committed to the Child Safe Standards. 

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact.

For further Information on RCH is available here.

Registered Nurse - Surgical

• All Surgical Departments | Open to Full-Time & Part-Time Applicants
• Applications Close 30th October 2026 - please note, we will commence short listing immediately and we may close vacancies early where we receive significant numbers of applications

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) is seeking experienced Registered Nurses to join our team across a range of surgical wards and departments, including:

• Platypus-Surgical Care
• Cockatoo-Surgical and Neuro Care
• Koala- Cardiac Surgery
• Possum-Surgical Short Stay
• Medical Imaging

The Impact You’ll Make:

As a Registered Nurse, you will play a vital role at RCH, partnering with patients, families and multidisciplinary teams to deliver exceptional care and positive health outcomes. In this role, you will:

• Make a meaningful difference to patients and families by delivering holistic assessments, developing individualised care plans and providing best-practice, family-centred care
• Empower patients and families by providing culturally responsive health education, information and support throughout their healthcare journey
• Drive excellence in patient care by contributing to quality improvement initiatives that strengthen nursing practice, safety and health outcomes
• Shape the future of nursing by supporting, mentoring and guiding junior staff and students in their professional development and growth

What You’ll Bring to the Role:

• Current registration as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) administered though the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA)
• Demonstrated dedication to continuous development, evidenced in an up‑to‑date CPD/PPP
• Whilst not essential, recent experience in Paediatric Nursing or Surgical Nursing is highly regarded

If this sounds like you, or if you require more information, please click here for the position description.

What You’ll Get in Return:

In addition to a workplace exceeding staff expectations in work environment, performance measurement, leadership & career development, the RCH offers:

• A commitment to your career advancement through tailored professional development plans and on-site education programs
• NFP Salary Packaging – Increase your take home pay by $11,500 per year
• Help when you need it most – counselling, financial, legal and general wellbeing advice, available to you anywhere and anytime via our EAP partner, Converge
• On-site childcare & high-end infant-feeding facilities
• Additional leave accrual if full-time (ADOs) & through weekend shiftwork

Application Process:

We encourage you to apply and tell us about your clinical experience, areas of interest, and work preferences. When applying, please upload your most recent CV and specify:

• Your preferred surgical ward(s) and/or department(s)
• Employment preferences (for example: full-time, part-time, fixed-term or ongoing)
• Any specific clinical interests or specialty experience relevant to surgical nursing

Applications will be reviewed by the hiring team, and suitable candidates will be contacted to discuss the current vacancies that align with their experience and preferences.

Candidates interested in joining the RCH Nursing Pool as an entry pathway to the organisation are also encouraged to indicate this within their application. Opportunities within the Nursing Pool may provide exposure to a variety of clinical areas while building experience within RCH. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee an interview or appointment.

Why work at the RCH?

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact. We offer the opportunity to work in world-class facilities, surrounded by Royal Park and only a short tram trip from the heart of Melbourne city.

We also offer staff benefits such as discounted staff parking, salary packaging, and an award-winning health and wellbeing program.

The RCH is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse background, all members of the LGBTQI community and people with disability.

It is a requirement of your employment that you be vaccinated against Influenza annually for Category A and B roles, in compliance with any public health orders in place at the relevant time, unless you have a medical exception in line with those public health orders, which has been accepted by The Royal Children’s Hospital.  Applicants will be required to provide their Australian Government Immunisation History Statement, it is a requirement of the RCH to collect, record and hold vaccination information.

It is also a requirement of your employment that you comply with any direction given by The Royal Children’s Hospital that you be vaccinated against, or prove immunity to, any other disease, unless you have a relevant exemption, and offers of employment are conditional on successful completion of background checks including reference checks. 

Are you ready to join our team?

Apply online by clicking on the “Apply” button

Applications close: 30 October 2026.