Welcome to our Accreditation Placement Hub

Discover what you need to know to host a placement student studying Diploma of Nursing (HLT54121).

How does the placement work?

  • Step 1

    Discuss availability

    Our Placement Coordinator contacts your organisation by email or phone to check your availability to support our students.

  • Step 2

    Request placement

    Our Placement Coordinator requests placements for pre-commitment and enters into your placement platform.

  • Step 3

    Confirm changes

    If required, our Placement Coordinator requests changes via email and your placement platform.

  • Step 4

    Send documentation

    Our Placement Coordinator enters student details (including full compliance) into your placement platform and emails you two weeks before commencement.

  • Step 5

    Prepare student

    We ensure our students understand the placement assessment tasks, as well as the industry expectations and requirements.

Expected key learning outcomes

As documented in Work Experience Portfolio for each specialty.

Contact hours

Phase Contact hours
Phase 1: Aged Care 120 hours

Phase 2: Sub-Acute

(may include optional 80-hour Mental Health Placement)

 160 hours
Phase 3: Acute 160 hours

Requirements for partners

Responsibilities include:

  • appointing a preceptor or buddy (minimum diploma-level qualification) to supervise the student for each shift
  • providing a clinical facilitator (except aged care facilities) for student supervision during placement
  • providing opportunities for the student to meet the learning objectives of their placement experience
  • providing an appropriate orientation for the student such as:
    • your organisation’s policies and procedures
    • occupational health and safety practices (e.g. accident and emergency procedures)
    • information on break times
    • names and roles of key personnel
  • allowing visits by Swinburne to monitor and assess the student's progress
  • providing the student with constructive feedback

Requirements for students


Vaccination and immunisation

  • Immunisation forms (MMR, DTP, varicella, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and annual influenza)
  • COVID-19 vaccination (if required)


Security

  • Working with Children Check (WWCC)
  • Police Check

Relevant documents

The student will bring hard copies of the documents to the placement – there is no requirement for you to print.

Work Experience Portfolio

This contains the student’s assessments, which are to be signed by the clinical facilitator when demonstrated as satisfactory.

Attendance record

This is a log of the student hours, which needs to be signed off by the clinical facilitator.

Practical placement agreement

Swinburne will send the overarching practical placement agreement directly to your organisation via email. This will cover all students attending your organisation for the current one to five years. Please read over the agreement and return to the Placement Coordinator at your earliest convenience. This agreement is in-principal and does not commit your organisation to take on a set number of students per year.  

We will also arrange for an agreement to be signed between the student and Swinburne, so all parties are agreeing to the same standards. 

Without the practical placement agreement, a student who incurs an injury whilst on a placement may not be entitled to compensation under the Department of Education and Training's (DET) insurance policy.

The practical placement agreement is essential and is designed to: 

  • activate the DET insurance and be a safeguard if a problem occurs during the placement
  • formalise the arrangements and conditions between the placement host and the training organisation, defining the placement so that all parties involved understand their responsibilities and rights; and
  • be kept permanently in case any legal or insurance proceedings arise – Swinburne will keep a secure copy on file for seven years.

Frequently asked questions

Any missed day must be made up. It is the responsibility of the student to negotiate a time with Swinburne.

Usually only if there is a fellowship arrangement in place.

An employee with a diploma-level qualification or higher can mentor the student (except for aged care facilities)

Swinburne University of Technology’s public liability insurance policy covers Swinburne for any claims made against it related to personal injury to other parties or damage to the property of others.

During the placement, our students are regarded as an extension of Swinburne and the policy protects them against such claims that may arise from activities associated with the placement.

Our students are always reminded to contact the organisation before their shift if they are unwell and unable to attend the placement.

If you have not heard from the student after their shift has commenced, please contact the Placement Coordinator and we will follow up with the student.

Have a question?

If you would like to support this placement or require further information, please email vehealthplacements@swinburne.edu.au.

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