Expanding on recent activity to upskill the healthcare sector in digital health, a new online course is now available for nursing and midwifery students nationwide, equipping them to deliver safer, more connected care from their first day in the workforce.
The Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency), in partnership with La Trobe University, has launched Digital Health Foundations for Nursing and Midwifery: Competency Preparation for Placement, a free course designed to boost the digital health knowledge of this cohort as they begin their careers.
Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole PSM reflected on the importance of nurses and midwives in the healthcare sector and said the course provides a structured, nationally consistent approach to building essential digital health skills.
"Nurses and midwives are the backbone of Australia's healthcare sector," Ms Cattermole said. "By embedding digital health into education, we're building a workforce that can focus more on delivering safe, high‑quality care. It strengthens clinical practice, supports better experiences for consumers, and helps drive the broader shift to a connected, digitally enabled health system.
"This course marks an important step in supporting Australia's future nurses and midwives with the digital literacy they need."
Co-designed with clinicians, academics, consumers and recent graduates, the course features 5 key modules:
- digital professionalism
- leadership and advocacy
- data and information quality
- information-enabled care
- technology in practice.
Each 45-minute module aligns with the National Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Capability Framework and supports the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council Accreditation Standards, which recognise digital capability as essential to safe, effective care.
Students learn through case studies and practical activities that build skills and reinforce ethical standards. Graduates of the course will be able to:
- apply principles from the National Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Capability Framework
- integrate My Health Record and other national digital health tools into professional practice
- adapt to technology-driven healthcare environments by promoting quality data collection, analysis and evaluation
- demonstrate digital professionalism and advocate for digitally enabled care.
Agency Chief Clinical Adviser (Nursing) Karen Booth said the course was specifically designed to address sector‑identified capability gaps.
"Digital health capability is a core component for delivering safe, person‑centred care. By developing these skills, nurses and midwives are empowered and ready to provide the highest standard of care," Ms Booth said.
"The course sits alongside a broader suite of online learning opportunities offered by the Agency for nurses and midwives. These include nationally aligned training on My Health Record, electronic prescribing, clinical safety and cyber security."
La Trobe University Rural Health Sciences Associate Professor Yangama Jokwiro, a nursing academic and digital health expert with more than 2 decades of clinical nursing experience, said the course marks a key step in preparing graduates for placement.
"At La Trobe University Rural Health School, we view digital capability as fundamental to preparing work‑ready nursing and midwifery graduates, with skills that are relevant across all healthcare settings, including rural and regional communities," A/Prof Jokwiro said.
"This course gives our students practical, nationally aligned skills that support safe, confident practice from their very first placement."
The development of the course aligns directly with Action 4 of the National Digital Health Capability Action Plan (CAP) , supporting its strategic objective to prepare Australia's health workforce for a connected, digitally enabled future.
To access the Digital Health Foundations for Nursing and Midwifery: Competency Preparation for Placement course, visit the Agency's Online Learning Portal .
Download the media release (PDF, 195.35 KB)
