Shinez

AIN jobs are given to students to gain experience in a hospital environment while they gain their nursing degree. After they finish their degree these jobs get given to new students starting their degree. You can't work as an AIN after you register here as an RN in South Australia, you have 6 mths to register as an RN after you graduate. If you want to work as an AIN don't register until last minute and hope your hospital allows you to extend past your graduation. Also, you should check the contract you signed at the start of your AIN it will have a term of service, and if its like my hospital I had to send them my UNI enrolments every 6 mths to keep my AIN position.

I am also indigenous and have recently finished my Bachelor of Nursing in Sth Australia, and I also had to pay for my books, HECS and everything else. Maybe back 15 years there was the initiative to fund nursing for our people but here in south Australia that isn't the policy now. Most aboriginal communities hire their own people over outsiders. Most of the time it is in the form of Aboriginal Health workers through health provision in aboriginal community controlled health services. There usually is an RN but primarily it is the health workers who have the main roles in these health services. Primary health care would be an option to consider if you were interested in getting into aboriginal health, here in Australia, based on my two years of research and local knowledge on the subject. Tasmania have some opportunities for primary health care nurses last I looked.

I would take the offer, you wont get another chance and if you refuse this one you will be fighting with 400 other new grads for left overs. You will be more supported in a GNP program, but you have to weigh up the pro's and the con's of taking the position as opposed to not taking it. Just be aware if you refuse it, it will be near impossible to find another GNP. Maybe try to negotiate a part time GNP and keep your casual role at the same time?