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Medical Certificate for Healthcare Workers

Need documentation for sick leave or carer's leave? Request your Absence from Work Certificate online for $5, reviewed by an AHPRA-Registered Pharmacist. No appointment required.

Request a CertificateWhen you might need one

Only $5 · Takes less than 5 minutes

Jump to: Sick & carer's leave · When you need a certificate · Can't get a GP appointment · Your employer's requirements · FAQ

  • Only $5, no appointment required
  • Reviewed by AHPRA-Registered Pharmacists
  • Certificate delivered by email
  • No certificate, no charge

Sick leave and carer's leave for healthcare workers

Healthcare covers an enormous range of roles: registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nursing assistants, allied health workers, healthcare assistants, and other hospital, clinic, medical centre and practice staff. Depending on your employment arrangements, you may be able to access personal leave when you're too unwell to work, and carer's leave when you need to care for an eligible family or household member. At Sicknotes, we call the supporting documentation an Absence from Work Certificate, though you might know it as a medical certificate or sick note.

Carer's leave is different from personal leave. It's there for when you need to care for an eligible family or household member who is sick or facing an unexpected emergency, for example a sick child, a partner or a parent. Eligibility and evidence requirements can depend on your employment arrangement and workplace rules, so check your own entitlements if you're unsure. If eligible, Sicknotes lets you request an Absence from Work Certificate online, without needing to book a GP appointment.

When might you need a certificate?

A few common situations where healthcare workers request a certificate:

  • You become unwell before an early hospital or clinic shift
  • You're too unwell to safely work your next rostered shift
  • You need to care for a sick child or family member
  • You have a short-notice absence and need documentation
  • Your employer has asked for evidence of your absence

Can't get a GP appointment around your shift?

Hospital rosters, clinic hours and rotating shifts don't always leave room for a GP visit, especially around an early start or a run of night shifts. Booking an appointment just to get paperwork can be hard to fit in. For eligible requests, Sicknotes is one option: complete your request online and have it reviewed by an AHPRA-Registered Pharmacist, without booking an appointment.

This isn't a substitute for medical care. If your symptoms are severe, persist or worsen, or you need diagnosis, treatment or ongoing care, please see your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional.

  • Only $5, no appointment required
  • Reviewed by AHPRA-Registered Pharmacists
  • Certificate delivered by email
  • No certificate, no charge
Request a Certificate

Nurses and shift-based work

Nursing often means working across day shifts, night shifts and rotating rosters, whether that's on a hospital ward, in a clinic, in aged care or community settings, or as part of a casual nursing pool. Rosters and employment arrangements vary widely between nurses, so there's no single pattern that applies to everyone.

If you're too unwell to work a shift, Sicknotes lets eligible nurses request an Absence from Work Certificate online. It doesn't replace your employer's own absence notification process, so check what your workplace expects when you're reporting in sick.

Working in healthcare when you're unwell

Many healthcare roles involve direct contact with patients or residents, so it's worth thinking carefully about whether you're well enough to be at work. If you're unwell, follow your employer's usual notification and absence procedures rather than pushing through a shift.

Sicknotes provides documentation following review by an AHPRA-Registered Pharmacist. It doesn't determine whether you're fit to perform a particular healthcare role, and it doesn't provide infection control clearance, occupational health clearance or return-to-work requirements. It also doesn't replace your employer's own policies or workplace procedures, or clinical assessment and treatment if you need medical care yourself. If you have questions about any of that, check with your employer or treating health professional.

Check your employer's requirements

Healthcare employers range from large hospitals to small clinics, medical centres, residential care settings and community healthcare organisations, and employees can be covered by different awards, enterprise agreements or other arrangements, so requirements for providing evidence of an absence can vary between employers.

Under the Fair Work Act, employers can ask employees to provide reasonable evidence to support a claim for personal or carer's leave, and a medical certificate is one example of that evidence, although individual employers, awards and agreements can have their own requirements. If you're unsure what your employer requires, check your workplace policy before submitting your certificate. For more on your leave entitlements, see the Fair Work Ombudsman's guidance on sick and carer's leave.

How Sicknotes works

  1. 01

    Answer a few quick questions

    Tell us about your circumstances to help your pharmacist review your request. It only takes a few minutes.

  2. 02

    Pharmacist review

    An AHPRA-Registered Pharmacist reviews your request. If needed, the pharmacist may ask for some additional information to complete the review.

  3. 03

    Receive your certificate

    If appropriate, the reviewing pharmacist will issue an Absence from Work Certificate and we'll email it directly to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can healthcare workers get a medical certificate online?
Yes. Eligible Australians working in healthcare can request an Absence from Work Certificate online through Sicknotes. Your request is reviewed by an AHPRA-Registered Pharmacist, and a certificate is only issued where the pharmacist determines it's appropriate.
Can nurses get a medical certificate online?
Yes. Nurses are included among the healthcare workers who can use Sicknotes, and eligible requests can be submitted online for review. Workplace requirements vary, so it's worth checking what your employer accepts as evidence.
Can I get a sick note for nursing sick leave?
Yes. Sicknotes is available for eligible personal leave requests, sometimes called sick leave, for nurses and other healthcare workers. We can't guarantee that every workplace will accept the certificate.
Do nurses need to see a GP for a medical certificate?
No appointment is required to submit a request through Sicknotes, which is reviewed by an AHPRA-Registered Pharmacist. If you need diagnosis, treatment or other medical care, please see your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional.
Can I get a certificate for carer's leave?
Sicknotes can review requests relating to carer's leave, for example to care for a sick child or another eligible family or household member, subject to the information you provide and the outcome of the pharmacist's review. A certificate isn't guaranteed.
Will my hospital or healthcare employer accept a Sicknotes certificate?
Requirements can vary between employers, so we can't guarantee that every hospital or healthcare employer will accept a certificate. Sicknotes provides an Absence from Work Certificate, reviewed by an AHPRA-Registered Pharmacist, through our standard request process. If you're unsure what your employer needs, it's worth checking your workplace policy, award or agreement before you submit it.
Can casual nurses get a sick note for an absence from work?
Casual healthcare workers, including casual nurses, can submit a request through Sicknotes. Casual employees don't receive paid sick leave under the National Employment Standards, so what documentation you need and whether you're entitled to payment will depend on your employment arrangements and workplace requirements.
How much does a healthcare worker medical certificate cost?
Sicknotes costs just $5. If a certificate can't be issued, you'll receive a full refund.
How long does it take?
We aim to review your request within one hour of submission. During busy periods, review times may be longer.
What if my certificate cannot be issued?
Every request is individually reviewed, and a certificate isn't guaranteed. If a certificate can't be issued, you'll receive a full refund. No certificate, no charge.

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Request your Absence from Work Certificate online today. Simple, affordable and built for a short-term absence from work.

Request a Certificate

Only $5 · No certificate, no charge