Nurse and midwife graduates would get a $5000 sign-on bonus for committing to work in Victoria's public hospital system for two years under a Labor election promise.
Speaking at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation office in Melbourne on Wednesday, Premier Daniel Andrews announced a $150 million health package if his government is re-elected on November 26.
A $2500 bonus would be paid to graduate nurses and midwives when they enter the public health system between 2022-24 and a further $2500 after two years of employment.
"You'll receive a $5000 sign on bonus to say thank you for choosing public patients in public hospitals," Mr Andrews told reporters.
Labor has also committed to hiring an extra 450 nurses and strengthening nurse- and midwife-to-patient ratios under legislative changes.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Victorian Branch Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the announcement would allow more workers to take up flexible hours and address major concerns such as the number of midwives working overnight.
Ms Fitzpatrick also expressed disappointment with how the Coalition engaged with the union during the election campaign, saying she only had one meeting with Liberal health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier and had not heard back from leader Matthew Guy after requesting information from him.
"We want to work with the government that takes and protects nurses and midwives seriously, rather than pays them lip service," she said.
On Monday during a debate televised on the Nine Network with Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, Ms Crozier denied she did not consult with the federation and talked to clinicians, doctors and nurses when she's travelled the state.
Labor's promise on Wednesday follows an earlier pledge to pay off university degrees for more than 10,000 nurses and midwives students who enrol in 2023 and 2024 and work two years in the public system.
The Coalition has previously promised $325 million to recruit 40,000 nurses and offer scholarships to over the cost of 25,000 degrees.