Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the joy, every day, while we are 'just doing our jobs'.
Christine Belle
As a career, nursing has been described as a passion job. Why? Nurses need to be passionate about their jobs because the conditions and the salary are not quite where they should be, knowing these is important when you're deciding whether nursing is the right career for you. That being said, nursing is one of the more rewarding career paths — knowing you've made a difference, showing that you care and being there for each patient when they may have nobody else at their side.
Essentially, a nurse is a health professional whose job is to care for others (children, adults, families and community members) in all healthcare settings.
There are different types of nurses in Australia, each having different education, training and qualification requirements, and each one has different responsibilities.
This article will look at the range of nursing jobs and how to become a registered nurse (or other types of nurses) in Australia.
What are the Types of Nurses in Australia?
There are six kinds of nurses in Australia, each with their own qualifications and work requirements.
Assistant in Nursing (AIN)
To work as an AIN, you don't need to be qualified, however, a Certificate III or IV in Assistant Nursing or Aged Care goes a long way to securing employment. An AIN mainly works in the aged care sector and is always under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse. Other titles for nurses in this category may be healthcare worker, health assistant or care assistant. Typical roles include assisting aged care residents with showering, toileting, getting dressed, eating and mobility.
Enrolled Nurse (RN2)
Training at this level is typically a 2-year Diploma in Enrolled Nursing course at TAFE. An Enrolled Nurse must also have a licence to practise under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. Enrolled Nurses work under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse, although may be more independent depending on their level of experience.
Registered Nurse (RN1)
Registered Nurses must have completed a 3-year Bachelor of Nursing and be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. They have a higher level of accountability and autonomy in their practice than Enrolled Nurses.
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Clinical Nurse
Also known as Advanced Practice Nurse, these nurses are Registered Nurses who have undertaken extra professional learning or training in specialised areas and have several years of experience in that area. These nurses often take on key roles in teaching and mentoring student nurses or nurses with less experience.
Nurse Practitioner
To be registered as a Nurse Practitioner, a nurse must:
- be a Registered Nurse
- complete university study at a Master's level
- have 5,000 hours of experience at a Clinical Nursing level
- be endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Midwife
There are two levels of midwifery — midwife and endorsed midwife. Both require specialised training in the form of a Bachelor of Nursing plus extra midwifery training or a Bachelor of Midwifery at the university level. It's important to note that midwifery is not the same as being a doula.
What Does Nursing Involve?
As mentioned above, there are different levels of nursing and each level has its own key roles and responsibilities.
As an Enrolled Nurse, your job may include:
- recording the temperature, blood pressure and other medical indicators of patients
- administering patient care plans
- assisting team members with health education tasks
- helping patients with daily activities as needed.
As a Registered Nurse, role requirements involve more responsibility and may include:
- patient assessment and development of a nursing care plan
- administering medication
- supervising Enrolled Nurses or junior nurses with less experience
- leadership roles such as nursing unit management or team leadership.
A Registered Nurse may also provide specialised care, such as acute care, aged care, cancer, clinical skills, digital health or community health (among other care roles).
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As a Nurse Practitioner, your job may entail:
- referring patients to other healthcare professionals
- prescribing medication
- ordering diagnostic investigations.
A Nurse Practitioner is the most senior level of nursing in the Australian medical profession.
Of course, there are multiple other potential career pathways for nursing graduates, not all of which involve hospital work.
How Do I Become a Nurse?
With the exception of Assistant Nursing, some degree of study is mandatory for all levels of nursing.
Certificate III or IV in Health Services (or equivalent)
This certificate-level course is recommended if you want to apply to become an Assistant in Nursing. The course prepares students to work in a variety of healthcare settings and involves students undertaking a mandatory work placement period. In addition, students must complete seven core modules and complete at least 8 electives.
Entry requirements to this course state that students must be at least 18 years of age, have a current First Aid Certificate and have completed a Police Check. Minimum literacy skills are also one of the requirements, although if students fall below this minimum, they may still be able to enrol as long as they complete a bridging support course.
Diploma in Nursing (or equivalent)
The diploma courses are offered both by TAFE and university institutions and are 2 years full-time equivalent in duration. Once students complete the diploma course and have registered successfully with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, they are eligible to work as an Enrolled Nurse.
The diploma course requires students to complete a total of 25 subjects, 20 of which are core subjects and 5 of which are electives. Professional Experience Placements are also mandatory and involve around 400 hours of practical experience in hospital and healthcare settings.
Entry requirements for the Diploma of Nursing include:
- Year 12 education (or equivalent) in the last 10 years
- A 'C' level in English, or an IELTS score of 7.0 for international students
- a numeracy skills test in which students are required to complete a Basic Skills Builder assessment.
Bachelor of Nursing
Most students who want to pursue a career in nursing look to become a Registered Nurse, which involves a university Bachelor of Nursing degree. This degree takes 3 years to complete and incorporates up to fifty per cent of the time on practical work experience placements in hospital and healthcare settings.
Each university that offers a Bachelor of Nursing will have its own entry requirements and course outline, although, in order to be accredited with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, they all need to offer the same core learning and experience.
In general, most course outlines include approximately 24 units (or around 4 units per semester if you are studying full time). This is inclusive of around 840 hours of clinical experience.
Key study areas may include:
- anatomy and physiology
- community health care
- medical surgical nursing
- mental health nursing
- high dependency nursing.
Entry requirements for a Bachelor of Nursing vary according to the Australian state and university.
For example, in Queensland at the University of Southern Queensland, prospective students need to have achieved an ATAR of 65.60, have completed Year 12 English to a 'C' standard and preferably have completed maths at Year 12 level as well as biology, chemistry or physics.
In Melbourne (Victoria), students wishing to enrol in a Bachelor of Nursing at RMIT are required to have an ATAR of 65.10, and have successfully completed Year 12 or equivalent with maths and English both being mandatory.
For all courses — Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor — additional requirements usually include a National Police Check, a Working with Vulnerable Children Check and a First Aid Certificate. Following graduation, all students must apply to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia before they can obtain employment.
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Where are the Nursing Jobs?
Once you've become a Registered Nurse, an Enrolled Nurse or an Assistant in Nursing, you are not limited to hospital wards for your job location. Other places you may find a job, both in the public and private sectors, include:
- aged care
- schools
- community health services
- rural or remote community settings
- general practice clinics
- hospices
- paramedic settings
- home care.
Not all nurses end up working directly with patients either. Depending on your personality and preferences, you may decide to pursue a career in:
- nurse education (developing health programs or teaching student nurses)
- health information (analysing patient data and implementing new technology)
- research (toxicology research, bioterrorism, hazardous waste)
- forensics (collecting evidence after trauma)
- lobbyist (speaking to government and advising about health care ideas, funding, legislation)
- procurement (finding the best equipment for medical facilities).
In summary, nursing is indeed a rewarding career with many options for personal growth and job satisfaction. It is indeed a career for special people.
Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.
Mother Teresa
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