Nurses are there when the last breath is taken, and nurses are there when the first breath is taken. Although it is more enjoyable to celebrate the birth, it is just as important to comfort in death.
Christine Belle
Nursing is indeed a noble, compassionate and, at times, thankless profession. Luckily, however, on most days the satisfaction and joy of making a difference in the life of another person far outweigh the mental and physical stress of the work.
Nurses and midwives are celebrated in the ACT Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards every year in Canberra, the Australian capital. There are 13 award categories, regularly attracting well over 100 nominations — just going to show the appreciation shown for all nurses (enrolled, registered, practitioners) in Canberra.
It surprised a few people that the Registered Nurse Practitioner who led the Covid-REACH Team for Canberra Health Services, Rebekah Ogilvie, was announced as Nurse of the Year for 2022.
During the outbreak, Rebekah oversaw the team responsible for managing the response in the social housing community. As with many nursing roles, it was challenging, however, Ogilvie maintains that she is "endlessly proud of the work our team did" and that it was one of the most amazing things she's experienced during her 27-year career in the healthcare industry.
The Covid-response has taken its toll on the nursing community, however, with a predicted shortage of nurses already started to hit. For many, this may seem the perfect time to pursue nursing courses and study nursing in Canberra or elsewhere in Australia.
While we want to encourage this, for the health and well-being of every person who may need medical assistance at some point, it is also important for potential nursing students to be aware of exactly what they are going into when they apply for admission into a nursing program.
Here are a few things to consider before you apply to enrol in that certificate, diploma or bachelor course and embark on your journey towards a nursing career in Canberra or elsewhere in Australia.
Five Things You Should Know Before Becoming a Nurse
Unless you work in a particular profession or have a family member or friend who does, there is no way of knowing exactly what it is like and the same applies to nursing — particularly when our only experiences are as patients. So, here are a few things you may not know about the work of nurses.
It's not like what you see on TV or at the movies
That's a given. Although producers are better at researching health care facts these days, very few fictional TV shows paint an accurate picture of nursing or health care in general. That could be a good thing, depending on how you view it.
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Opportunities are endless
You may think of nurses as only working in hospitals in Australia but you'd be wrong. Although the hospital setting accounts for around 60% of nursing jobs, there is a huge range of options when it comes to nursing roles, practice and places of employment.
Nursing is not 'women's work'
Women certainly dominate nursing courses but there are plenty of male nurses as well; around 10% and the number is growing. It's not about gender but about who you are as a person and what you want to do with your life.
Nurses do get attached
You'll work closely with your patients and your team as a nurse. It is impossible for most nurses not to get emotionally attached. Your team is there to support you, and you, them.
Nursing isn't for everyone
Nursing work is emotionally and physically draining and nurses have to have the mental and physical capacity to be able to withstand this. Patients will pass away. Some staff you work with may be bullies. You will be required to do more in your shift than is manageable. Be kind to yourself.
If you do get started and find that nursing is not for you, find something else that is. Passion and commitment go a long way in nursing and without them, you won't do your job to the best of your ability.
What is Involved in Nursing Courses?
Now that you've decided to pursue a nursing course, what can you expect once you apply?
The thing most students are interested in is how long they will need to study before they can apply for work. As a rough guide:
- a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (to become an Assistant in Nursing) is a course that can be completed in around 12 months of full-time study
- a Diploma of Nursing course (to become an Enrolled Nurse) is usually completed in 18 months to 2 years of full-time study
- a Bachelor of Nursing course (to become a Registered Nurse) takes 3 years of full-time study to complete.
The gap between education (theory) and clinical practice is an issue in all courses. Nursing is essentially a practice. A student can possess all the theoretical knowledge in the world but not have the skills to enact it. Alternatively, students may struggle with the recall of knowledge in a study environment, but once they are in a clinical setting everything comes back to them.
For this reason, administrators and teachers who write nurse education courses are constantly trying to find the right balance between knowledge and clinical practice.
In the interim, however, it is important to know that, whichever course you do — certificate, diploma or bachelor — a significant proportion will be spent in clinical placements, either in a range of eligible health care facilities or in a simulated lab.
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Generally speaking:
- a Certificate III course involves around 60 days of clinical practice
- a Diploma course involves at least 400 hours of practical placement over the duration of the program
- a Bachelor's degree requires students to undertake around 840 hours of clinical placements over the 3 years.
One important thing to realise is that these clinical placements are part of student nurse training and are unpaid.
Where Can I Study Nursing in Canberra?
Although a small city when compared to studying in Sydney or Melbourne, the nursing courses in Canberra are highly regarded and produce a significant number of graduates who quickly gain employment.
Let's look at where students can study nursing in Canberra.
Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)
The nursing courses at Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) are led by teachers who have knowledge and expertise in their field. Courses involve the regular use of a simulated hospital environment on campus as well as frequent industry clinical placements.
In the Diploma of Nursing course at CIT, students learn how to assess the health of patients and analyse health data. They also cover basic nursing care, including monitoring symptoms and medications. Communication skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are also developed in a range of practical scenarios.
The Certificate III in Health Services Assistance offered at CIT teaches communication skills, how to help with mobility and hygiene, workplace health and safety, mental health and dementia support, how to work with diverse people and compliance with infection prevention.
Australian Catholic University (ACU)
Graduates of the Australian Catholic University are often praised for their clinical skills and quick thinking. The university has over 200 clinical partnerships, meaning students have access to a broad range of professional experience placement locations throughout Australia. ACU offers a Bachelor of Nursing with entry requirements for Canberra including an ATAR of at least 75.00 and satisfactory results in Year 12 English, or the equivalent proficiency of IELTS 7.0 for international students.
You can also study for a Bachelor of Nursing at the ACU's campus in Sydney or at its Melbourne campus or in Brisbane.
Registered Nurses who wish to engage in further education can apply to enrol in one of the ACU's postgraduate courses, including a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Master of Clinical Nursing, Rehabilitation or Mental Health Nursing. These courses are all available online only.
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University of Canberra
The Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra is fully accredited by the NMBA and is recognised in over 160 countries. What makes this degree stand out here is the university's focus on Work Integrated Learning (WIL).
Early in the first semester of the degree, all students participate in a 4-day observational placement at a local or regional hospital. This placement is designed to give students an accurate picture of what to expect early in their course to finalise their decision to continue.
The degree involves the practical application of best nursing practice, including primary health care, health promotion, residential care, acute care, remote services and mental health care.
Alternatively, students can elect to study for a Bachelor of Midwifery instead. And, as with ACU, students can go on to complete a range of postgraduate degree courses in their field of specialisation.
What if I need to study online?
It's all sorted. One of the positives of the pandemic was that online education really stepped up and doesn't look to be leaving now that it's arrived. This means you can live in Canberra but study nursing at a university in Adelaide or Perth. Your university will also help you find a location for your professional experience placement.
If you want to develop your nursing skills and enter a rewarding career, there is virtually nothing to stop you.
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