Care for one ... that's love. Care for hundreds ... that's nursing.
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Nursing is one of a handful of professional careers that is all about care and compassion.
Over the years, Australia has seen some amazing nurses who have impacted nursing practice or education in some way. One of these nurses, who spent a large proportion of her career working at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, was Ellie Gould.
Better known as Nellie, she was asked to help form the Army Nursing Service in 1899 and went on to become one of the first Australian nurses to serve as a Military Nurse in the Boer War. At the time, Nellie was championing education and training for civilian nurses for military service and ended up handpicking the very first team of 26 nurses to serve during the war.
In 1911, Nellie led the first contingent of Australian nurses to Europe in World War I. In 1915, along with 96 Australian nurses, she dealt with the influx of casualties after the first landing at Gallipoli.
For today's student nurses looking to study for a diploma or Bachelor's degree and find work as a nurse, Ellie Gould is one of many Australian nurses to look up to and be inspired by.
Find out about the best nursing courses to take in Australia here.
If you'd like to follow in Ellie Gould's footsteps and study to become a nurse, what do you need to know?
What are the admission requirements for the different nursing degrees?
Are the learning outcomes and work opportunities the same if you study for a Diploma or a Bachelor of Nursing in Sydney?
Where can you find the best nursing courses in Sydney? Can students study a nursing course online in Australia?
Keep reading as we're about to answer these questions.
Nursing Degrees — What You Need to Know
In Australia, there are three 'undergraduate' nursing courses students can apply to study. Once students have completed their chosen course, they will be eligible to apply for work as an Assistant in Nursing, an Enrolled Nurse or a Registered Nurse, depending on the course they do.
Certificate III or IV courses
The main course students tend to apply for is Certificate III in Health Services Assistance. This course will give you the qualifications recommended to work as an Assistant in Nursing. You can also find work as a Personal Care Assistant, Disability Support Worker or Theatre Technician. Of course, there are other Certificate III and IV courses in more specialised areas, such as disability support, ageing support and dental assistance.
An Assistant in Nursing is always required to complete work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.
These certificate-level courses are available at TAFE institutions and generally have no entry requirements such as academic records or ATAR scores.
Diploma of Nursing
A Diploma of Nursing is a 2-year course offered by university and TAFE institutions. Entry requirements to apply for a Diploma of Nursing involve having completed Year 12 (or the Special Tertiary Admissions Test). Students must be at least 18 years of age and have a good level of academic English proficiency. There are no prerequisite subjects; nor is there a set ATAR score, although applicants will be ranked according to their ATAR (or equivalent score if international).
Students who have completed a Diploma of Nursing are eligible to apply for registration as an Enrolled Nurse. Enrolled Nurses generally work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse but occasionally can work independently.
Bachelor of Nursing
For a student wishing to become a Registered Nurse, a Bachelor of Nursing is one of the requirements.
Bachelor of Nursing degrees takes 3 years of full-time study to complete. Applicants must have completed their Year 12 certificate (or equivalent if they want to apply as an international student), which includes Year 12 level maths and English subjects. The minimum ATAR score sits around 65.00 depending on the university.
Applicants who have successfully completed a Diploma of Nursing at some point in the last 10 years may use this to fulfil entry requirements into the university bachelor's degree.
Search for some of the best nursing courses in Melbourne here.
Each of the above courses includes a practical, clinical experience component. In order for students to complete their clinical practice requirements, they must have:
- evidence of being fully vaccinated as per Australian health requirements (including Covid vaccination)
- police check
- working with children check.
Let's take a look at where you can enrol in nursing courses in Sydney.
Become a Nursing Assistant
If you're interested in doing one of the Certificate III nursing courses in Sydney, you can start by checking the following learning institutions.
TAFE NSW
There are over 100 campus locations for TAFE NSW throughout New South Wales, many of which are in or near Sydney.
Ten TAFE NSW locations offer a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance, five of which are within easy travelling distance of the Sydney CBD. This particular course is also available online, so a student who lives in a more remote part of NSW can still access the course. Certificate III graduates are eligible to work as part of the health care team in acute or aged care facilities.
Other certificate level courses students can do through TAFE NSW include a Certificate III in Individual Support, a Certificate IV in Disability or a Certificate IV in Ageing Support.
TAFE NSW also offers a Diploma of Nursing and an online Diploma of Practice Management.
Studying a Diploma of Nursing in Sydney
Applicants who wish to train to become an Enrolled Nurse should check out the program offered by TAFE NSW or an online nurse education program offered by interstate institutions, as well as the following.
Institute of Health and Nursing Australia
This Diploma course can be completed in 18 months and takes place at the Institute's Sydney campus, located in Parramatta. Students can study the diploma either online or in a blended format, consisting of a mix of on-campus and online learning. The program includes practical and theoretical learning in areas such as wound management, acute care, mental health, telehealth and administering medications.
The Institute also runs the diploma program at its Melbourne campus and in Perth.
Studying a Bachelor of Nursing in Sydney
There are multiple locations where applicants can enrol in a Bachelor of Nursing in Sydney. All Bachelor of Nursing degrees is studied at a university or a specialised nurse training facility.
Western Sydney University
Applicants who wish to enrol in a Bachelor of Nursing with Western Sydney University have a choice of four campus locations — Liverpool, Parramatta, Campbelltown or Hawkesbury. Each campus has a different minimum ATAR, ranging from 65.25 to 80.15, so it's a good idea for applicants to check these requirements prior to submitting their enrolment form.
The degree program offered at each of these locations ensures graduates are eligible to work as Registered Nurse throughout Australia. The course is 'inquiry based', involving critical thinking and reflective practice using the primary health care framework.
The skills component of the degree takes place initially on campus in simulated clinical practice scenarios. Later in the course, student nurses undertake clinical placements in a variety of health care settings.
You can get to know more about great nursing courses in Sydney here.
University of Sydney
Sydney Uni offers a range of undergraduate bachelor's and double degree options for applicants who want to pursue a career as a Registered Nurse.
Their standard Bachelor of Nursing is a full-time course where students will study subjects including health assessment, contexts of practice and understanding the experience of illness. Clinical placements are a key part of a nursing student's education, with Sydney Uni students undertaking 880 hours of clinical placements in a range of health care settings including emergency departments, intensive care, pediatric units, community health and mental health care units.
An honours extension is also available, as well as double degree options involving a Bachelor of Science and Master of Nursing.
University of Technology Sydney
The UTS Bachelor of Nursing degree includes a comprehensive range of clinical and theoretical subjects aimed at developing the knowledge, skills and professional values required of Registered Nurses in Australia.
Graduates of this degree are highly sought after for employment throughout Australia and as international placements.
Online learning
Many university and TAFE programs are now available to be studied online. This is perfect for the student who is perhaps working full or part-time, needs a flexible learning schedule or cannot access the campus for whatever reason.
It also means that you can choose to study at a university in another state if you prefer not to relocate. There are some great nursing courses available in Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane, many of which are online.
Whether you are learning in an online environment or attending your classes in person, don't forget that there are tutors available to support you, should you run into any difficulties, or just want to get ahead with your learning. Superprof tutors can help you with essay writing, the content of specific subjects, time management or exam techniques.
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