How to become a nurse in Australia

Wondering how to become a nurse in Australia? Don’t worry we have the right answer for you in this article on how to become a nurse in Australia.

Nursing is an amazing career most especially for those that have a love for humanity and health. However, becoming a nurse differs in different countries and provinces, these differences prompted this article on how to become a nurse in Australia.

Australia is a wonderful destination for those seeking to become a nurse because it has many mouthwatering promises for its health workers.

Don’t be in a haste to conclude nothing good comes easy, that’s the reason we bring to you this little piece on how to become a nurse in Australia.

Having the right information on how to become a nurse in Australia will give you a better ground in achieving your career goals.

A career in Nursing can improve your life and that of others around you. As the is an aging population, the demand for nurses is on the increase globally.

Over the past decade, Australia’s health industry has achieved a reputation for world-class technology, medical innovation, high-quality professional competence, and a development system. The nursing career in Australia has become one of the most dynamic and evolving areas of the health system, and RNs are listed as one of 15 known healthcare professions (AHPRA 2018).

Overview of how to become a nurse in Australia

Do you have a love for health and humanity? Or are you after a career that allows you to make a positive impact on someone’s life?

Nursing could be a great fit for you. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider this piece on how to become a nurse in Australia worthwhile.

Is essential you note that Australian universities are globally recognized for their outstanding remarks in nursing science, which gave Australia the ground to be identified as having 11 of the world’s top 50 institutions that teach nursing science for 2019 by the QS World University Rankings.

Healthcare is one of Australia’s fastest-growing employment sectors and the demand for healthcare services will continue to increase, given Australia’s aging population as earlier stated. It’s no surprise that nursing is highly sought after because it offers a stable and rewarding profession. Nurses experience strong job satisfaction from the help they provide to patients.

Nursing career is diverse with nurses helping patients through different difficult situations of their lives. However, for one to make a good nurse some potential skills are required like compassion, good communication, as well as theoretical and medical practical knowledge.

How to become a nurse in Australia?

There are different routes on how to become a nurse in Australia, depending on which one works for you or your eligibility.

If you want to be a nurse and work in Australia, all you need to do is have the proper education and clinic training before you can start in the field. If you’re abroad, you can also apply to get a visa so you can work there as long as you meet their requirements for the field.

Considering how to become a nurse in Australia you can kick start this journey by either applying to become an enrolled nurse EN or a registered nurse RN after the completion of your high school. Registered Nurses (RN) have a high level of expertise and responsibility, and they can take on many challenging and rewarding roles. For example, they can be a unit manager, team leader, or work in medical administration.

The RN has the training and experience to give their patients the highest level of care in a range of complex situations.

On the other hand, Enrolled Nurses (EN) work under the supervision of an RN, either directly or indirectly depending on their experience and their work environment. They attend to their patients’ comfort, hygiene, and safety.

This can involve observing, measuring, and recording their patients’ blood pressure and pulse, and reporting changes in their patients’ condition to the RN or to the doctors. The EN can also assist in first aid and emergency situations.

An Enrolled Nurse can work in a range of healthcare environments, such as hospitals, aged-care facilities, welfare organizations, and in the community.

However, both enrolled nurses and registered nurses have specific functions as will be explained above.

How to become a registered nurse in Australia?

Below is a step by step approach to how to become a nurse in Australia;

• You have to apply for a bachelor of nursing
• Get a vaccination for working with children and police check
• Study Bachelor of nursing
• Take the English language proficiency test
• Take a qualification assessment test
• Register with AHPRA
• Wait for approval of your application

You have to apply for a bachelor of nursing

How to become a nurse in Australia, you need to apply for a Bachelor of nursing, this stage is a very important one because it gives room for other stages.

In other to apply you need to attain a certain age of about 17 before you become eligible to apply and might have concluded your high school.

Get a vaccination for working with children and police check

Once your application is accepted and before you enroll, in classes you’ll need to apply for your Working With Children Check and National Police Check. These checks will need to be current throughout your entire course of study.

Study Bachelor of nursing

This is a crucial stage of this amazing journey of your career in becoming a nurse in Australia. You need to obtain your B.Sc. from an accredited institution of international standard and reputation as you will be focused to obtain your nursing degree.

A Bachelor of Nursing degree combines practical clinical experience and theory to give you the vital skills you need to work in operating theatres, emergency departments, aged care facilities, and more.

You’ll learn from experienced staff, use state-of-the-art technology, and actually complete about 800 hours in placements across various clinical settings, so you can get a real taste of what it’s like to be a nurse.

This program can take at least 3 years of study.

Take the English language proficiency test

Nurses in Australia need to speak fluently in English in order to get a job. If you did not complete a college degree in English, you must an English language test consisting of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam and get at least a grade of 7 in each test category.

You must complete the test at least 2 years prior to filling out your AHPRA application however, this is for foreign-trained nurses, where English is not the native language of teaching.

Take a qualification assessment test

This is also an essential exam on how to become a nurse in Australia, this exam is only applicable to foreign-trained nurses who practice in Australia.

Failure in this assessment will result in application rejection. You have to take approved coursework in order to become a registered nurse in Australia as a foreign-trained nurse.

Is essential to note that this assessment test is not applicable to you If you’ve completed nursing school and registered to become a nurse in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, or Singapore.

Register with AHPRA

AHPRA stands for Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Once you complete your course, you need to apply to the AHPRA to practice as a registered nurse. You’ll need to renew this registration annually.

Then, you’ll be a registered nurse and a career of bringing comfort, care and quality of life to people will begin.

The AHPRA application requires your nursing school degree and coursework to see if you have the experience needed to get licensed in Australia.

You need to fill out the rest of the application prompts online and submit the application so it can be reviewed by the Australian Medical Board.

Wait for approval of your application

This stage requires you to be patient, it can take from weeks to months before the approval of your application.

How to become an enrolled nurse in Australia?

Below is a step by step approach on how to become a nurse in Australia

How to become an enrolled nurse EN in Australia is also very important in this article on how to become a nurse in Australia.

• Get a vaccination for working with children and police check
• Study a Diploma of nursing
• Register with AHPRA

After completion of the above, an enrolled nurse can decide to further his/her studies towards becoming a registered nurse by applying through an accredited university.

Nursing in Australia requirements

The nursing in Australia requirements is dependent on the university you wish to apply to and your country of residence.

In this article on how to become a nurse in Australia few universities that offer nursing in Australia would be considered.

Nursing in Australia requirements for the University of Sydney

The University is ranked first in Australia and fourth in the world for graduate employability in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020. It is a good institution to obtain your nursing degree.

Admission criteria

Admission to this course is on the basis of the following:

The University of Sydney’s nursing requirements are similar to most universities around the world.

A secondary education qualification such as the NSW Higher School Certificate (including national and international equivalents), or approved higher education study, including approved preparation courses

English language requirements as detailed below

Admission pathways are open to domestic applicants on the basis of equity or other adjustment factors, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. For details, visit admission pathways.

It is required that applicants have the ability to undertake clinical placements and the Sydney Nursing School Clinical Placement Provisions 2020 contains further details of the requirements.

Applicants who are registered as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia are not eligible to apply for this course.

English requirements

Whether you are a domestic or an international student you must submit an English language declaration form (pdf, 59KB). If English is not your primary language*, you are required to undertake one of the following English language proficiency tests and achieve at least the minimum score required:

1. a) The IELTS (academic module) with a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing, and speaking).
2. b) The PTE Academic with a minimum overall score of 68 and a minimum score of 68 in each of the four communicative skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking).
3. c) The TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 96 and the following minimum score in each section of the test:

• 24 for Listening
• 24 for reading
• 27 for writing
• 23 for speaking

English language proficiency tests must be completed within two years of course commencement.

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the essential tasks and activities necessary to be able to achieve the core learning outcomes of a course.

They are specific to a particular course or discipline. To assist students to make informed choices about their studies, we highly recommend you visit the University of Sydney nursing requirements.

Victoria university nursing requirements

To learn more about how to become a nurse in Australia   visit Nursing in Australia requirements

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