Study Nursing in Australia

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What is Nursing?

In old age, Nurses are always perceived as a mere sidekick to doctors, just like Robin and Batman. However, this is now a thing of the past! (Bye bye to all these traditional perceptions.) Nurses are no longer considered medical assistants but rather medical professionals who play a very important role in the healthcare industry.

There may be a lot of different versions for Nurses, but the main one would be providing all sorts of care and support to individuals, families, and communities to promote health and wellbeing, prevent illness and injury, and alleviate suffering. To sum up the above, they are basically the glue, holding hands that hold the hands of patients on the road to recovery.

The responsibilities of a Nurse are far more diverse than we can imagine. This ranges from the complex task of making acute treatment decisions to simpler programmes such as providing vaccinations in schools. But what unites every Nurse is the skill and drive that it takes to be a Nurse – providing care and support to those in need.

In Australia, the future of the Nursing profession is super, super promising, given the high demand for healthcare providers due to the ageing population and the increasing prevalence of critical illnesses.

Nurses are to play an increasingly significant role in the healthcare industry and also, our community. This profession is expected to further evolve to meet the changing healthcare needs of the population. The Nursing profession offers a rewarding yet fulfilling career path to those who are interested.

Wanted to know how you can start your journey as a Nurse, particularly in Australia? Read on!

Type of Nursing

To give you a better understanding of different Nursing specialties, we put together a list to help you on that:

Types of Nursing	Specialisation
Nursing Assistant	Monitor vital signs, bathe and dress patients while assisting them with their repositioning and walking
Practitioner Nurse/ Vocational Nurse	Change bandages, monitor blood pressure, collect blood and urine samples, and address patient concerns to Registered Nurses and doctors
Registered Nurse	Assess patients, administer medications and treatments, assist in diagnostic testing, and provide emotional support and health education to patients and their families
Surgical Assistant Registered Nurse	Assist surgeons during procedures and care for patients in every stage of surgery (pre and post)
Home Care Registered Nurse	Prepare equipment, change dressings, administer medication, and monitor conditions for patients at home
Emergency Room Registered Nurse	Perform emergency care methodology such as performing triage upon patient arrival, determine the order of treatment, conducting examinations, recording patient histories, monitor patient progress, and consulting with supervising doctors
Labour and Delivery Nurse	Assist mothers through labour and delivery, perform medical tests on newborn babies, and help parents decide a plan of care to assist in the post-delivery care of both mother and child
Clinical Nurse Specialist	Improve patient care plans by working with social workers, doctors, Nurse specialists, and pharmacists, and occasionally providing bedside care to patients
Nurse Case Manager	Work with patients, medical staff, and insurance providers to find the most effective care plan, monitor progress, evaluate care, and suggest alternative treatments for patients
Nurse Educator	Develop a continuing education programme, facilitate training, provide educational resources to staff and design educational initiatives to improve patient care

For more information on the details provided above, do not hesitate to contact us now!

Skills Required for Nursing

To excel as a Nurse, one need to have the following skills:

1. Communication skills

Effective communication skills are much needed for this role as it involves communicating with patients, their families, doctors, and other healthcare professionals. As a Nurse, you are the bridge between all these parties, and you need to know how to communicate on the same page as the audience and, at the same time, communicate compassionately.

2. Critical Thinking

Nurses must have strong critical thinking skills to quickly assess and analyse complex issues and make the right decisions about patient care. They must be able to think on their feet, keep adapting to changes in patient conditions, and determine the best solutions for their patients.

3. Patient assessment

To offer the best possible care for patients, a Nurse must have a solid understanding of medical procedures and equipment. Nurses need to be knowledgeable about the different medical conditions and treatments, as well as use the right tools during the patient’s recovery process.

4. Empathy

Oftentimes, Nurses will find themselves in a situation where they are bombarded by the negative emotions of the patients or their family members. That said, Nurses need to demonstrate a high level of empathy and be considerate towards them without losing their cool. When one keeps their cool, one can alleviate the situation and calm everyone down.

5. Physical & mental endurance

Nurses often work long shifts, performing strenuous tasks while remaining alert and attentive to patient needs around the clock. This job nature can take a toll on a Nurse’s mental well-being. Hence, Nurses need to maintain a work-life balance to ensure they can provide the best care solution to the patients.

Are you eligible to study Nursing?

Following are the general entry requirements to study Nursing:

Academic entry	Minimum Score
STPM	Aggregate score of 4
Matriculation	Overall score of 1.5
A-Levels	5
UEC	5
IB Diploma	24
Australian Matriculation (ATAR)	50
Canadian Pre-University (CPU)	60

Note: Universities may have different requirements. To learn more, get in touch with us!

Entry Level	Minimum Score
IELTS	70
TOEFL	94
Pearson Test of English (PTE)	65

Note: Universities may have different English Language requirements. To learn more, get in touch with us!

General Pathway to be a Nurse in Australia

The initial step to pursue a profession as a Nurse in Australia, after completion of SPM or equivalent examination, is to complete a pre-university course or a Diploma in Nursing which you can opt to take in institutions located in Australia such as the Diploma of Nursing at TAFE New South Wales. If you want further information, you can get in touch with us!

After completion of relevant pre-university courses, you can begin your journey pursuing a Bachelor Degree in Nursing, which typically takes 3 years to study at an Australian higher education institution of your choice. If you do a Diploma in Nursing programme, you will only need 2 years to do a bachelor degree.

Then, you should apply to the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Authority (AHPRA) and Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to practise as a Nurse in Australia.

For institutions which are accredited by the NMBA under the AHPRA, the institution would typically register it for you or grant you eligibility to be registered.

There is a need for more registered nurses in clinical areas to support the health system which explains why nursing is increasingly becoming the course of choice in Australia. Priority is provided for Registered Nurses to apply for a work visa and a skilled visa that provides a pathway to permanent residency. Nurses are generally on the medium and long-term strategic skills list (MLTSSL). Meaning to say, that opens more possibilities for Permanent Residence (PR) visas you may possibly apply for.

Nursing professions, such as Aged Care Nurse, Critical Care Nurse, and Emergency Nurse, fall under MLTSSL, offering temporary visa such as subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) and permanent visas such as subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) and subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated). The choice of visa may vary from occupation, eligibility, regional preference and wish to acquire permanent residence.

The average annual salary for a Registered Nurse is from AU$85,000 to AU$90,000 in Australia. This can be different depending on which state you plan to work in.

Top Universities to Study Nursing in Australia

1. University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is ranked in the top 20 universities in the world according to the QS World University Ranking 2024, known for their excellence in research and their education approaches. They are committed to their goal of unity where the community collaborates with each other to provide value to the world.

Known for ranking as the first in Australia for the Nursing subject, the Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Sydney offers students modules which aim to develop their understanding of the professional nursing practice. The programme is offered at two of their campuses located at Camperdown and Darlington.

Programme Offered	Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Studies)
Duration	3 Years
Intake	February
Indicative Fees (2024)	AU$ 136,500