What does a Nurse do?
We often hear about Doctors saving lives – What about nurses? They’re life savers too. A career as a Nurse is underappreciated, but should be celebrated! They play an integral role in the hospital management and system, safeguarding the healthcare organisation.
Part of general Nurse duties and responsibilities might include engaging with other health professionals to coordinate and perform patient care, conducting physical examinations, monitoring patients’ vital signs, administering medication, and operating medical equipment.
Nurses are commonly found to be working in hospitals, but they are capable of operating in other healthcare settings such as in schools, pharmacies, clinics, senior living facilities, and private homes. These circumstances enable Nurses to have a high job security as well as the experience of meeting many different people from all walks of life.
Additionally, due to the prevailing shortage of Nurses and the ageing population causing a prevalence of illnesses, a career as a Nurse is predicted to be in demand with current job opportunities increasingly growing. However, an essential reason to choose a career as a Nurse is the acknowledgement that you will make life better for others.
If you have an interest to study nursing in Australia, reading this article might help you with a general understanding on the skills, requirements and pathways.
Skills to be a Nurse
1. Compassion & Empathy
A profession as a Nurse would mean caring for multiple patients. Thus, having compassion and empathy would be beneficial in order to cater an appropriate care experience towards patients. A good Nurse would put themselves into their patients’ shoes to establish connection with them and fuel your desire to ease their pain.
2. Detail-Oriented
As a way of balancing care for several patients and taking orders from other healthcare professionals, a Nurse must be meticulous and attentive to minute details. These would be favourable because a Nurse’s duties impact patient safety, care quality, and overall healthcare outcomes.
3. Emotional Intelligence
A fair amount of emotional intelligence is capable of aiding Nurses to properly communicate with their patients. It helps a Nurse notice non-verbal cues in patients, as well as cultural sensitivities, to reduce miscommunication and give way to making informed decisions on how to administer care.
4. Critical Thinking
Often, a hospital would be busy and bustling with patients, resulting in most Nurses working under pressure due to the need to make decisions in a short time frame. Critical thinking skills would be needed to assess complex patient situations, make wise clinical judgments, solve problems, and provide safe and effective patient care.
5. Resilience
Due to the great physical, emotional, and mental demand that comes with being a Nurse, resilience is essential to ensure they are able to properly cope with stress and challenges, as well as maintaining their own well-being as it might affect the quality of care provided to patients.
Eligibility to study Nursing in Australia
Academic Entry
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!
English Language Entry Requirements
Entry Level | Minimum Score |
IELTS | 7.0 |
TOEFL | 94 |
Pearson Test of English (PTE) | 65 |
Note: Universities may have different English Language requirements. To learn more, get in touch with us!
Pathway to study Nursing in Australia
The initial step to study Nursing in Australia is 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 |
Contact us right now for a free consultation if you’d like more details about the costs, the format of the programme, and the entry requirements!
2. University of Technology Sydney
University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a leading public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. UTS is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network (ATN), a leading member of Universities Australia (UA), and a member of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).
The Bachelor of Nursing course at UTS prepares students for the exciting and challenging role of the Registered Nurse. Students are given theoretical and clinical nursing content, which comprehensively covers a range of subject matters in nursing, enabling them to prepare for the provision of safe, effective, and compassionate nursing care. Graduates come out well-prepared for clinical practice and have always remained in great demand for employment in different healthcare setups, not only in Australia but internationally.
Programme Offered | Bachelor of Nursing |
Duration | 3 Years |
Intake | February |
Indicative Fees (2024) | AU$ 134,784 |
Contact us right now for a free consultation if you’d like more details about the costs, the format of the programme, and the entry requirements!
3. Griffith University
Griffith University is a leading higher education institution devoted to fostering remarkable graduates through exceptional research and excellent teaching. Griffith is consistently ranked among the top 2 percent of universities worldwide, holding core principles covering excellence, ethical behaviour, and engagement.
Enrolling into the Nursing programme at Griffith University will grant you the chance to develop your skills as a Nurse through clinical placements located in rural, remote, and overseas placements. You will also experience work-integrated learning as preparation for a profession in the healthcare sector as well as over 800 hours of clinical placements.
Programme Offered | Bachelor of Nursing |
Duration | 3 Years |
Intake | March, July |
Indicative Fees (2024) | AU$ 114,000 |
Note: The intakes might depend on certain conditions. For more information, get in touch with us!
Contact us right now for a free consultation if you’d like more details about the costs, the format of the programme, and the entry requirements!
4. Western Sydney University
The Western Sydney University was initiated in the year 1989 under the name the University of Western Sydney, is committed to being a higher education institution which is distinctively student-centred with life-enriching educational opportunities. Students will be entitled to student support and regular vetted curriculums.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University vows to educate future Nurses to be fully equipped to support the world’s communities through quality care and safety. The Bachelor of Nursing at Western Sydney University is offered across four campuses, namely, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Parramatta South and Liverpool City.
Programme Offered | Bachelor of Nursing |
Duration | 3 years |
Intake | March |
Indicative Fees (2024) | AU$ 98,784 |
Contact us right now for a free consultation if you’d like more details about the costs, the format of the programme, and the entry requirements!
5. Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University (ACU) is a public university in Australia that was established in 1991. It has several campuses in Australia and a campus in Rome. The University is a member of the publicly funded national system of Australian universities, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the International Federation of Catholic Universities.
ACU graduate nurses are recognisable with their clinical competencies, skill in decision-making, and above all, compassion. With networks of multiple hospitals and many healthcare partners, their students will have access to a range of industry placements covering top quality and many career choices. For students looking for overseas experience, ACU assists with care facilities in various developed and developing countries of the world.
Programme Offered | Bachelor of Nursing |
Duration | 3 years |
Intake | February |
Indicative Fees (2024) | AU$ 94,896 |
Contact us right now for a free consultation if you’d like more details about the costs, the format of the programme, and the entry requirements!
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Hannah Hir
Hannah appreciates various art forms, especially Asian literature, film and music. Most of her favorite Malaysian kuihs are green-coloured.