• You would like a career in the healthcare sector.
• You would like a pathway to studying nursing.
• You want to see if healthcare is something you might enjoy.

Then this is the course for you.

To make an informed choice about the suitability of this course for you, please consider the following essential skills and knowledge. You must:

• Be caring, empathetic, understanding and non-judgemental.
• Be able to care for people while managing their body fluids including blood, urine etc.
• Be able to communicate clearly with good skills in both written, verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Be able to stand on your feet for extended periods of time and be able to attend to manual tasks like pushing a wheelchair, showering patients, moving patients in bed.
• Be punctual and reliable and work to a high standard.
• Be able to work on your own and be able to follow the direction of your nurses.
• Be able to cope with a busy and noisy environment.
• Be able to follow policy and procedure to keep yourself, your patient and others safe.
• Tolerance, patience and the willingness to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Time Commitment – You will need to allocate:

• 6 months to complete this course.
• Attend at least 80% of practical classes.
• Time for private study (up to 3hrs per week per unit).
• Time to complete assessments at home (at least one written assessment per unit).
• 80hrs of work placement (arranged by lecturer).

You will need to complete 80hrs of supervised work placement in suitable environments (Aged Care Facility and in a hospital setting). South Regional TAFE will arrange these placements. You will need to have travel to and from work placement. Work placement runs for the full week, not just on the days you would otherwise come to TAFE.

Prior to attending these placements, you will be required to secure these following clearances:

• a Working with Children Check (WWCC). This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about a WWCC click here.
• a National Police Clearance. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about this clearance click here.
• a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) clearance. The NDIS clearance includes a National Police Clearance. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about the NDIS click here.
• A Criminal Record Clearance. This clearance is free, and the processes requires sending certified copies of identifying documents.
• Medical Clearance. Your lecturer will give you the form and your doctor will need to clear you medically fit to work in this industry.
• Vaccinations. You must be vaccinated to enter both Aged Care and Hospital placements. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about vaccinations click here.

Below are some of the important personal skills you will be required to develop and demonstrate during training. These skills are highly valued by industry:

• Respectful Communication - Interact with people from different backgrounds, share ideas effectively and build trust.
• Teamwork – Collaborate with others, show them respect, and be open to feedback.
• Problem Solving - There is always a solution. How do you respond to a challenge? If you spot a problem, we encourage you to ask questions, clarify as needed, and respond appropriately within your training.
• Initiative - Stay motivated, take proactive steps, and seek help when necessary.
• Planning - Manage time well. Knowing how to prioritise and completing your tasks efficiently are crucial for your success.
• Self-Management - Work with integrity. Arriving on time. Be dressed in full uniform. Reflect on your performance.
• Learning – Recognise what your strengths already are then build onto this with the new knowledge and experience from your course at South Regional TAFE. Some of the skills you will learn include:
  • Interpret and apply medical terminology appropriately.
  • Effective communication with patients and the health care team.
  • Assist clients with personal care, mobility and other activities of daily living.
  • Assist the nursing team with patient care, basic hygiene, feeding, urinalysis, transferring patients, vital signs, manual handling, simple wound care, and documentation.
  • Support people living with dementia.
  • Understand how to prevent infection prevention and maintain infection control in a hospital setting.
  • Being able to keep yourself and others safe following latest WHS guidelines
• Technology - Adapt to new tools, access digital resources, and integrate technology into your learning.