• Would you like a career in the healthcare sector as an Enrolled Nurse?
• Are you passionate about healthcare and want a hands-on, patient focused role?

Then this is the course for you.

To make an informed choice about the suitability of this course, please consider the essential skills and knowledge below. 

• Observational Skills - The ability to notice changes in people’s behaviour, ability and environment. Recognise a deteriorating patient. Identify and respond to safety hazards and risks. Observe and understand non-verbal cues (e.g., facial expressions, body language). Identify signs of distress and/or aggression.
• Communication Skills - The ability to communicate effectively with people of different ages and from different backgrounds and cultures. Use appropriate language. Active listening. Read and understand written information. Understand and follow written and verbal instructions. Record information appropriate to the situation (e.g., client reports).
• Physical and Sensory Skills – Good level of fitness to meet the physical demands of manual tasks (e.g., bending, squatting, kneeling, crouching, repetitive movements, carrying, reaching, pushing wheelchairs, assisting patients with their movement). Be on your feet for extended periods, both standing and walking. Good dexterity to grasp, push, turn and manipulate objects. Have sufficient vision and hearing ability to view and hear systems to alert you to an issue (e.g., alarms, light colours on machines). Deal with body fluids (e.g., urine, faeces, blood).
• Cognitive Skills – Collect, understand, organise recall and communicate information. Well-developed personal judgement, problem-solving skills and the ability to respond to immediate safety risks. Understand other people’s perspectives / opinions and respect their choices. Understand and use maths effectively (e.g., measurements, calculations, 24-hour clock). Maintain a sufficient level of concentration to complete a task.  be attentive in interaction with others (e.g., to identify risks, to identify changes). Perform tasks in a safe manner within reasonable timeframes.
• Behavioural and Social Skills – Enjoy working with people. Demonstrate patience and willingness to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Able to work independently as well as part of a team. Able to work under pressure. Demonstrate professional behaviour (e.g., punctuality, maintaining confidentiality and respecting personal boundaries). Manage emotions and reactions and withhold personal opinions. Adapt to change, take responsibility for own actions including the use of social media. Comply with legal requirements of the industry. Tolerate proximity with individuals and be able to interact with all ages, genders and cultures. Ability to provide *personal care needs of both male and female clients. This includes showering, dressing, and toileting. 

*Nurses must understand that personal care involves tasks like:

• Changing nappies / continence aids and ensuring proper disposal.
• Intimate cleaning of the genital area to maintain hygiene and prevent infections.
• Assisting clients who may have mobility challenges or cognitive impairments.
• Supporting dignity and privacy while providing care.
• Recognising and responding to signs of infections or discomfort.

As an Enrolled Nurse you can make a difference in a range of health care settings including hospitals, health clinics, community organisations or residential care. You will train in our simulated hospital ward using state-of-the-art medical equipment. You will obtain skills and knowledge in human biology, chemistry, medical terminology, medicines and how to deal with people from a range of backgrounds.

This course contains material of a sensitive nature, including human injury, mental health challenges, death, grief, loss and exposure to challenging behaviours, which may be upsetting or triggering for some individuals. Please ensure you have sufficient support networks for the duration of your study. Support is also available through South Regional TAFE Student Services, who can direct you to our student support services, including Counsellors, Aboriginal Services, and Disability Services.

Under National Law, you will be registered as a nursing student with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for the duration of the course and will be required to declare any impairment that may place the public at risk of harm (i.e., complete a fitness to practice medical form). On completion of this Diploma of Nursing, you can apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board (NMBA) through AHPRA to practice as an Enrolled Nurse in Australia. Further information on the requirements to register click here.

If you think you might experience challenges related to a disability, health condition or for any other reason, please discuss your concerns with a South Regional TAFE staff member within the area of study, Student Services and/or Disability Access and Equity.

Time Commitment – You will need to allocate appropriate time to complete this course. This includes attending classes on-site and/or online as outlined in the study mode; and undertake independent study outside of class hours, including private study, assessment preparation, and research; and complete the mandatory full time work placement.

You will need to complete:

• Mandatory supervised work placement, in a suitable environment, that provides the services in this selected area of study. South Regional TAFE will arrange this suitable work placement within the industry for you.
• Vaccinations, prior to placement, if requested by the workplace. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about vaccinations click here.
• Working With Children Check (WWCC), prior to placement, if requested by the workplace. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about a WWCC click here.
• National Police Clearance, prior to placement, if requested by the workplace. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about this clearance click here.
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) clearance, prior to placement, if requested by the workplace. The NDIS clearance includes a National Police Clearance. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about the NDIS click here.
• Criminal Screening Police Clearance, prior to placement, if requested by the workplace. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about this clearance click here(opens in a new tab) .

You must also:

• Attend at the work placement regularly and reliably, including work placement at times that may be outside of standard South Regional TAFE student hours i.e. shift work hours [0700hrs- 1530hrs, 1300hrs-2130 hrs], weekends and public holidays.
• Self-fund travel to and from the suitable work environment to complete work placement.

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. Demonstrate active listening skills; well-developed communication skills with clients, their families and team members; as well as with clients who have impaired communication. Have effective questioning and phone skills.
• Teamwork and Safety –Collaborate with others, show them respect, and be open to receiving feedback. Participate in safe work practices utilising safety policies and procedures.
• Problem Solving -Be confident to ask questions of lecturers, colleagues to assist in problem solving. Utilise critical thinking skills to break down problems into smaller steps to analyse situations and make decisions.
• Initiative –Be self-motivated. Identify gaps and strengths in your own learning. Be willing to seek assistance if needed.
• Planning -Manage time well set a weekly schedule, set goals, prioritise and plan.
• Self-Management -Effective communication skills, self-discipline, adaptability to change and stress management.
• Learning – Recognise what your strengths already are. Then embrace all the new knowledge and experience from your South Regional TAFE journey to grow as a student. Some of the skills you will learn include:
  • Understand legal and ethical guidelines for nursing practice.
  • Understand, identify and respond to human needs.
  • Promote positive health.
  • Assist in the provision of preventative, primary health care and rehabilitative nursing.
  • Assist in the provision of mental health care, acute and chronic healthcare and palliative nursing.
  • Assist in the provision of nutritional requirements of patients.
  • Read, understand and implement client care, treatment plans, patient charts, procedures and work instructions and industry specific terminology and symbols.
  • Complete health related documentation accurately.
  • Measure fluids, read weights and measurements and calculate timeframes.
  • Understand Anatomy and Physiology
  • Understand and implement infection control
  • Understand the importance of the cultural safety of Indigenous Australians.
• Technology - Adapt to new tools, access digital resources, and integrate technology into your learning. Including using this technology to undertake patient care.