Procedures to Become a Registered Nurse in Australia

If you are an internationally qualified nurse/ midwife who is interested in working in Australia, then it is important for you to review the following important information about immigration to Australia, and registration and employment as a nurse or midwife in Australia.

To work as a nurse/midwife in Australia, you should apply for and be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). You also need to apply for a visa issued by the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (Australian Immigration Department).

These two application processes are entirely separate and success in one does not automatically guarantee the success in the other.

Immigration to Australia

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is an independent organization that is gazetted by the Minister for Immigration to perform skills assessment for migration purposes. ANMAC assesses the skills of internationally qualified nurses and midwives who are looking to migrate to Australia under the General Skilled Migration program.


Registration and employment as a nurse or midwife in Australia
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) assesses the applications for registration from internationally qualified nurses and midwives on behalf of the NMBA. The NMBA is governed by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law as in force in each state and territory and is responsible for the final decision on each application.

International applicants must meet the registration standards and qualification criteria in order to become eligible for registration as a nurse.

About Employment in Australia

If there is any economy that has literally enjoyed the boom times in the past decade then it is Australia as they have proved to be stronger. It is the first economy to leave the recession and today it continues attract overseas dedicated workers to fill in various positions in their organizations.

The advantage of Australia’s quality assurance regime and government transparency is seen in the index rates as it holds the second place in quality assurance and third position in the access and equity that was developed by the British Council.

Australian economy is transformed from the dependence on manufacturing to the one that is based on service sector. Service sector is considered to be of core importance in Australian economy however there are job markets than just services.

To be an Australian employee is challenging today!

The competition level has taken a higher level and so being an employee in Australia has never been more difficult. However we make this possible for you.. If you are seeking for a new job opportunity that is different from your existing one to get what you desire, we can assist you. We value the significance of employee benefits and work towards developing, implementing and managing a wide range of employee benefit solutions to suit your requirements. Australia has immense opportunities for talented and dedicated students. There are par time jobs available for those who are wanting to gain education and at the same time earn some perks and others are more permanent nature.

Educating from Australian universities and getting employed there gives the advantage to the parents that their child learns to be responsible with added maturity, concerted outlook towards studies, good language fluency and better understanding of human nature as they get to know people from different parts of the world. Students educating from Australian universities have a better outlook towards life.
Parents can be stress free as there are Australian families who like the idea of extended family and so welcome them with immense happiness. Hence the students feel they are backing home, ignoring the fact that they are in a different country.

The working condition in Australia is almost similar to that of UK i.e., generally in a week Monday to Friday, the average working hours is 37 hours. Overtime payments for extra hours of work and you will be entitled to holidays and sick leave. Hence the well documented working conditions in Australia add on to the progress of the country.

The Australian workforce is split between the service industry and various other industries i.e., almost 11 million people for work of which 75% belongs to the service industry and 21.1% by other industries. Overseas skilled workers who moved to this country over the years are the main significant part of the Australian workforce. Now even more workers are moving to this place due to the huge development of this country.

Major industries of Australia are in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide. Hence the cost of living in this region is high and also employment activities are focused here. Nevertheless the job prospects in Australia are still bright as it used to be.

Enrolled Nurses Removed from Two Aged Care Homes in Adelaide; Risking Patients' Lives

Two aged care homes in Adelaide, Australia has decided to remove enrolled Nurses from its operations, which could serious put the patients' lives at risk. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has clearly stated that such a decision by the aged care homes in Adelaide will create serious threats to the patients present over there. The aged care home is one of the major and best aged care homes in Adelaide has sacked around 30  of its enrolled nurses from its Morphettville and Walkerville sites.

As per ANMF South Australian branch chief executive officer Elizabeth Dabars, the enrolled nurses are one of the most skilled-level workers who provide care to the residents and the removal of these nurses will result in serious consequences in the residential aged care facility. Such a move will also affect the overall quality of the aged care facilities in this place.

The spokesman of the aged care home in Adelaide has said that the registered nurses would continue to have the same responsibility for medication management. He also said that the personal care workers who administered medication would continue to do so under supervision. He said that the current changes are made after careful consideration to meet the best interests of residents. The spokesman said all staffing changes were made after careful consideration to meet the best interests of residents.

The aged care industry in Australia is considered to be one of the best in the world and is also having a large scarcity of qualified and experienced professionals. Such a move will indeed have a negative impact on the overall aged care industry in Australia and will also put the careers of a large number of enrolled nurses at risk. The enrolled nurses in Australia are looking for a fresh turnover and hope that the issue will be solved without having to pay with their respective careers.

All the states in Australia have a good number of quality aged care centers with top class facilities and amenities. So far, the enrolled nurses in Australia has played a major role in taking these aged care centers to greater heights through their skills, knowledge, patience and dedication. They might be really feeling confused on what went wrong and why the aged care center has decided to remove them from the aged care homes in Adelaide.

They might still be able to grab other career opportunities in their respective field in Australia, but such a move will surely create a negative impact on the overall confidence level of the enrolled nurses in Australia.

The Importance of Nursing Bridging Program (IRON) in Australia

Nursing in Australia is something that can offer you a dream career in Australia and at the same time an opportunity to lead a decent life. There are a lot of nurses from different countries who are working as a registered nurse and leading a decent life in Australia. They overseas nurses in Australia have not started their career overnight; rather they had come across various hurdles and challenges before being a registered nurse in Australia.

One of the most important challenges that is being faced by the overseas nurses in Australia is to undergo the Initial Registration for Overseas Registered Nurses (IRON) program in Australia and then apply for becoming a registered nurse. The IRON program is also known as nursing bridging program or nursing adaptation program in different countries. The main reason why a nurse needs to undergo a nursing bridging program in Australia is to understand the unique working atmosphere and job culture of the hospitals in Australia. The hospitals in Australia are of international standards and nurses coming from different countries need to adapt to the working style of the Australian hospitals.

So, to get familiar with the working style of the Australian hospitals, the overseas nurses need to successfully undertake a nursing adaptation program from a reputed institute. Once the nurse successfully completes the IRON program in Australia, then they will be eligible to become a registered nurse in Australia. They can now go back to AHPRA and complete their applications for becoming a registered nurse in Australia. Once they become a registered nurse, they will become eligible to work as a nurse in any of the hospitals in Australia.

Before being able to undergo the IRON course, the nurses should qualify for the IELTS score and without that they could never dream of becoming a nurse in Australia. Once the nurses have sufficient IELTS score, then they can apply to undertake the IRON program and be on the right track towards becoming a registered nurse in Australia. Moreover, nursing profession is one of the better paid professions in Australia and if you are able to successfully complete the IRON program, then you can easily start dreaming of a great nursing career in Australia.

Make sure that you take the nursing bridging program in Australia from any of the reputed nursing institutes, colleges or universities which can also help or assist in getting a better job placement. There are a lot of institutes that offers job placements, while there are some other that offers only job assistance. Anyhow, it all depends on your skills and confidence and if you have both of those qualities, then nothing can stop you from getting your dream job in Australia.

How to become an enrolled nurse in Australia?

Nursing is a profession that is having huge demand in Australia and the availability of qualified nurses is low. So being a qualified nurse really opens the window for a successful nursing career in Australia. One the best way to grab a nursing career in Australia is by becoming an enrolled nurse. You can become an enrolled nurse in Australia by completing a Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled-Division 2 Nursing) course from an accredited nursing college or institute in Australia.

An enrolled nurse or division 2 nurse is expected to provide most of the patient’s personal care, which includes dressing, showering, feeding and administering of some oral medications. The division 2 nurses can  work in a range of different settings such as hospital wards, operating theatres, aged care facilities, Aboriginal Medical Services etc. Moreover, being an enrolled nurse in Australia is a major pathway for becoming a registered nurse.

Most of the time, people are confused as to the difference between  a registered nurse and an enrolled nurse. The enrolled nurses usually practice under the direction and delegation of a registered nurse  and the registered nurse is responsible for the overall patient care and plan.

For anyone to become an enrolled nurse, they need to have the right sets of character traits such as caring, understanding,  empathetic, non-judgmental and a bold desire to help others. At the same time, an enrolled nurse need to be able to control their won emotions whenever they are exposed to stressful or traumatic situations. Under any stressful situations, the enrolled nurse should remain calm and clear-headed, responsible and reliable.

The formal qualification to become an enrolled nurse in Australia is the Diploma of Nursing program offered by any of the reputed institutes. You also need to have a good communication skills in English so that you will not find any difficulty while dealing with the patients in Australia. The lack of qualified enrolled nurses in Australia is a positive factors for those who wish to take nursing as a career in Australia. The demand for the enrolled nurses are growing every day and this is something that needs to be capitalised upon.

Moreover, a Diploma of Nursing program can also be helpful if you wish to be a registered nurse in Australia.

15 Important Requirements to Become a Registered Nurse in Australia

Being a Registered Nurse in Australia can ensure a dream nursing career and an improved lifestyle. Some amount of luck, patience and hard-work can make you eligible to work as a nurse in Australia. To become a Registered Nurse in Australia, there are a lot of requirements that needs to be fulfilled and without that you will not be able to make your dreams come true.

Here are some of the most important requirements that needs to be considered, before starting to think of working as a nurse in Australia.

1. Evidence of Identity
2. English Language Skills
3. Academic Qualifications
4. Criminal History (if applicable)
5. Impairment Details (if applicable)
6. Conditions, Undertakings or Limitations Details (if applicable)
7. Registration History
8. Work History
9. An IELTS score not less than 7 in all 4 modules ( speaking, writing, reading and listening)
10. Change of Name (if applicable)
11. Current Suspension or Cancellation Details (if applicable)
12. Disqualification Details (if applicable)
13. Conduct, Performance or Health Proceedings Details (if applicable)
14. Important accreditation requirement for internationally qualified nurses and midwives
15. Previous Cancellation, Refusal or Suspension Details (if applicable)

4 Types of Nurses in Australia

Basically there are 4 types of Nurses in Australia, except in the state of Victoria. The nurses in Australia are categorized into 4 types and they have different privileges and pay scales as well. These types of nursing categories in Australia define the skills and qualification of these nurses. Becoming a nurse in Australia is a dream for any nurses worldwide, but before embarking on nursing career in Australia, they need to be aware of these 4 types of nursing in Australia.

a) Nurse practitioner (NP)
Nurse practitioners (NP) are  generally educated and trained to provide maintenance and  health promotion through the diagnosis and treatment of  chronic condition and acute illness. Nurse practitioners will have the complex decision-making skills, expert knowledge base,  and clinical competencies for expanded health practice. Generally a master's degree in Nursing is recommended for the entry level for Nurse Practitioner. Nursing Practitioners in Australia  generally serve as a patient's primary healthcare provider and they may involve in treatment of patients of all ages depending upon their specialty.


b) Registered nurse 
A registered nurses in Australia is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program and meet the requirements outlined by a country, province,  state, or similar licensing body in order to obtain a nursing license. An registered nurse's scope of practice is generally determined by local legislation governing nurses, and  are regulated by a professional body or council. Registered nurses are used in a broad range of professional settings, frequently specializing in their area of training. Registered nurses undertake continuing-education in order to keep their enrollment and must generally meet the very least training hours pre requisite. In addition, there's frequently a demand that the registered nurses stay free of serious criminal convictions.

c) Enrolled nurse (EN)
Enrolled nurses (EN), or Division 2 nurses, in Australia should currently complete Diploma of Nursing course and typically spend twenty four months of coaching, consisting of thirty six weeks theoretical part at a recognized nursing institutes, followed by sensible expertise in hospital wards for the rest of the time.  Most of the ENs later on move to any of the universities to pursue Bachelor of Nursing course and become a Registered Nurse. Due to the continuing shortage of registered nurses in the Australian public health care system, the role of enrolled nurses has increased rapidly in the recent years.

d) Assistant In nursing (AIN)
The Assistant in Nursing (AIN) in Australia is another major emerging profession in the healthcare sector and supposed to support the Registered Nurses and Enrolled Nurses during their time of patient care. Usually the task that is undertaken by the AIN's are allocated by the Registered Nurses and depends upon their skills and experience. The AIN can take various certificate courses and further enhance their career in the Australian healthcare industry.