Nursing Roles
Job Description
A career in Nursing can be a rewarding career path. You can work at varying levels progressing your career from Assistant in Nursing (AIN), to Enrolled Nurse, Endorsed Enrolled Nurse, Registered Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Unit Manager. You can also specialise in varying fields and specific areas of medicine.
Nurses must have strong communication, empathy and customer service skills, and will assist with managing their patients daily routines, such as showering, toileting, dressing, eating, communicating, mobility, medication and exercise regimes. They also keep accurate patient records and assist in the planning of daily routines and ongoing care regimens.
They work in multidisciplinary teams alongside other skilled professionals including Enrolled and Registered Nurses, Doctors, Surgeons, Specialists, Therapists, Specialty Nurses, Social Workers and many other professionals who provide ongoing care to patients or residents who are sick, disabled, elderly, injured or recovering from surgery.
Nurses predominantly deliver primary health care in hospitals, clinics, assisted living facilities, aged care facilities, Government or military institutions, community or school settings, in the home or in outpatient facilities.
Read about all other Specialty Nursing Roles here
Qualifications
To work in any senior roles you first need to become a Registered Nurse in Australia you need to complete a 3-year Bachelor of Nursing, which is available at most Australian universities. Alternatively, for students with previous tertiary qualifications, complete a two-year Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) program. Further study is essential if you are looking to take the next step in your career and advance in specialist nursing roles.
A Clinical Nurse Specialist demonstrates a higher level of skill in their clinical decision making, especially when it comes to problem identification and solution, and analysing and interpreting clinical data. It’s a varied role with patient care at its cornerstone.
Nurse Practitioners are Registered Nurses with a masters degree who have been endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to provide advanced, clinical care to patients.
Endorsed Enrolled Nurses must have successfully completed medication administration education at some stage in their career in order to administer medicines.
Enrolled Nurses complete a Diploma of Nursing, which is a two-year course.
To become an Assistant in Nursing, you need to complete a qualification such as a Certificate III in Health Services or Certificate III in Aged Care. This qualification includes a mandatory 120 hours of work placement training.
All Nurses must apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Registration must be renewed annually.
Attributes
- Approachable
- Autonomous
- Calm
- Cheerful
- Communicator
- Confident
- Courteous
- Determined
- Devoted
- Diligent
- Energetic
- Enthusiastic
- Focused
- Integrity
- Interpersonal
- Organised
- Patient
- Perceptive
- Positive
- Procedural
- Punctual
- Welcoming
Key Skills
- AHPRA Registration
- Nursing Practice
- Quality Improvement
- Critical Care
- Conflict Resolution
- Patient Care
- Developing and implementing care policies
Future Prospects
You may like to think about moving on from this career, some transferable skills can be utilised in roles such as;
- Enrolled Nurse
- Endorsed Enrolled Nurse
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Unit Manager
Registered Nurses can specialise in other roles, undertaking further studies to obtain qualifications and specialise in a particular area of nursing. Specialised Nursing Roles include:
- Aged Care Nurse
- Alcohol & Other Drug Nurse
- Anaesthetic Nurse
- Cardiac Nurse
- Child and Family Health Nurse
- Community Health Nurse
- Child and Family Health Nurse
- Flight Nurse
- Infection Control Nurse
- Intensive Care Specialist Nurse
- Mental Health Nurse
- Midwife
- Oncology Nurse
- Paediatric Nurse
- Palliative Care Nurse
- Perioperative Nurse
- Post Operative Nurse
- Rehabilitation Nurse
- Surgical Nurse
- Theatre Nurse
