HLT54121 Diploma of Nursing

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 with state-of-the-art medical equipment.  This Diploma will teach you how to be an Enrolled nurse by providing skills and knowledge in human biology, chemistry, medical terminology, medicines and how to deal with a range of people from different backgrounds. You'll gain skills that are relevant to current industry trends and practices.

Entry to the Diploma of Nursing is very competitive. It is recommended that you discuss your application with a career development advisor.  If you are unsure if you meet the requirements or if you have any questions please contact us.

Entrance requirements

This course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) which requires students to have an English language skills level that is appropriate for this level of study prior to commencing the course.

You will need to provide this evidence prior to enrolment into the course.

Diploma of Nursing entrance requirements for school-aged applicants, educated in Australia:

• Students must be a minimum age of 17 years and 6 months
• A pass in year 12 English and maths. Though not a prerequisite, a science (e.g. human biology) might also be a good subject to choose.
• Attainment of the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) or equivalent from another Australian State if not from Western Australia.
• Mature-aged applicants (educated in Australia)
• Completion of six (6) years continuous (full-time equivalent) of secondary, tertiary and/or vocational education (or a combination thereof)
• Where you are unable to provide evidence of your schooling you will be required to sign a declaration stating where you went to school, the years you attended and the grade achieved.

Diploma of Nursing entrance requirements for non-school leavers educated in an English speaking country:

If you were not educated in Australia, you must provide evidence of: 

• Being taught and assessed in English in any of the following recognised countries: Canada; New Zealand; Republic of Ireland; South Africa; United Kingdom; and United States of America. 
• Completion of five (5) years continuous (full-time equivalent) of secondary, tertiary and/or vocational education (or a combination thereof) in above recognised country.

Diploma of Nursing entrance requirements for applicants educated in a non-English speaking country:

• If you were educated in a non-English speaking country you will need to sit a board-approved International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test and achieve a minimum score of seven (7) in each of the four components, or Occupational English Test (OET) and achieve a minimum score of 'B' in each of the four components. Information on other acceptable tests is available from www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au(opens in a new tab)  .
• Test results will only be accepted as a course entry pre-requisite if they were obtained within two years before the date you lodge your application for registration, or for test results older than two years, you will need to be continuously enrolled in a board-approved program of study.
• If you are interested in doing the Diploma of Nursing, as an International student, please contact TAFE International Western Australia. 

As this course is highly competitive, you will be required to sit and pass a 2-hour Basic Key Skills Builder (BKSB) literacy and numeracy assessment with an exit level 3 (working at level 4). You will not be required to sit the literacy section of the BKSB test, only the numeracy section, where you have passed an English language test.

Enrolled Nurse

Graduates must meet the Enrolled Nurse Standards for Practice and the NMBA English Language skills registration standard in order to register with AHPRA, prior to applying for employment in an Australian health service.

More information can be found at nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx.

Please note this list should be used as a guide only as job titles and qualification requirements may vary between organisations.

Work placement is mandatory for completion of this course. SM TAFE will arrange a suitable work placement within industry for you which will involve your attendance at a workplace.

Become a specialist in your field with university study

The information about university credit points and tuition costs provides a general guide only. SM TAFE recommends students discuss credit points with the university or college of their choice at the time of graduation.

Murdoch University

This course has a study pathway to Murdoch University(opens in a new tab)  as of October 2020.

• Bachelor of Nursing(opens in a new tab)  (B1373) (3-year degree) - 24-27 credit points

Study requirements Attendance in-class

You will be expected to attend class 3-4 days per week over three semesters.

At-home study

As well as the in-class component, you will need to complete approximately 12 hours of additional study each week outside of class hours, including private study, assignment preparation, and research. There is an online reading component to this course and as such, you should be computer literate and have available computer and internet access.

You will need to have the basic technical requirements for at-home study. If you don’t have access to a computer and WiFi at home, we recommend using our library computers during library hours.

Work placement

This course includes a compulsory practical placement at a health care facility as follows:

• Stage 1  - 3 weeks of work placement
• Stage 2  - 4 weeks of work placement 
• Stage 3  - 5 weeks of work placement 

You must be available to attend all placement dates and times given by the facilities. Please note placement will be held from Monday to Sunday including Public Holidays (in week blocks) and you may be rostered on morning, afternoon  and night shifts. Please note, your placement could be held at a facility up to 45 minutes drive from campus. Transport to placement and parking costs are at the students own expense.

You will be provided with a clinical placement handbook to document your progress whilst on work placement and will be supervised by a nominated registered nurse.

What you need for your first day of class

On your first day ,you should bring your SM TAFE confirmation enrolment receipt, your student ID, stationery (pens, exercise book, highlighters,) and wear enclosed footwear. Students will need to bring their own device to class (laptop or tablet) for this course. 

A uniform is a requirement for this course. This is to be worn every practical lab session. This requirement will be discussed on the first day. The uniform consists of an  SM TAFE scrub top and pants with closed-in shoes.  Students will need to purchase their uniform at their own expense. 

There is a compulsory text purchase prior to the class start date. This will be given in your orientation information. 

Important information Industry Mandatory Vaccination requirements

The following are out of pocket expenses the student will be expected to pay

• You will be required to undertake a health assessment and provide evidence of serology for your immunisation status, including current flu and COVID vaccinations, Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis and MRSA screening test. (approx. $200)*
• TB Immunity test ($75) and*
• A National Police Certificate within the last 12 months (certain offences on your police clearance may affect your clinical placement) ($58)*
• A Working with Children Check (over 18's) (Approximately $11)*
• A WA Department of Health History Record Check (Free if you have a current National Police Certificate)
• A NDIS Screening Check (Approximately $11)*

*Costs may vary.

For more information visit:
https://workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au(opens in a new tab) 
https://www.police.wa.gov.au/Police-Direct/National-Police-Certificates(opens in a new tab) 

This course requires you to undertake a mandatory work placement with an employer associated with an industry outlined in the COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policy. This means that you must be at least double vaccinated prior to your work placement. Please note that some work placements may request triple vaccination. For the latest information on vaccine requirements for students visit our COVID-19 update page. Students will also be required to have a current season flu vaccination to be eligible to go out on a hospital, aged care or community placement.

Please note

To protect the public from harm, registered health practitioners and education providers must report concerns about registered students. This is a legal requirement. Practitioners and and education providers only need to notify Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) when the have a 'reasonable belief' that a student has an impairment that, when undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) Enrolled Nurse Accreditation Standards 2017 also require Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) delivering Diploma of Nursing to notify AHPRA of any student undertaking clinical training who has been identified as having an impairment that may place the public at substantial risk of harm.