Becoming a nurse
There are 2 levels of nurse in Victoria, the Registered Nurse Division 1, and the Registered Nurse Division 2 (also known as an Enrolled Nurse in Other States/Territories). Registered Nurses in Victoria must be registered under the Health Professionals Registration Act 2005 with the Nurses Board of Victoria.
To be eligible for registration as a Division 1 Registered Nurse you will need to undertake and successfully complete a Bachelor of Nursing degree. To be eligible for registration as a Division 2 Registered Nurse you will need to undertake and successfully complete the minimum qualification, Certificate IV in Nursing (Enrolled/ Division 2 Nursing)
Education of nurses is based on the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council national competencies for registered and enrolled nurses to ensure that nurses can meet the needs of modern contemporary health care delivery. The nursing educational pathway provides a structure that allows a nurse to choose from a variety of academic awards, which include diploma up to PhD. Post-graduate study is diverse, ensuring that nurses can self-select to obtain skills and knowledge in a variety of specialty areas.
Nursing has its own body of knowledge and develops skilled practitioners with the ability to provide competent nursing care in a variety of healthcare delivery settings.
Safety and Screening
The Department of Human services has a policy requiring screening of people who will work with specified clients or patients. To minimise the risk to clients and patients, people employed in direct client or patient contact or in direct management of these services, are subject to rigorous assessment of their suitability, including police checks. ('Contact' means actual unsupervised contact or the potential for actual unsupervised contact.)
For further information please read Department of Human Services Policy
Division 1
Educational requirements
To become registered as a Division 1 nurse in Victoria, it is necessary to complete a relevant bachelor degree. The bachelor degree is a comprehensive program that provides students with the skills and knowledge to competently practice in a wide variety of health settings. It is delivered through the tertiary sector as practice benefits most from research and autonomous thinking.
The Nurse Policy Branch offers financial assistance to undergraduate students to attain clinical practicum experience through the rural undergraduate clinical placement program. On completion of a relevant bachelor degree program graduates are eligible for registration with the Nurses Board of Victoria as a Registered Nurse Division 1.
Contact VTAC or your local university for information on the required ENTER score for participation in relevant bachelor degree programs, as each university may have different requirements and subject prerequisites. Admission into most programs requires your completion of VCE English, general maths, health sciences and social sciences.
Division 2
From January 2008 a new qualification for Division 2 Registered Nurses will be implemented in Victoria. For the first time the Health Training Package (HLT07) includes national qualifications for Division 2 Registered Nurses.
HLT43407 Certificate IV in Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 Nursing) is endorsed by the Nurses Board of Victoria and will replace the current Victorian based qualification. The new qualification incorporates units in medicines administration previously covered in the Course in Medication Administration for Division 2 Registered nurses in Victoria.
Additional qualifications in the Health Training Package at the Diploma and Advanced Diploma provide the opportunity for Division 2 Registered Nurses to upgrade their skills with either full qualifications or specialist units in many fields including critical care, palliative care and mental health. More information can be found at the TAFE Courses Directory
Please see our Division 2 Nursing page for further information.