Department of Health

Nursing and midwifery are professions with plenty of diversity, allowing you to match your career with your lifestyle.

Varied working hours with the flexibility of shift work means that nurses and midwives can choose to work full time or part time, leaving time for family commitments, travel or other interests.

In Australia there are two levels of registration:

  • Registered nurses and midwives are degree-qualified through the tertiary education sector.
  • Enrolled nurses hold a minimum diploma from the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

Courses for nursing and midwifery combine theory with clinical experience. Student nurses and midwives study in areas such as clinical practice, anatomy, physiology, ethics, law, physics, chemistry, psychology, research and communications.

See the three fact sheets for information on becoming a nurse or midwife.

Nursing and midwifery: a career with choice

Sign up for a nursing career that offers diverse roles and work settings, a chance to work anywhere, flexibility to work your own hours and career advancement opportunities.

Choosing a specialty

Find out about some of the many different areas that nurses and midwives can work and study in. The choices are surprising!

Starting your nursing and midwifery course

Find out about the ways you can begin your nursing or midwifery career by studying courses such as a bachelor’s degree or Diploma of Nursing.

Reviewed 22 November 2021

Health.vic

Contact details

Nursing and Midwifery Workforce

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