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Searching for a rewarding career in healthcare? Now you can access a full nursing certificate, diploma or a degree from the comfort of your own home.
Here's where to kickstart your career as well as how long you can expect to study and what topics you'll cover.
Studying nursing online gives students the opportunity to get a certificate, diploma or degree.
This is a sample selection of some of the nursing courses currently available in Australia.
Best for: Piqued interest, upskilling and entry-level career
Course | Course Information | Institution |
---|---|---|
Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (Assistant in nursing work in acute care) | Course duration: 18 months containing 120 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Assistant in nursing, nursing support worker, patient care assistant, patient service assistant, patient support assistant, ward assistant, ward support and wardsperson. | Open Colleges |
Certificate III in Health Services Assistance | Course duration: 18 months containing 120 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Assistant in nursing, patient care assistant, patient service assistant, patient support assistant, ward assistant, ward support and wardsperson. | Open Colleges |
Certificate IV in Ageing Support | Course duration: 1,235 hours of self-paced study. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Assistant hostel supervisor, care supervisor, care team leader, day activity worker, hostel supervisor, personal care worker, program coordinator, support worker, aged care facility manager. NOTE: Online and in-person study. | Health Courses Australia via Training.com.au |
Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) | Course duration: 543 hours of self-paced study. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Assistant in nursing, care assistant, care worker, home care assistant, in-home respite worker, support worker and aged care worker. NOTE: Online and in-person study. | Health Courses Australia via Training.com.au |
Best for: Entry-level career
Course | Course Information | Institution |
---|---|---|
Diploma of Practice Management | Course Duration: 2 years. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Manager of small health practices. | TAFE |
Diploma of Nursing | Course Duration: 2 years. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Acute care nurse assistant, mental health nurse, rehabilitation nurse, palliative care nurse, aged care nurse. | Swinburne Online |
Best for: Career
Course | Course Information | Institution |
---|---|---|
Bachelor of Nursing | Course duration: 4 years. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Registered nurse in community health, emergency or trauma units, forensics, drug and alcohol health, oncology, palliative care and occupational care. | Western Sydney University |
Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing | Course duration: 1 year. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Registered nurse, critical care nurse, nursing manager. | Open Universities via Griffith University |
Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing | Course Duration: 1 year. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Registered nurse, acute care nurse, nursing manager. | Open Universities via Griffith University |
Master in Clinical Nursing | Course Duration: 1.5 years. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Registered nurses, clinical nurse, educator and researcher. | Open Universities via Australian Catholic University |
Master in Mental Health Nursing | Course Duration: 2 years Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Registered nurses, mental health nurse, nurse managers, health and welfare services manager. | Open Universities via Southern Cross University |
Online nursing courses are for anyone wanting to work in the field of nursing.
Certificates and diplomas can give students qualifications for select assistive/entry-level positions. These are a great way to get your foot in the door and to gain background knowledge, particularly if you'd like to further your career with a degree.
A nursing course can also assist in specialised care in areas such as aged care or mental health. This can be in the form of a masters degree for someone who's already in the field.
Depending on the type of nursing course you take, subjects might cover:
You can expect a degree in nursing to take three to four years.
On the other hand, certificates in nursing and related fields only take 18 months to two years to complete. Keep in mind that this shorter course length is because certificates are a lower qualification than a degree.
Completing a nursing course can help you get your foot in the door for the following positions. Some positions require further studies to be regarded as qualified.
For smooth sailing throughout your online studies, you'll need:
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