Australian Occupation Profile - Nursing
The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council (ANMC) is a
peak national nursing body concerned with national
standards and processes for the regulation of nursing
within Australia. The Australian nurse regulatory
authorities established the ANMC in 1992 as a forum for
considering the regulation of nursing in Australia
within a national focus. Each of the eight state and
territory nurse regulatory authorities is represented on
this Council.
It is essential that all overseas nurses desiring to
work in Australia be familiar with national nursing
competency standards that are core standards that all
nurses must possess. There are two levels of nurses in
Australia:
- The registered nurse is a first level
nurse, educated in pre-registration degree level
courses (Bachelor degree or higher qualification) in
universities. A three year diploma could
be assessed by ANMC as comparable to an Australian
degree. Nursing courses are broad based and
comprehensive and are designed to prepare candidates
to work in a wide variety of health care settings.
Registered nurses are licensed to practice nursing
in the field/s in which they are registered without
supervision, and assume accountability and
responsibility for all their actions and aspects of
care. Registered Nurses may apply for skilled
migration under ASCO code 2323-11.
- The enrolled nurse is a second level
nurse who provides nursing care within the limits
specified by education and the registering
authority's licence to practise. Enrolled nurses in
Australia are primarily educated through advanced
certificate or associated diploma level courses in
colleges of technical and further education, of
which the duration is less than three years.
Enrolled nurses work under the direction and
supervision of registered nurses but retain
responsibility for their own actions and remain
accountable to the registered nurse for all
delegated functions.
Please Note: There is no Australian Standard
Classification of Occupations (ASCO) code for Enrolled
Nurses, or Registered Nurses, Division 2. Thus
applicants with these qualifications may not apply under
the General Skilled Migration Category.
English is the language of communication in health care
settings in Australia. Nurses applying for a work visa
must have a level of proficiency in English that enables
them to communicate competently and safely with clients
and colleagues.
As of 1 July 2009, all internationally-qualified
nurses and midwives applying for assessment to the ANMC
under the general skilled migration scheme will be
required to complete an English proficiency test. New
Zealand registered nurses and midwives are exempt from
providing English proficiency under the Trans Tasman
Mutual Recognition Act 1997.
All other nurse applicants for Australian work visas
must successfully complete the International English
Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Test.
Nurses and midwives must achieve a score of 6.5 or more
in Reading and Listening and a score of at least 7 in
Writing and Speaking with an overall band score of 7 or
more of the IELTS test.
The test must have been undertaken not more than
two years before lodging the application for assessment.
Original copies of the results of the test should be
forwarded to ANMC by the organisation that conducted the
test. The results of the test must be forwarded
to ANMC prior to completion of the assessment.
For detailed information visit:
Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council
For work opportunities visit:
Nursing Australia
For salary information visit:
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