Becoming a Nurse or Midwife
Nursing and Midwifery are dynamic and varied career choices. As well as being respected professions for both women and men, with unlimited rewards and opportunities, every day is exciting and unpredictable. And while every nursing or midwifery career is different to another, the one thing that all nurses and midwives have in common is that their work is never dull. If you ask any nurse or midwife what they love most about their job, excitement will be at the top of the list. Every day is unique: delivering a baby one day, saving a life the next. There's no such thing as a typical day in nursing or midwifery.
There are a huge number of roles in both nursing and midwifery however most start as an Enrolled Nurse, Registered Nurse or as a Midwife. All have different study requirements and varying roles and responsibilities.
If you can't wait to start working as a nurse, Enrolled Nursing could be for you. With most courses you can become a qualified Enrolled Nurse in about a year and have the opportunity to take on some responsibility while you complete the course. For this reason it's a popular way to begin a nursing career.
With Registered Nursing you will be at the cutting edge of information technology in nursing care. Registered Nursing is one of the most dynamic and evolving areas of nursing, offering a wide range of career opportunities. To apply for the three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree at university you must be over 17 years of age and have completed your HSC with an appropriate Universities Admission Index (UAI).
And in Midwifery, you will be providing most of the care for new and growing families: providing antenatal care, support during the childbirth process as well as health education for each woman that you care for and her family.
Ultimately, whatever path you choose, a career in nursing or midwifery is a chance to make a difference to the quality of someone else's life, to help and care for people of all ages, from all walks of life across a range of specialised areas. They are careers that will give you great flexibility of choice and the freedom to find a balance between your professional life, your social activities and, if need be, your family commitments.
