Diploma of Nursing

Overview

Are you looking for a rewarding career helping others? If you want to become a nurse, this is the minimum qualification required to work in any state or territory. On graduation and registration, you may find work in acute care hospitals, aged-care facilities, adult day-centres, and community health services as an Enrolled Nurse (EN).

Information Sessions Join us for an upcoming information session to help you decide which course you want to study and answer any questions you have regarding the course, outcomes, or opportunities. Meet the teachers, see our facilities and hear all about studying at TAFE.

Thursday 21 November – Health courses, such as:
• Nursing
• Health Services Assistant
• Fitness
• Massage
• Allied Health

Each session will be held 6pm-7.30pm in Building B at Wodonga TAFE, 87 McKoy St, West Wodonga

Please register your attendance using this form: Register Now

Delivery Methods

• On-campus – The majority of teaching and assessment is conducted on-campus

Locations

• McKoy Street, Wodonga Vic (Main campus)

When You Can Enrol

Applications now open for 2025.

Duration

Full-time: 24 months (includes term breaks)

Schedule

Start March 2025 - Mon, Wed & Thu on campus, 9am-4pm.

• Term breaks will be scheduled into the timetable and there is an expectation that additional study and research will be undertaken in your own time to meet competency requirements.
• Your learning journey will consist of a blended learning environment, undertaking classroom-based learning, self-directed learning, online learning, practical ward lab, and simulated sessions, along with work placement of 10 weeks in total.

Expressions of interest for mid-year intake 2025 can be made using the Enquire Now button.

Requirements

• The Wodonga TAFE Diploma of Nursing program follows the mandated vaccination schedule for healthcare workers from both NSW and Victoria, preparing graduates for future employment on either side of the border. Potential students who conscientiously object to obtaining immunisations will not be able to meet the mandated vaccination schedule for healthcare workers, attend or complete the compulsory clinical placement requirements of the course. Applicants may make a time to discuss further.

• You must now be fully (third dose or booster) COVID-19 vaccinated to attend student placement in a healthcare, aged care or disability setting. A change to the COVID-19 Pandemic Orders was implemented on 12 January regarding vaccination requirements for healthcare workers. This requires students undertaking placement to provide evidence of their COVID-19 third dose vaccination status, or a medical exemption by an authorised medical practitioner, to be permitted to work onsite. This applies if you are enrolled in a healthcare, aged care or disability program that requires you to undertake a student placement.

• This course requires you to have good physical ability. The physical demands can include but are not limited to: standing for long periods, bending, supporting patients while moving, assisting with activities of daily living (including attending to hygiene requirements), manual lifting up to approx 10kg, kneeling on the floor, pushing a wheelchair. Certain aspects of assessment rely on your physical ability to perform two (2) minutes of uninterrupted CPR on adult and infant manikins at floor level and respond to an emergency where there may be a risk to life. If you identify a potential inability to meet these physical requirements, you will need to speak with the Course Coordinator.

Please note: To be eligible to apply for entry into this course you must meet the following requirements:

Be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of the first clinical placement.

English Language Standards This course has program entry criteria set by the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council. Therefore students must demonstrate they have achieved the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) specified level of English language skills, prior to enrolling in the program. You will be asked to complete documentation during the application process to identify how you will meet the English language requirements and provide evidence as required. You MUST be able to demonstrate English language competency in one of the following areas:

1. Primary Language Pathway English is your primary language and you have attended and satisfactorily completed at least six years of primary and secondary education taught and assessed in English in one of the recognised countries, including at least two years between Years 7 and 12.

OR

2. English Language Test Completed All test results must be less than 12 months old at the time of commencing your study; if you completed your test over two sittings, the date of the earliest test is used.

• The IELTS (academic module) with a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
• The OET with a minimum score of B in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
• The PTE Academic with a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
• The TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 94 and the following minimum score in each section of the test: 24 for listening, 24 for reading, 27 for writing, and 23 for speaking.

You must be able to provide evidence that you meet the above English language requirements prior to being offered a place in this program.

Language Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Applicants will also be assessed on Literacy, Numeracy, and English Writing skills. Applicants must gain an Exit Level 3 or above for Reading and Numeracy and Exit Level 2, Working at Level 3 for Writing to meet the required eligibility for selection into the course. Information regarding this will be emailed to you on receipt of your application.

Please view the requirements for the English language requirements As part of the enrolment process you be required to complete a signed declaration that English is your primary language.

Uniform Requirements

• Blue shirt and/or polo with Wodonga TAFE Logo (as supplied)
• Black/Navy blue pants
• Navy blue sleeveless vest, jumper or cardigan
• Black enclosed shoes with non-slip soles
• Watch with a second hand (preferably a nurses fob watch)
• NOTE: As part of placement requirements students must wear navy or black full-length pants, and black enclosed shoes throughout clinical placement. Placement uniform shirts will be provided by Wodonga TAFE.

It is recommended that students have a laptop, ipad or tablet to complete coursework. Free WiFi is available on campus, and access to library and study spaces on campus are available to all enrolled students.

Field Placement

Clinical Placement

• Students must be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of their first clinical placement.
• All students will undertake 400 hours of unpaid clinical placement. Placement is arranged by Wodonga TAFE and meets the minimum 400 hours required by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC).
• Clinical placement is divided into blocks. Students are required to attend from Monday to Sunday as rostered by the placement venue, and may involves shift work hours, for example, 7am-3.30pm or 2pm-10.30pm; may include public holidays and some venues require some travel.
• For successful course completion, 100% attendance is required at all rostered placements. The exact dates are arranged and timetabled into the program, but may change subject to clinical venue availability. - The specific aims of the clinical placement are: to apply knowledge learned during your course in the workplace whilst gaining skills that are recognised by industry allowing you to become familiar with employers’ expectations which may increase your employment options and employability skills.
• A current National Police Records Check and a valid Working with Children’s Check and confirmation of immunisation status are all required prior to placement.
• If you do not have records of your immunisation status you will need to visit a medical practitioner to obtain written proof of protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis B, tuberculosis/QuantiFERON Gold status, and polio. Annual influenza vaccine is strongly recommended and may be a requirement of some venues for clinical placement. There may be a cost to yourself when updating or receiving vaccination/s.
• Please note that depending on the availability of placement, the dates of this course may be extended to allow for completion.
• As part of placement requirements students must wear navy or black full-length pants, and black enclosed shoes throughout clinical placement. Placement uniform shirts will be provided by Wodonga TAFE.
• Some travel will be required which may impose an extra cost. If placement is in areas other than the local region, accommodation and travel costs will need to be met by the student.
• You must now be fully (third dose or booster) COVID-19 vaccinated to attend student placement in a healthcare, aged care or disability setting. A change to the COVID-19 Pandemic Orders was implemented on 12 January 2022 regarding vaccination requirements for healthcare workers. This requires students undertaking placement to provide evidence of their COVID-19 third dose vaccination status, or a medical exemption by an authorised medical practitioner, to be permitted to work onsite. This applies if you are enrolled in a healthcare, aged care or disability program that requires you to undertake a student placement.

Assessment

The assessments will enable students to demonstrate the underpinning knowledge, skills and attributes required to meet the course outcomes. A range of assessment strategies to meet different student’s needs will be selected, including reports, presentations, tests and practical demonstrations of your skills and knowledge learned.

Course coordinators arrange regular review meetings with each student, to discuss their progress in the course. Any concerns can be discussed at these meetings and supports can be put in place to assist students where needed. Students can make appointments with their coordinators at any time through the course.

Other Information

This Diploma level course will require approximately 8-12 hours of self-directed learning per week.

Compulsory Units

BSBPEF402 Develop personal work priorities
CHCPOL003 Research and apply evidence to practice
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
HLTENN057 Contribute to the nursing care of a person with diabetes
HLTWHS006 Manage personal stressors in the work environment
CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety
CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice
HLTAAP002 Confirm physical health status
HLTAAP003 Analyse and respond to client health information
HLTENN035 Practise nursing within the Australian health care system
HLTENN036 Apply communication skills in nursing practice
HLTENN037 Perform clinical assessment and contribute to planning nursing care
HLTENN038 Implement, monitor and evaluate nursing care
HLTENN039 Apply principles of wound management
HLTENN040 Administer and monitor medicines and intravenous therapy
HLTENN041 Apply legal and ethical parameters to nursing practice
HLTENN042 Implement and monitor care for a person with mental health conditions
HLTENN043 Implement and monitor care for a person with acute health conditions
HLTENN044 Implement and monitor care for a person with chronic health conditions
HLTENN045 Implement and monitor care of the older person
HLTENN047 Apply nursing practice in the primary health care setting
HLTENN068 Provide end of life care and a palliative approach in nursing practice
HLTINF006 Apply basic principles and practices of infection prevention and control
HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for direct client care

Certification

By successfully completing this course you will receive a nationally recognised AQF Qualification. As a successful graduate of the Diploma of Nursing course, you will be eligible to apply for registration as an Enrolled Nurse to the Nursing and Midwifery (NMBA) Board of Australia to practise and work as an Enrolled Nurse.

Fees

From 1 January 2019, Free TAFE for Priority Courses is a Victorian Government program that will pay your tuition fees to study in this selected course at Wodonga TAFE, if you’re eligible, subject to minimum numbers.

Government Funded $16,893.00 (Tuition $15,912.00, Materials $981.00)

Fee For Service $23,965.00 (Tuition $22,984.00, Materials $981.00)

Fees Additional Information

Additional course costs that may apply
Please note depending on individual circumstance there may be additional costs that apply throughout the completion of your qualification. These will be discussed further with your Course Coordinator, and may include:
- Working With Children Check
- National Police Check
- Vaccination requirements
- Workwear requirements for applied learning and placement (see further details in ‘Requirements’)
- Travel and accommodation costs for placement requirements.

Note: The student tuition fees published are indicative only and can be subject to change given individual circumstances at the time of enrolment. Funding made available to eligible individuals by State and Commonwealth Governments. If funding is utilised, this may affect opportunities to access additional funding in the future. For more information see Fees, Funding & Loans information

Materials Fees

• Resource learning subscriptions
  - Placement log booklet
  - Clinical placement uniform shirts

Careers

Enrolled Nurse

Pathways

Take your career to the next level, with further study! Our university partnerships enable you to receive credit towards a relevant university degree for the qualification you have already successfully completed with Wodonga TAFE. Find out more via www.wodongatafe.edu.au/careerdirect

Study pathways with Wodonga TAFE

Other Relevant Courses

CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Disability specialisations) CHC33021; Certificate III in Health Services Assistance HLT33115; Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance HLT43015

How to apply

1. Apply online via the ‘Apply Now’ link in the course information. You will be asked to complete documentation during the application process to identify how you will meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s (NMBA) English language requirements and provide evidence as required. You must provide evidence that you meet the English language requirements prior to being offered a place in this program. On receipt of your course application you will be emailed an ‘Application Requirement Questionnaire’ electronic form.

2. Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) & Digital Requirements. You will be required to attend Wodonga TAFE and undertake a supervised CSPA Core Skills Profile for Adults assessment. This assessment will cover Reading, Writing and Numeracy and to continue to the next stage, you need to achieve a result of Exit Level 3 or above for Reading and Numeracy, Exit Level 2, Working at Level 3 for Writing. You will also need to complete your Digital Course Ready Assessment, to assess your digital literacy capabiltites. Booking details for this assessment will be provided to in the ‘Application Requirement Questionnaire’ electronic form. Please allow a maximum of 2 hours to complete these assessments on campus.

3. Attend a face-to-face interview (this will be a group interview followed by an individual interview). You will be contacted to arrange an interview time and you will need to provide evidence at the interview that you have satisfactorily completed the English language requirements within the last 5 years and sign a declaration to that effect (please see the English Language Standards requirements below). Please note, the application process for the course is competitive and no guarantee can be given that alternative interview dates will be available. Students being offered an interview will receive an email outlining what to bring and what to expect during the interview.

4. Await the outcome of your interview. You will be notified by our Customer Experience team if you have or have not been offered a place. Note: If an applicant is not accepted into their preferred course they will be contacted and provided information on alternate pathways and/or courses.

Please note: We reserve the right to close course intakes early. Many courses have limited places and high demand. Early applications are recommended. We reserve the right to cancel intakes and courses if there are insufficient student numbers.