Been thinking I need to go study something for awhile
Nursing has always been at the top of my list however I’ve never liked the idea of paying 30ish k when friends from other countries (Finland / Germany) get it for free / under 1k
With all this down time because of the virus I’m curious about alternative options, such as studying online through a university in another country (Argentina / Sweden etc)
Has this sort of path been explored?
Fixed ;)
Free TAFE Diploma of Nursing https://holmesglen.edu.au/Students/Fees/Free-TAFE-for-priori…
https://www.tafensw.edu.au/course/-/c/c/HLT54115-01/Diploma-…
It'll be online, study at home
I’ll check them out thanks :)
When I studied nursing several years ago, I chose to do the diploma of nursing through TAFE to become an endorsed enrolled nurse, then used that qualification to get a 12 month credit toward the bachelor of nursing course, making it a 2 yr course instead of 3. Great benefit of doing it this way is you can work as a nurse while studying your bachelors degree, and if you decide that nursing isn't for you,you can still have a qualification without investing as much time in your studies before getting into the workforce. When I did this (almost a decade ago, things may have changed by now), if you were receiving a government payment from centrelink, you could do the TAFE course at a subsidised price, I think it was $50 per semester. A course will never just be an online course because you will still have to do several hundred hours of clinical placement, and also need to do clinical labs.
Why on earth would anyone pay 30k to be a nurse?
why on earth would they charge 30k to make one nurse?
OP doesn't seem too keen on investing in their education if they keep trying to cheap out on it.
Did that course 3 years ago
Thanks for reminding me :)
Did that course 3 years ago
Not sure how you did that when you created that thread 2 years and 8 months ago.
Has this sort of path been explored?
No, this is uncharted territory. You would be the first to explore. If sucessful, they may even name the pathway after you .. the "letmethefuqin nursing pathway"
Would you be able to do it through HECS/HELP whatever it's called these days?
I'd probably avoid going the international route as you'll most likely have trouble landing a job.
I agree, the cost for international qualified nurses to get qualification in Australia is over $15000 through the college of nursing.
https://www.acn.edu.au/education/postgraduate-course/bridgin…
Nursing degree usually require placements within a variety of healthcare settings. What makes you think you can graduate from an online course and expect to be able to work in Australia without this?
This.
If you’re studying B.RN you will be required to do lengthy placements in various healthcare settings, that need to meet the standards of the course that you’re studying, and in the case of Australia, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. You’ll need to be able to demonstrate effective and safe practice that meets the Australian Standards.
Students studying in a Uni externally needed to travel to do their placements, this was in part I think because the Uni needed to ensure that the healthcare providers were liaising with the School of Nursing, and to ensure that the students were essentially doing appropriate placements relative to where they were in their degree.
If you study at a TAFE, the highest qualification you will be able to achieve is Enrolled Nurse, whereas if you want to be an Registered Nurse you’ll need to go to Uni.
Distance learning is an option, but I’d be cautious because whilst you’ll be able to do all the theory, the practical can be a pain in the ass because you’ll be need to certified by prac assessments and it can be very inpractical to be able to practice your skills when you’ve only got a limited amount of time to practice those skills.
Nursing is a good degree because there is a huge amount of scope of practice in the degree where you can be doing training, education, hospital work, clinics, aged care, disability care, theatre work. But, I should note that there are some specialities where you practically need to have done some work in that area to be able to walk in and do it, but a lot of the skills are fairly transferable, and you need that RN ticket to be able to certain things.
My suggestion would be that if you want to work as a Nurse in Australia that you train in Australia. I’d think that the same issues that international students have here you may have as an international student overseas, but I’m not 100%.
That’s a really good point I completely forgot about
I can see what doing it outside of Australia would be more complex
Thanks :)
I think any degrees need to be accredited or recognised by AHPRA as well.
You need to find out more about the field you want to go into. Do you want to be a RN or EN? If you want to be an RN, you'll need to do a Bachelor's degree.
If you're serious about being a nurse, I'd suggest you look at enrolling at whichever major university is closest to you. There's no cheap or easy shortcut to getting a good education, otherwise everyone would be out there doing exactly that.
If you just want to sign up to an online course to learn some new things whilst in isolation, I'd strongly suggest against a nursing program because it's actually genuinely hard work.
Just become a wardy, still pays good with less quals.
Defence force nursing.
Like others have mentioned, the decision must be made. Do you want to be a RN (Registered Nurse) or EN (Enrolled Nurse).
What is/are the difference?
EN - Cannot administer intravenous medications is the main bit. Certain positions also not available as they require an Bachelor degree eg ICU, CCU, Cardiac
As a RN of 20 years, a clinical facilitator, my suggestion is
Are you committed to have an altered social life? Nurses work shifts/weekends/public holidays so meeting up with normal friends is almost impossible. Your circle of friends will compromise of nurses mostly.
Can you deal with showering/washing patients, cleaning them up, wiping poo etc frequently? While not all nurses works in wards, there is where a majority of them are and the above is a reality.
Can you work autonomously and as a team at the same time? It sounds ridiculous but that is what nurses do and are expected of us. You must work independently of each other but yet work with each other on a shift.
Can you deal with aggressive (verbal/physical) patients, name calling, belittlement, spitting etc? Think of it as a combination of a supermarket cashier + law enforcement + teacher. No belittling their work but in a week, I get all of the above plus more.
You need to have a dark sense of humour. Why? That is how most nurses blow off steam.
Despite what you will be taught/learnt, we develop relationships with our patients. This hurts especially on an oncology ward or palliative care ward when you rock up the next day and their beds are emptied.
During the course of your study, for 2-6 weeks every semester, you go on prac. This is basically unpaid shift work. Have you got a source of income that can provide when this happens.
And unfortunately, Nursing as a whole then to eat their young.
So have a read through and a think through.
If you are still wanting to go for it, try Charles Darwin Uni in NT.
Disclaimer - I am not affiliated to the Charles Darwin uni but my students have relayed to me that it is the cheapest available in Australia. But at the end of the day, do your own research and decide.
EEN's can administer IV medications provided that they have completed the required education (which is part of the diploma course). There may still be some hospitals however that have local policies overriding this.
My SIL did her RN a few years back. She got a scholarship/bursary through The Mater on Sydney's North side. It cost her "very little" and she wasn't bound to work there afterwards. I'm not sure how she got it.
Do you mean stalking or an extremely long autopsy?