Nursing can be a highly rewarding career and it offers an enormous variety of settings for employment and an extensive choice of areas for specialisation and advancement. The registered nurse requires clinical, communication, negotiation, management and decision-making skills and is critical to the healthcare team and work closely with doctors and allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists.

Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Nursing the graduate will have reached the competency levels set by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC). The graduate will be eligible to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA) for entry onto the Register. Following registration the nurse has the opportunity to gain employment in a transition to professional practice program (Graduate Nurse Program). The Bachelor of Nursing program includes both theory and clinical practice components. Clinical practice is gained in clinical laboratories, hospitals, community settings and other health industry locations.

South Australian qualifications for a registered nurse are nationally and internationally recognised for employment purposes. Career pathways within the profession have been designed to allow individuals to follow their own field of interest, gain promotion and improve their earning capacity. There are five parallel streams available: clinical practice, management or administration, education, policy and research, although it is possible to move in and out of each area. In all streams there are differing levels of practice, which may be carried out in the public, private or education sectors.

Working Conditions and Pay Rates

The relevant Industrial Awards determine the working conditions and pay rates. Within the public sector, conditions of employment are negotiated through an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement the most current being the Nursing and Midwifery(South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2010.

Within the private sector, most employers negotiate organisation Enterprise Bargaining Agreements with their employees.

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Range of Employment Opportunities

There are a range of employment and career opportunities for Registered Nurses in:

Acute Care – Public and Private Hospitals

• Medical & Surgical wards
• Specialties that include:

  Critical Care;
  Oncology/Palliative Care;
  Cardiac;
  Infectious Diseases;
  Respiratory;
  Renal;
  Diabetes;
  Gastroenterology and
  ENT

• Operating Theatres
• Emergency Departments
• Paediatrics
• Intensive Care (adult, paediatric, neonatal)
• Research
• Aviation Nursing
• Outpatient Clinics
• Retrieval Teams
• Medical Imaging Services (x-ray)
• Forensic Nursing
• Mental Health Nursing (children, adolescent, adult)

Aged Care/Residential & Extended Care

• Aged Care Facilities
• Retirement Centres
• Residential Day Care
• Rehabilitation Centres
• Hospice Organisations

Nursing & Midwifery Education

• Lecturer at University or TAFE SA
• Clinical Learning Coordinators
• Clinical Educators i.e. Diabetic Educator
• Nurse Educator in hospitals
• Education Administration
• Clinical Supervisor, university students clinical placements
• Professor Nursing & Midwifery
• Dean of School of Nursing & Midwifery

Community Opportunities

• Home Health Services
• Hospital in the Home
• Royal District Nursing Society
• Occupational Health & Safety
• Child & Youth Health
• Community Health Centres
• Women’s Health Centres
• Health Promotion
• Mental Health (children, adolescent, adult)
• Immunisation Services
• Schools
• Drug and Alcohol Services

Government Services

• Public Health Services
• Veteran Affairs
• Armed Forces
• Prisons
• Health Promotion
• Infectious Diseases
• Local Government
• State and Federal Government
• Blood Bank
• Disability Services
• Organ Donation
• Breast Screen

International Health Fields

• Hospitals in other countries
• Embassies
• Military Bases (National and International)
• Private Volunteer Organisations
• Business & Industry
• World Health Organisations
• Missionary Services
• International Health Agencies
• Red Cross

Other Areas

• Marketing and Sales – health industry
• Product Manager – health industry
• Entrepreneur
• Risk Management
• Quality Assurance
• Editor/Writer
• Health Administration
• Patient Advocate
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Information Technology
• Private Consultancy