Nurse Job Kit

NURSE with STEM™ CAREERS JOB KIT

Be rewarded for your compassion in this future-proof career

Caring for others gives more than it takes.

Thinking about a career in nursing? Open doors at ACU to a lifelong, flexible, transportable and varied career, developing the skills and professional connections you need to launch your career in nursing.

DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

As well as working in a hospital or community setting, there’s a huge variety of career paths available for qualified nurses. For example, there’s telehealth nursing, where you can deliver care online or over the phone to patients who are unable to travel to in-person appointments.

You could join a healthcare team that flies into rural and remote communities to deliver essential nursing care. Or become a flight nurse, responsible for patients who are being transported by plane.

Maybe you’re craving the challenge of forensic mental health nursing, which involves providing therapeutic care in settings including prisons, secure hospitals, working with the courts or in the community.

No matter where your nursing career takes you, you’ll have a positive impact on the lives of your patients.

Real rewards

Nursing opens doors to a world of opportunities you may have never considered

As a child I was always drawn to nursing; my mother and sister were both nurses. Nursing for me has opened so many doors and opportunities — including working in hospitals as a nurse, educator and manager, and working in rural and remote communities with First Nations peoples.

Nursing offers a rich and rewarding career, as part of a team with different healthcare professionals working to deliver the best personand family-centered care.

As a young adult, I completed my Bachelor of Nursing degree before specialising in critical care nursing working in intensive care in the Northern Territory. Throughout different clinical roles

I completed my Masters of Nursing and then, more recently, a PhD. I am now very proud that nursing within my family continues as my daughter recently graduated as a Registered Nurse. It’s a privilege to be part of a patient’s and family’s journey to achieving their health goals.

Within nursing you can specialise to work with the groups of people that you want to help: children (pediatrics), in emergency departments or intensive care (critical care), mental health, aged care, or with people nearing the end of their lives (palliative care), to name a few.

Nursing is a diverse, rich and rewarding career”

Nurses are always in demand. It’s a career that offers work/life balance, and a great career for people who want to travel after graduating. Here at ACU, there is a real sense of family. While it’s a national university with six campuses, our nursing students tell us they appreciate being known individually. Our students also have opportunities to study abroad — including at our campus in Rome and through our Short-Term International Study Experience programs. Our lecturers get to know students and if a student is struggling we have a range of support services to help them get through. As a university we’re here to look after students to make sure they succeed and achieve their goals.

Natasha Franklin Deputy Head, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine, Blacktown campus, ACU

Natasha Franklin Deputy Head, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine, acu

ANYTHING IS PULSE-IBLE…

… when you study a nursing degree! Let’s explore where it could take you.

WWhy study at ACU

If you want to be equipped with excellent clinical skills and known for your quick thinking and compassion, choosing an ACU nursing degree is the right move. ACU is home to the biggest nursing school in Australia, and also has a long list of hospital and health care partners, meaning you’ll get some awesome opportunities for industry placements and even future employment. Keen to head overseas while you study? You can, as they work with care facilities around the world.

Your degree options include:

Bachelor of Nursing

Bachelor of Nursing (Enrolled Nurses)

Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)

Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Business Admin

Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Paramedicine

Did you know?

Globally, an additional nine million nurses and midwives are needed by 2030.

ant a future proof, in-demand job? Become a nurse! According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, there are currently 54,100 enrolled nurses and 303,000 registered nurses in Australia… but we need more. The 2023 Skills Priority List shows a shortage of registered nurses in every Australian state and territory, so there are plenty of opportunities for you to carve your own career path. Nursing is an amazing and rewarding career – no two days on the job will ever be the same and you’ll be actively making a difference to people’s lives and health. It’s also a career you can combine with other passions and interests. You could specialise in mental health, cardiac care, neuroscience, surgical, correctional health, intensive care, paediatrics and more.

Pay day

According to SEEK, the average salary of a registered nurse is $80,000 to $90,000.

ACU is also home to the Nursing Research Institute, which runs in partnership with the St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. It brings together researchers and clinicians to implement evidence-based care to improve things such as stroke management and patient outcomes. Scan here to find out more!

Enrolled vs registered

What’s the difference?

An enrolled nurse can monitor patients and record temperature, pulse and blood pressure, administer medicine, and help patients with general daily living activities. They work with a wider team and under the supervision of a registered nurse. A registered nurse has a larger scope than an enrolled nurse. They can assess patients, create care plans, supervise enrolled nurses and junior team members, and work in leadership positions.

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Career paths

FYI, nurses work in all kinds of areas and at different levels. Here are some future job titles to consider:

• Enrolled nurse

• Registered nurse

• Aged care nurse

• Mental health nurse

• Clinical education nurse

• Paediatric nurse

• Surgical nurse

Nursing + maths = a strong combo

First things first, don’t drop maths if you want to be a nurse – you’ll use it every single day! You’ll need:

• Arithmetic for IV and medication calculations

• Metric conversions and decimals when dealing with weight

• Fractions, ratios, rounding and unit conversions for administering medication dosages

• Percentages for giving oxygen

Soft skills

Besides the nursing knowledge you’ll pick up while studying, you’ll need:

• Communication

• Time management

• Teamwork

• Problem solving

• Professionalism

• Adaptability

• Empathy

• Leadership

10places you could work (besides a hospital)

1Disability services

2Rehabilitation services

3Specialist centres

4Community health

5Residential aged care facilities

6Hospital emergency departments

7Local and state government health departments

8Not-for-profit organisations

9Mental health services

10Rural health services

Postgrad power

Postgrad study at ACU is a great way to level up your nursing career. From graduate certificates and diplomas to Master’s degrees, you could gain extra qualifications in clinical nursing, mental health, leadership and management in healthcare, public health, and digital health. To learn more, visit bit.ly/ACUNursingPostGrad

Giving and growing

The opportunity to help communities and learn new

every day makes nursing the perfect career path for Arvin Ramos

Motivated by his passion for healthy living and caring for others, Arvin switched career paths after studying and finishing several courses. He decided on a Bachelor of Nursing at ACU, is now in his third year and hasn’t looked back.

As a mature-age student and a father of two teenagers, Arvin likes that his degree is flexible and fits in around his busy daily schedule of work and family. He highly rates the ACU lecturers and tutors too. “The staff and instructors are very willing to assist in my every need.”

Placements have been a highlight of the degree. Arvin’s first was at an aged care facility, which he says opened his eyes to how dementia patients should be cared for. He also had a rural placement working with Indigenous patients,

There’s a great opportunity to be part of improving lives”

allowing him to better understand their culture and beliefs and how to then give appropriate healthcare. Arvin is now pursuing a career in the disability sector. “The National Disability Insurance Scheme has opportunities for nurses to service their clients in the community,” he explains. “I find that patients get treated for their symptoms and illness at the hospital, but their recovery really happens at home after they get discharged. This is a great opportunity to actually be part of improving their lives.”

Arvin says the passion and fun of learning has been reignited in him by studying a Bachelor of Nursing at ACU. “I also learned that there is no age limit to learning and studying, it is not too late to chase that passion.”

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A day in the life of a… REGISTERED ANAESTHETIC NURSE

Reeya Shakya loves the variety she gets as a registered nurse

Initially considering biomedical engineering, Reeya was encouraged into nursing by her family members, one of whom is also a nurse.

Reeya says it was in her first year of learning anatomy and physiology, and then experiencing her first professional placement, when she realised what an engaging profession nursing would be.

After moving to Australia, Reeya embarked on a Bachelor of Nursing at ACU and says her teachers were super helpful, including finding students placements during pandemic lockdowns.

Reeya also enjoyed working part-time for ACU as a Technical Assistant in a role in one of the university’s simulations

You always have a pathway you can take.”

labs, where students work with high-tech mannequins and prepare for lab classes in a simulated hospital environment.

Now loving nursing and working not one but three jobs by choice to explore the possibilities of nursing, Reeya’s early career has seen her try a bunch of different work settings to see which she enjoys the most.

7.30am

I meet my first patient of the day, and approaching them with warmth and empathy conduct pre-operative checks with precision. Beyond the medical checklist, I take the time to build a connection, offering reassurance and emotional support to alleviate any anxieties surrounding the upcoming surgery.

8am

“It’s never a boring job. You always have a pathway you can take. So if you don’t want to do bedside nursing, you can work in an operating theatre and learn things there. Or if you don’t want to work in a hospital, you can do home care, or aged care, or even teaching,” Reeya says.

Having found she enjoys all of her current roles, Reeya is now working towards having her own business working with a team of nurses.

Here’s

what a day in Reeya’s work life is like:

6.30am

I arrive at the hospital, enter the operating theatre, and check the anaesthetic machine to ensure everything is working.

7.00am

Safety is paramount so I meticulously scan the theatre for any potential hazards, ensuring a smooth and secure environment for both patients and staff.

I prepare materials needed in case of an emergency, which include an airway trolley containing all the equipment needed to protect the patient’s airway if things go wrong. I also check and ensure an ample supply of medications and equipment for the day’s procedures.

As the surgical team prepares to begin, I ensure the doctors have all the necessary information at their fingertips. I assist the anaesthetist in the delicate process of intubating the patient and assist with administering anaesthetic medication. I monitor vital signs and ensure patient comfort, remaining calm amid the flurry of activity. As the procedures draw to a close, I help the anaesthetist to extubate the patient and then conduct a handover with the recovery nurse, ensuring a seamless transition of care. I then bring the next patient in and follow similar steps.

12:30 pm

After handing over to the afternoon nurse I head for lunch.

1:20 pm

I give other staff a break and set up equipment for the next day.

2.30pm

I head home with a warm feeling knowing I’ve helped someone who needed it.

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Get

Follow

These nurses will give you insights into the profession as you scroll Instagram:

@nurse.blake

For hilarious nurse humour you’ll want to send your mates

@sarah_gaines

For lots of travel nursing inspo

@nursemariela

For all the career growth tips

Electives checklist

✔ Maths ✔ English

✔ Biology ✔ PDHPE

✔ Community and Family Studies

Read

Get your nose into these books, future nurse!

• Off the Charts by Georgie Carroll

• How to Thrive as a Newly Qualified Nurse by Carol Forde-Johnston

• The Courage to Care: A Call for Compassion by Anna Kent

• ER Nurses: True Stories from the Frontline by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann

Get on campus

Keep an eye out for ACU’s next Open Day so you can head along to find out more about their nursing degrees from staff and students. Their Blacktown campus is especially good and their facilities will have you popping them at the top of your uni preferences list right away. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the nursing labs and bed simulation wards!

Celebrate

Watch

Settle in on the couch with these shows, all in the name of research for your future nursing career!

Each year, International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale (the founder of modern nursing). It’s a day to appreciate and give a shout out to nurses and how they contribute to and help society. If you know a nurse, treat them with a self-care gift or tell them how incredible you think they are.

Nurses (Apple TV): be a fly on the wall in Australian hospitals to see how nurses (a.k.a. heroes!) face life and death situations every day.

One Born Every Minute

Australia (10 Play): find out what it’s like to work at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital Birthing Unit.

Keeping Australia Alive (ABC iview): this doco snapshots the Australian health system with 100 cameras over 24 hours.

24 Hours in A&E (7plus): takes you behind the scenes of some of the UK’s busiest emergency departments.

The Mind, Explained (Netflix): if you’re interested in mental health, this series delves into everything from anxiety to dreaming to see how the brain works.

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