Facts About Different Types of Nurses in Australia
In Australia, the number of ageing population and people with disabilities outweigh the number of nurses available for every region. For this reason, the government encourages more nurses to apply in the country to address the shortage of nurses in home care facilities, public hospitals and other private healthcare companies. If you are interested in working as a nurse in Australia, you can work with a nursing agency. The role of an aged care agency in Australia is very important because these companies tremendously help provide aged care support workers in every region. As a reliable aged care recruitment agency, Life Nurses aims to produce competent nurses for different senior facilities to support the requirements of healthcare in Australia. Moreover, we are a nursing agency in Newcastle that offers prompt 24/7 staffing solutions. Life Nurses not only provides nursing jobs in Newcastle but produces nursing jobs in Australia as well. In this blog, we share the different types of nurse jobs in Australia.1. Registered Nurse
After completing a 3-year Bachelor of Nursing degree in a university, they apply to AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency) to practice as an RN. Registered nurses perform a higher level of duties and responsibilities than other nursing roles in Australia. They can become a unit manager, team leader or administrator. Here are some of their responsibilities:- Assess patients
- Develop nursing care plans
- Administering medications
- Provide specialised nursing care
- Supervise ENs and junior RNs
2. Enrolled Nurses
They are the second-level nurses that are supervised by a Registered Nurse. To be an EN, you should finish a Certificate IV or Diploma in Nursing from a registered training provider. Some of the duties and responsibilities they perform are as follows:- Observing, measuring and recording patient’s vitals
- Report to the attending physician about changes in patient’s condition
- Provides assistance in hygiene and first aid situations
3. Assistant in Nursing
One can become an AIN by getting a TAFE qualification. They are not technically nurses but they perform nursing duties under the supervision and direction of a registered nurse. AINs are also called aged care workers, personal care assistants, care support employees and other terms depending on which health sector they are working for. Some of their tasks are:- Assisting in patient’s personal care activities
- Provide mobility assistance
4. Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurses can become a Nurse Practitioner after getting additional studies and certifications. They are authorised to function autonomously in an advanced and extended clinical role. They perform the following tasks:- Treat patients independently
- Prescribe medications
- Refer patients to specialists
- Issue medical certificates
- Order blood and radiology tests
5. Midwives
In Australia, Midwifery is a specialist study of Nursing. Most midwives are registered nurses who completed additional midwifery qualifications. They perform the following duties and responsibilities:- Give support and care for pregnant women
- Conduct births and provide newborn care
- Do health counselling for the whole family
