Diploma of Nursing

This course will provide you with the foundational skills and knowledge to work as a nurse in the dynamic healthcare industry.

You'll learn to provide acute, preventative, curative and rehabilitative care under the direction of a registered nurse. You will gain hands-on learning experience in our ward simulation labs as well as clinical experience through 400 hours of practical placements.

You will become knowledgeable in topics including:

• medication administration
• anatomy and physiology
• infection control
• intravenous injections
• general nursing.

This course equips you with the skills, competencies and knowledge to apply for registration as an Enrolled Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

With an increasing and ageing population, the nursing sector is anticipated to continue to grow. A Diploma of Nursing HLT54121 from Victoria University Polytechnic can help you launch a career in an industry where you'll make a positive contribution to the people you care for, and the wider community. This course provides a pathway to many exciting and rewarding career options within the healthcare industry.

On completion, you will have the skills, competencies and knowledge to apply for registration as an enrolled nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. As an enrolled nurse (in the past you might have heard it called Division 2 nurse) you could find work in a variety of fields from public or private hospitals to private nursing or community health care facilities.

Potential areas of work include:

• acute care
• rehabilitation
• mental health
• aged care
• palliative care
• community care
• operating theatres
• general practice
• home nursing
• surgical care
• pathology
• paediatric care
• maternity.

Graduates of Victoria University Polytechnic and Victoria University's nursing courses are known in the industry for their extensive practical experience before they finish their studies.

The course structure comprises the following core and elective units. These electives have been selected based on industry needs, graduate pathways and/or student and teacher feedback.
To be awarded HLT54121 Diploma of Nursing, a student must successfully complete a total of twenty-five (25) units of competency consisting of:

• Twenty (20) core units, and;
• Five (5) elective units, consisting of:

• At least Three (3) units from the electives list below; and,
• Up to Two (2) units from the list below, from any endorsed Training Package or accredited course - these units must be relevant to the work outcome.

In order to register as an Enrolled Nurse, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) requires the student to complete a minimum of four hundred (400) hours of practical placement.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

You may be able to complete your qualification sooner through formal recognition of your existing skills. This is known as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

To receive RPL, we assess your previous work, education and life experiences against recognised qualifications. Applications for RPL can be made prior to enrolling.

Call us on 1300 TAFE VP (1300 823 387) to discuss RPL options with the course manager.

Before starting your application, please read through the step-by-step VU Polytechnic application process to make sure you have all the necessary documents and information ready to successfully complete your application.

Before applying, you should consider whether you also want to apply for:

• Credit transfer/Recognition of prior learning (RPL): If you have significant experience or studies elsewhere you may be eligible for credit for some units of your course and not have to undertake them.