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Nursing in
Australia
We have
compiled a concise guide to the process with links to all our sources.
This should give you all you need to embark on your application process.
In order to work in Australia as a Registered Nurse, an overseas-trained
nurse needs to:
Australian
Nursing Boards
Overview
Australia has a public health care system and private health sector. The
public health care system is called Medicare. For more information on Australia’s health care system contact
the Commonwealth Department of Health
and Ageing.
Nurses’ salaries in Australia are determined by ‘Awards’ or
‘Agreements’. These ‘Awards’ and ‘Agreements’ can vary depending on the
state or territory a nurse works in or the area of nursing in which they
practice. Before an employer can be approved to recruit staff from
overseas the employer must sign an undertaking that agrees to pay a
specified minimum salary.
Registration Requirements
In Australia, every State or Territory has an individual Nurse
Registration Board, responsible for regulating nurses within that
region. Before you can practise as a Nurse, you need to register with
the relevant Nurse Regulatory Authority in the state in which you intend
to work. If you are an overseas nurse, then in most cases, before you
can register with the relevant authority, you need to be assessed by the
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) as to whether your
education and experience are of a satisfactory standard or if you will
require further education.
If you were
trained as a nurse in a recognised English speaking countries such as
the UK, Ireland, Singapore, Canada or the USA, the registration process
is fairly straightforward.
However, if
you trained as a nurse outside of these countries, you may be required
to take an exam and a bridging course.
You will be assessed against the following criteria.
English Language Proficiency
Nursing Education
Demonstration of the ANC National Competency
Standards for Registered Nurses
Registration in your country of training
Do I need assessment?
You do not need assessment with the ANC if you are an overseas
nurse who holds a permanent resident visa or if you
are a nurse applying for Working Holiday Visas.
If you fall into one of these categories, then you should apply
directly to the relevant state or territory nurse regulatory authority.
If you do not fall into one of the above categories, then you
will need to apply for assessment with the ANMC.
Visa Application
There are temporary and permanent visas to assist overseas nurses
work in the health care industry in Australia. There is currently a
shortage of nurses in Australia and subsequently qualified nurses are in
high demand. As a result, most visa applications for nurses will receive
priority processing.
For more
information regarding visa, please see
www.immi.gov.au
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