Entry requirements

Review the 2024 Course Information Pack here.

GOTAFE entry requirements

Before being accepted into the course applicants must:

• Complete a Basic Key Skills Builder (BKSB) online test to ensure the required literacy and numeracy levels for the course are met.
• Undertake a Pre-training Review by interview to ensure the course suits their needs and aspirations, and that they are likely to complete the course successfully.
• All students must be at least 18 years of age at enrolment.
• Students are required to review the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s (NMBA) requirements for registration as an enrolled nurse to ensure that they can meet these requirements.
• All students will be registered with AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) by GOTAFE before the commencement of their studies. GOTAFE is required to notify AHPRA if a student undertaking clinical training has an impairment that may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

English language requirements

Students must be able to demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s (NMBA) English language skills registration standard.

Proof of this English language competency must be provided and can be achieved via one of the following pathways:

• Primary Language Pathway
  The student's primary language is English, and they have undertaken and satisfactorily completed at least six years of primary and secondary education, including at least two years between Years 7 and 12. Countries include Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Canada, South Africa and the United States of America.
• English Language Test Pathway
  The student must provide evidence of English language proficiency with results from one of the following four tests:
  • IELTS 7.0 (Academic) with no individual band score less than 7.0.
  • OET with a minimum score of B in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
  • PTE Academic with a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
  • TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 94 and the following minimum score in each section of the test 24 for listening, 24 for reading, 27 for writing, and 23 for speaking.

Placement requirements

Before placement students must provide the following:

• National Police Check with no disclosable outcomes, dated within the last 6 months.
• Statutory declaration of no disclosable outcomes if resided overseas for 12+ months since turning 18.
• Working With Children's Check (Volunteer).
• Immunisation History (Immunisation and Health record completed one month before 1st placement as per the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Standardised Student Induction Protocol (SSIP).
• Evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination.
• Fit-to-practice documentation.
• Have the willingness to undertake the NDIS Worker Screening Check if required by placement.
• Mask Fit testing.
• Current First Aid Certificate with annual CPR refresher.

Inherent requirements

Students must:

• Have the ability to work as a member of a team, a high level of communication skills, a desire to commit to the course, and time management skills.
• Have a reasonable level of fitness and physical stamina with no major health issues that would impact the ability to perform nursing duties as required.

Student resources

Students must have:

• A laptop/computer with internet access.
• Access to a digital camera or video camera for visual and audio assessment tasks.
• General stationary (pens, pencils, rulers).
• Textbooks as per the HLT54121 Dip of Nursing - Booklist (available from the GOTAFE Bookshop), which include:
  • Koutoukidis Tabbner’s Nursing Care & Essential Enrolled Nursing Skills Value Pack 7th ed.
  • Mosbys Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. Rev 3rd ed ANZ ed.
  • Marieb Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology. 12th ed.
  • Brown & Edwards Lewis’s Medical-Surgical Nursing 5th ed.
  • Broyles & McKenzie Pharmacology in Nursing. 3rd ANZ ed.
  • Tiziani Havard’s Nursing Guide to Drugs. 10th ed.
• Materials as per HLT54121 Diploma of Nursing - Materials List (available from the GOTAFE Bookshop)
  • GOTAFE student uniform (GOTAFE black scrub top/navy work plants /Nursing black or navy leather closed-in shoes).
  • Clinical Nursing Kit that contains: Aneroid Sphygmomanometer, Tunable Stethoscope, Penlight torch + batteries.
  • Retractable ID Tag
  • Silicone fob watches
  • Other materials available from the GOTAFE Bookshop: pouches, ID card holders, critical second emergency information cards, various stationary, and optional textbooks.

Enrolment

Please note: Eligible individuals who wish to access a government-subsidised place, must participate in a Pre-training Review. This will consider your:

• Aspirations/career goals
• Educational attainment and capability
• Literacy and numeracy skills
• Suitability for Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Transfer

Skills recognition / Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Skills Recognition is an assessment only process that may result in credits towards a part or full qualification. There is no formal training involved, although you may choose to complete further training as a result of the assessment process.

You can apply for Skills Recognition before you enrol in the qualification you are seeking. You can apply for Skills Recognition through one or both of the following processes:

• Credit Transfer for formal training that might be equivalent to a new qualification or partial qualification.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for people who have relevant and current skills and knowledge that they have gained through non-formal or informal learning i.e. work or life experience.