Diploma of Nursing
HLT54121
Length
2 Years (full time)
2.5 Years (part time)
Study Mode
On Campus
Diploma of Nursing - HLT54121
Explore this course:
Course Overview
Start your journey toward an exciting career in the healthcare sector by enrolling in our Diploma of Nursing course.
The Diploma of Nursing prepares students for employment as an enrolled nurse, working under the supervision of a registered nurse. The course is designed to help build knowledge and skills in a practical learning environment, through 440 hours of work placement experience, where participants will gain the skills to help provide aged, acute, community, and rehabilitative care under the direction of a registered nurse.
This course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Successful completion of the Diploma of Nursing course will mean graduates are eligible to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, in accordance with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for registration as an enrolled nurse.
This course is currently available as part of the Free TAFE scheme but is subject to eligibility requirements and may change in the future.
This information relates to 2025 course delivery. If required, students will be notified of 2024 course information and fees during the onboarding process.
Careers & study pathways
Where can this course take me?
Graduates are eligible for registration as enrolled nurses with the NMBA through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). On completion, graduates will be eligible to seek employment opportunities across a variety of settings including:
- Residential Aged Care Facilities
- Hospitals
- Community Health Centres
- Medical Practices
Further study
After graduating, participants might like to undertake further study in the HLT64121 Advanced Diploma of Nursing or a Bachelor of Nursing at University.
Course details
Upcoming dates and times
Choose a location below to learn more about when this course is offered and on which days you’ll need to attend.
Echuca
(1 commencing soon)
Starts On: 28-Apr-2025 - Part time - Monday & Tuesday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 21-Apr-2025
Seymour - Wallis Street
(2 commencing soon)
Starts On: 28-Jan-2025 - Part time - Wednesday & Friday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 21-Jan-2025
Starts On: 21-Jul-2025 - Full time - Wednesday, Thursday & Friday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 14-Jul-2025
Shepparton - Fryers Street
(4 commencing soon)
Starts On: 28-Jan-2025 - Full time - Monday, Wednesday & Thursday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 21-Jan-2025
Starts On: 28-Jan-2025 - Part time - Wednesday & Friday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 21-Jan-2025
Starts On: 21-Jul-2025 - Full time - Wednesday, Thursday & Friday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 14-Jul-2025
Starts On: 21-Jul-2025 - Part time - Tuesday & Friday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 14-Jul-2025
Wangaratta - Docker Street
(2 commencing soon)
Starts On: 28-Jan-2025 - Part time - Tuesday & Thursday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 21-Jan-2025
Starts On: 21-Jul-2025 - Part time - Tuesday & Wednesday - 9.00am - 4.00pm - On Campus - Applications Close: 14-Jul-2025
Study units
Take a look at some of the subjects you’ll be studying when you take this course.
This course requires a total of 25 units: 20 core and 5 elective.
Core units
20 unit(s)
- CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
- CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety
- CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice
- HLTAAP002 Confirm physical health status
- HLTAAP003 Analyse and respond to client health information
- HLTENN035 Practise nursing within the Australian health care system
- HLTENN036 Apply communication skills in nursing practice
- HLTENN037 Perform clinical assessment and contribute to planning nursing care
- HLTENN038 Implement, monitor and evaluate nursing care
- HLTENN039 Apply principles of wound management
- HLTENN040 Administer and monitor medicines and intravenous therapy
- HLTENN041 Apply legal and ethical parameters to nursing practice
- HLTENN042 Implement and monitor care for a person with mental health conditions
- HLTENN043 Implement and monitor care for a person with acute health conditions
- HLTENN044 Implement and monitor care for a person with chronic health conditions
- HLTENN045 Implement and monitor care of the older person
- HLTENN047 Apply nursing practice in the primary health care setting
- HLTENN068 Provide end of life care and a palliative approach in nursing practice
- HLTINF006 Apply basic principles and practices of infection prevention and control
- HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for direct client care
Elective units
5 unit(s)
- BSBPEF402 Develop personal work priorities
- CHCPOL003 Research and apply evidence to practice
- HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
- HLTENN057 Contribute to the nursing care of a person with diabetes
- HLTWHS006 Manage personal stressors in the work environment
Attendance & commitment
General public face-to-face delivery | 2 years course length | Full-time study load
Students are expected to:
- Attend on-campus classes two days per week (6 hours each day) and one day per week in the simulated lab (6 hours).
- Spend approximately 10 hours per week working through their course materials, research, revision, and completion of assessments.
- Attend a minimum of 80% of scheduled classes and 100% of lab simulation
- Complete 440 hours of placement, as outlined in the placement details below.
General public face-to-face delivery | 2.5 years course length | Part-time study load
Students are expected to:
- Attend on campus 1.5 days per week (6 hours) and 0.5 days per week in the simulated lab (6 hours).
- Spend approximately 6 hours per week working through their course materials, research, revision, and completion of assessments.
- Attend a minimum of 80% of scheduled classes and 100% for lab simulation.
- Complete 440 hours of placement, as outlined in the placement details below.
Echuca Regional Health sub-contract face-to-face delivery | 2.5 years course length | Part-time study load
Students are expected to:
- Attend on campus 1.5 days per week (6 hours) and 0.5 days per week in the simulated lab (6 hours).
- Spend approximately 6 hours per week working through their course materials, research, revision, and completion of assessments.
- Attend a minimum of 80% of scheduled classes and 100% for lab simulation.
Placement
- This course has 440 hours of placement, organised by the Placement Coordinator at GOTAFE.
- Placement occurs in 4 blocks. Each block lasts for 2, 3, and 4 weeks (40 hours per week to align with a standard nursing shift). Hours will vary and may range between 7 am- 3.30 pm OR 1.00 pm- 9.30 pm including weekends and public holidays.
- Students may need to travel and complete placement in any part of Regional Victoria or Metropolitan Melbourne (at their own cost).
- Students will be required to complete a Fitness for Practice Declaration.
- GOTAFE uniform is required to be purchased on induction day and worn during placement.
- 100% attendance is required for placement.
- During their placement students will be required to undertake the role of an Enrolled Nurse and their skills and knowledge will be assessed by a GOTAFE trainer and assessor.
- Theory and simulated tasks must be satisfactorily completed before attendance at each placement.
The following units’ assessment requirements need to be met before attending placement:
- Placement 1 FNP:
- HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for direct client care
- HLTAAP002 Confirm physical health status
- HLTENN036 Apply communication skills in nursing practice
- Placement 2 PHC:
- CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
- CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety
- HLTAAP003 Analyse and respond to client health information
- HLTWHS006 Manage Personal stresses in the work environment
- Placement 3 CNP:
- BSBPEF402 Develop personal work priorities
- CHCPOL003 Research and apply evidence to practice
- CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice
Assessment methods
Assessment methods may include:
- Simulated roleplays
- Simulated demonstrations
- Objective testing
- Knowledge assessments
- Case studies
- Practical simulated assessments
- Workplace demonstrations
Before you begin
Entry requirements
Review the 2025 Course Information Pack
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.
- 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, required annually.
- 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.
- AHPRA Student Registration
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 stationery, 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.
Fees and payments
This course is available as part of the Free TAFE scheme for eligible students.
Fees and costs
GOTAFE offers a range of payment options to help you pay your tuition fees, so you can get on with your studies.
This training is delivered with Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding to eligible individuals.
Please note that the fees on this webpage, for this particular course:
- are correct at the time of publishing for those enrolling in 2025 and may change without notice.
- will be discussed with applications as part of the application process to ensure it is understood what is being paid for and which fee rates they may be eligible for.
Course Fees consist of three different components:
- Student Tuition Fee - covers the costs of training and assessment. These fees vary across courses and are calculated based on a rate per nominal hour enrolled in. The student tuition fees as published are subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. Circumstances may include:
- an individual’s eligibility for Victorian (Skills First) and Commonwealth government-funded training
- an individual’s eligibility for concession rates on Victorian (Skills First) and Commonwealth government-funded training
- ineligible individuals who are required to pay the full fees for tuition and other costs.
- Material Fee - where applicable, cover the costs of classroom consumables, handouts and booklets, e-Learning resources and associated license access fees and excursions.
- Student Services Fee (SSF) – contributes to the provision of student engagement, learning and support services. SSF is a non-refundable annual fee that does not apply to short-course participants.
Additionally, some courses require students to purchase or supply textbooks, kits, tools, uniforms and personal protection equipment. Some specific materials may be purchased through the GOTAFE Bookshop. A full list with associated costs will be provided to you at your course information session, induction session, or during the pre-training review interview.
GOTAFE offers a range of payment options to help you pay your fees.
Learn more about fees, charges, refunds and payment options
Student support
As an enrolled student at GOTAFE you may access a wide range of academic support services to assist you to meet the academic challenges of your course from our Learning Support Unit.
Learning support
A free and confidential service to help you build the foundation skills you need to be successful at TAFE. Improve your english language, maths and/or writing skills; enhance your computer, exam and study skills.
Learn more about our learning support services
Library
Our library team are passionate about supporting students to achieve their study goals. They have subject guides, referencing help, and online resources to assist you with you assessments.
Find how to reach out to our library in Shepparton
Jobs and study options
Our Skills and Jobs Centres can assist and talk through options for courses, careers, assistance with job applications and more.
Reach out to our Skills and Jobs Centres
Contingent Study Arrangements
Where a situation arises that prevents campus attendance (such as COVID restrictions, natural disasters, etc.) and it is deemed an appropriate response in protecting the health and safety of staff, students, and visitors, this course will adapt to alternative training arrangements, possibly using online methods of teaching and/or communication while students engage from home with their Trainers. Any required practical components of the course will be moved to a more appropriate time.
Whether you need support with time management, your mental health, grief and loss, a diagnosed disability, financial hardship, or any other challenge life throws your way, we are here to help.
Support for personal issues
We have a dedicated team to ensure students have the help they need with personal issues impacting studies such as homelessness, family problems & setting up payment plans.
Find out how the Student Experience Team can help you
Disability support
Get access to the supports and adjustments you need for your disability or medical condition to be successful in your studies.
Seek support from our Equitable Learning Advisors
Counselling services
We offer free counselling services to help you work through life's challenges including grief and loss, mental health or relationships.
Learn about our Student Wellbeing Advisors
Koorie Unit
The Koorie Unit is a culturally safe space on our Shepparton Fryers Street Campus for all Koorie students enrolled and studying through GOTAFE, or with one of our education partnering organisations.
Refer to the Student Handbook for information regarding Learner’s Rights Student Handbook.
Further information is provided at course induction.
Browse other courses
Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance (HLT33021)
This GOTAFE qualification reflects the role of a new worker wanting to become an Allied Health Assistant and gain entry to the aged care, disability and other health sectors.
Provide First Aid (SA11FAID24)
This short course describes the skills and knowledge required to provide a first aid response to a casualty in line with first aid guidelines.
Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (SA09FAID24)
This short course applies to individuals who may be required to provide CPR in a range of situations.