Alternative education pathways
What if I don’t meet the necessary Year 12 requirements?
If you have not satisfied the necessary secondary education requirements, you may be eligible to undertake a Certificate III in Health Service Assistance and use this as a pathway into nursing or midwifery - see “Assistant in Nursing”.
There are also other bridging programs offered by the various education providers that will prepare you for entry to the course you want, so make contact with them to find out more.
A Certificate IV in Preparation for Entry into Enrolled Nursing will prepare you for entry to a Diploma of Enrolled Nursing course.
A Certificate IV in Health Science Foundations will prepare you for entry into a Bachelor of Nursing or Midwifery at university or a Diploma of Enrolled Nursing.
Assistant in Nursing
As an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) you work as a member of the nursing team, assisting nurses to give general patient care. You will support patients with tasks like helping them with their hygiene, their meals and assisting them to move into and out of bed, and to mobilise around the ward. You will assist nurses to monitor a patient’s condition by measuring blood pressure, temperature and respiration rates.
To work as an AIN you need to complete a Certificate III in Health Service Assistance which is offered through the State Training Providers, Marr Mooditj and several private organisations.
Working as an AIN can be a rewarding career in itself, but it is worth noting that the AIN qualification can be used as a pathway into a career in nursing or midwifery, plus this qualification will allow you to continue to work as an AIN while you study to become a nurse or midwife.
WA Health Assistant in Nursing (Acute Care) Traineeship
I’m already an enrolled nurse
Once you have completed an enrolled nursing course, you might later decide to progress your career into registered nursing. Some people choose this as an alternative pathway into university if they were unable to gain direct entry, or, so that they can work and gain further experience as an enrolled nurse before and while they study to become a registered nurse or midwife.
This mode of study is varied and it is recommended that you contact the universities directly for information about their entry requirements:
I already have a tertiary qualification in another field, how do I become a registered nurse?
If you want to study registered nursing and have already completed another tertiary qualification, you may be eligible to complete a Graduate Pathway or Entry-to-Practice course.
On completion of either the Curtin University Master of Science (Nursing) Graduate Pathway or the University of Western Australia Master of Nursing Science (Entry-to-Practice) courses, graduates are able to register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency as a registered nurse. Both courses are two years in duration when undertaken full-time.
Recognition of prior learning and mature age entry
There are several ways for mature age students to enter nursing and midwifery. Entry into nursing and midwifery courses varies depending upon your work experience and education.
You should contact the individual education providers to find out if you are eligible for any credits towards course entrance based on previous qualifications you have obtained or partially completed, or any work experience you have. This is what is sometimes called “recognition of prior learning” or “RPL”.
You may need to complete a University and State Training Providers Preparation Course, a bridging course through one of the education providers or a Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) before applying for entry into any nursing or midwifery course within Western Australia.
For further information, contact the individual education providers: