Diploma of Nursing

The Diploma of Nursing provides the skills and knowledge to work as a safe and competent Enrolled Nurse providing quality nursing care in a variety of healthcare settings. Successful completion of this course allows students to apply for registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Philosophy:
This course recognises that the holistic care of a person is based on the uniqueness of individuals physiological, psychological, social/cultural, spiritual and developmental health care needs throughout the life span. The impact of chronic and complex conditions is recognised and that nursing care encompasses self-management and the emphasis on wellness through purposeful interventions.

Health is recognised as holistic, dynamic in nature, and culturally driven. Nursing focuses on the provision of care that meets a person’s multidimensional holistic health care needs over the life span.

This comprehensive course has a strong practical and applicable focus preparing graduates for current and safe work practices as an Enrolled Nurse. The program utilises a variety of teaching methods to address the learning needs of the student. These include problem based learning through tutorials, lectures, on line learning, practical skill simulation labs and clinical placement in a variety of healthcare environments.

The knowledge and skills gained from this program will provide the student with a pathway to various exciting career opportunities within the healthcare industry.

The Diploma of Nursing is made of 25 units that cover the broad spectrum of learning required for a medication and intravenous endorsed enrolled nurse. You will gain the skills and knowledge required to work as a safe and competent enrolled nurse in any health care setting ranging from aged care to acute hospital settings. You will learn how to link your theory to practice, going from a classroom setting to the simulation lab and clinical placement. On completion of the Diploma of Nursing, you will be eligible to register with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) which will enable you to work as an Enrolled nurse in Australia.

On completion of the Diploma of Nursing, you will be eligible to apply for register with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to work as an Enrolled nurse within Australia. You will need to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) requirements for registration, including the registration standard on English language skills. Further information can be found at, https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/  

You will be able to work across a wide range of healthcare settings including aged care, acute hospital settings, community settings, medical clinics and pathology clinics, with many more opportunities becoming available to enrolled nurses. 

Please note: it is a requirement upon enrolment into the Diploma of Nursing course that you are registered with AHPRA as Diploma of Nursing students. For further information on the registration requirements view the Factsheet and FAQ for student registration.

This course offers a pathway into a Bachelor of Nursing at Deakin University, Warrnambool Campus.

An information session is the first step to applying to study nursing in 2025?

If you are interested in applying to study the Diploma of Nursing to start in 2025, you’ll need to attend an upcoming information session. These information sessions cover everything you need to know about nursing studies, and are a mandatory first step to applying for this course. 

You will have the opportunity to meet our teachers and have all your questions answered. You’ll gain an insight into nursing and specific details of the course, along with hours of study, placement and pathway opportunities and how to start your application to study with SWTAFE.

Register below for an information session

Warrnambool campus
Tuesday 21 January
Sessions at 12.30pm and 5.30pm
Click here to register

Hamilton campus
Thursday 23 January
12pm - 4pm
Click here to register

Entry Requirements for this course include;

• Applicants must be 18 yrs old by time of 1st placement
• Applicants apply directly to South West TAFE.
• Applicants must complete a Pre-training review (PTR)
• Applicants are also expected to have suitable language, literacy, numeracy, communication and technology skills to undertake the Diploma in Nursing.
• Applicants will be required to attend an information session, after which they will be required to complete a literacy and numeracy (LLN) entrance test and a written assessment. Applicants must satisfactorily complete this LLN test with an ACSF exit level 3 to meet the course selection criteria. Applicants who complete the examination successfully will be requested to participate in an interview process at a proposed date and time.
• The Diploma of Nursing is delivered and assessed in the English language. All applicants must be able to demonstrate that they meet one of the below pathways.
  • Pathway 1 - English is their primary language
    Applicants must sign a declaration that English is their primary language. This means that English must be the language the student primarily uses for reading, writing, listening and speaking and the language they know best and are most comfortable with.
  • Pathway 2 - Test pathways
    Applicants can provide evidence of having sat and successfully achieved the required score in one of the approved testing listed below:
    • IELTS (academic module) minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components
    • OET with a minimum score of B in each of the four components
    • PTE (academic) with a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills
    • TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 94 and a minimum score of 24 in listening, 24 in reading, 27 in writing and 23 in speaking
• This English language requirement must be demonstrated prior to entry into the Diploma of Nursing and you will be required to complete relevant documentation during the application process. This documentation will be a signed declaration stating that English is your primary language or a completed English language test as per the NMBA English language standard.
• Please note that it is now a requirement that all healthcare workers, including nursing students on placement, are vaccinated against COVID-19 and Influenza. Applicants will need to provide evidence of their COVID-19 and Influenza vaccination status as part of their application.

Applicants must be able to provide the following as part of their enrolment into the Diploma of Nursing.

• A National Police Check (any disclosures are to be discussed with the Teaching Education Manager on an individual basis). This must be provided prior to enrolment. 
• A volunteer Victorian Working with Children Check. This must be provided prior to enrolment.
• A record of current immunisation status and immunisation history (forms will be provided for students to have their doctor complete). Serology may be required. Please note that it is a requirement that all healthcare workers, including nursing students on placement, are vaccinated against COVID-19 and Influenza. Applicants will need to provide evidence of their COVID-19 and Influenza vaccination status.
• A statutory declaration to declare that applicants do not have an international police record (forms will be provided to students).
• Completion of 440 hours of clinical placement across a variety of settings. These placements may occur across the State, so travel will be required for some placements.
• Clinical placement uniform will be required to be purchased. This includes placement shirts, appropriate navy pants and appropriate enclosed footwear. A placement shirt will be organised by the facility.
• You will need to have access to an electronic device i.e. laptop or tablet to utilise during class.
• You will need to purchase text books on enrolment into the course (a booklist will be provided)

Please note: South West TAFE will only grant credit for HLTENN units from ANMAC approved Diploma of Nursing courses.

Core Units

Elective Units

This course involves accredited units.  You will be required to complete assessment tasks to demonstrate your underpinning knowledge, skills and attributes to meet the course outcomes.  A combination of written, oral and practical assessment strategies will be used in either a classroom, online or workplace environment. 

Where units require demonstration of skills in a workplace environment, you will have the opportunity to do this either in your own workplace (where appropriate), through a practical placement, or by using one of the Institute's simulated workshops/classrooms.  Detailed information about the types, conduct and dates of assessments will be provided in advance.  You will also be provided with information about the opportunity for reassessment and appeal.

Once you have applied for your chosen course, you will receive a thank you email from South West TAFE with a few steps to help process your enrolment.

Complete a Pre-Training Review
You will receive an email to complete a Pre-Training Review online evaluation. This evaluation helps us tailor your training to suit your needs.

Create or provide a Unique Student Identifier (USI)
A USI is a nationally recognised reference number that provides an online record of your training qualifications gained in Australia.
Create your USI
Already have a USI but can’t remember it? Find your USI

Skills recognition
If you have experience or prior qualifications, you may be eligible to apply for recognition of prior learning and gain credits. You will be asked to provide any relevant Statement of Attainment to support identified credits.

Here's an outline of fees and costs associated with your course.

Your fees each year can be made up of 3 different elements.  Everyone has different circumstances that can affect what you pay and how much you pay. :

1. Tuition fees - charged as an hourly rate that varies from course to course. A large portion of the tuition is subsidised by the Victorian Government for eligible students.
2. Resource and/or materials costs - covers the cost of materials and other incidentals. This fee will vary according to the course being undertaken.
3. Booklist items - such as textbooks, equipment and stationery recommended for your course

Tuition fees

There are 4 different rates of tuition fees. Only one will apply to you (depending on your eligibility and circumstances). 

1. Government Subsidised Fee - you could be eligible for a government-subsidised rate under the Skills First funding depending on your age, educational history, and citizenship or residency status. If you are eligible, the government will contribute to the cost of your training.
   Find out more about subsidised training
   
   
2. Government Subsidised Concession Fee - If you are eligible for a Skills First government-subsidised place and hold a current healthcare or pension card, that you can provide at enrolment, you may be eligible for the concession rate. Note, the concession rate is not applicable to Diploma level courses.
   Find out more about concession rates
   
   
3. If the course is a Free TAFE course or part of the Free TAFE Pathways Program - Eligible students will not pay course tuition fees for the duration of their enrolment in this course, however, there may be some consumable/material fees for the course (find out more below). Any resource or material costs, or booklist items for this course are listed in the table below.
   Find out more about Free TAFE
   Find out more about Free TAFE Pathways Programs
   
   
4. Full fee - If you are not eligible for a Skills First government-subsidised place, exemption, concession or are enrolling in a course that isn't government-subsidised, you may be required to pay the full fee rate.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FEES AND ELIGIBILITY

The fees listed below are indicative only. The course fees published are subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. Course fee funding is made available to eligible individuals by the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments. If funding is utilised, this may affect opportunities to access additional funding in the future. An accurate quote for this course will be provided during the enrolment process.

Students who are eligible for Free TAFE place will not pay course tuition fees for the duration of their enrolment in this course, however, there may be some consumable/material fees for the course (find out more below). The consumable fees for this course are listed in the above table.

Find out more about Free TAFE courses and eligibility or contact our Customer Service team.

A Free TAFE Pathways Program is a group of courses that complement each other to help you continue to train for the career and industry you may wish to work in. For eligible students, these courses are tuition fee free. Depending on the course, you may still be required to pay material fees. The consumable fees for this course are listed in the above table.

Find out more about the Free TAFE Pathways Program and eligibility or contact us.

Some courses require specific resources or materials necessary for your study eg: tools of the trade, excursions, etc. Final costs will be determined upon enrolment.

Your course may require you to purchase additional materials or books (eg uniform, stationery, textbooks). Some of these items are optional and some are mandatory. You can purchase these items from Campion Education, second-hand or via another supplier. Click here to find out more. 

You can download the booklist for this course here: HERE

Once we have processed your enrolment form, you will receive an email with your invoice.

You have three options when organising your payment:

1. Upfront payment - can be made over the phone with EFTPOS

2. Payment plan - can be directly debited from your bank account, debited from your Centrelink payments or via a VET Student Loan (for diploma or advanced diploma courses only)

3. Paid by employer, school or job network agency - if your fees are being paid by your employer, school or job network agency, you will need to complete an Authority to Invoice form.

Payments will need to be arranged within five(5) business days of receiving the email containing your invoice.

We also offer a range of scholarships each year which you may be eligible to apply for to assist with course fees.

There are five simple steps to apply for a course with us.

1. Apply - complete a short online application form. Once this form is submitted we'll send you a thank-you email.
2. Literacy and Numeracy Assessment - we will assess whether you need to undertake a Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) assessment and email it to you if required.
   If you are not required to undertake this assessment, you will skip to step 3.
3. Chat to our team - your teacher or course specialist will contact you to discuss the course in more detail and ensure the right units of study are selected for you.
4. Enrol – you will be sent an email to accept your offer for the course. By accepting, you will be directed to verify your details and submit your enrolment for processing.
5. Pay - once we’ve completed your enrolment, we will send you an invoice to arrange payment of your course fees.

If you need any assistance with applying, contact our team on 1300 648 911 or visit your nearest campus.

Not sure which course is right for you? South West TAFE will help you find your way.

Our Careers Coaches at the Skills and Jobs Centre is here to support you. Whether you’re exploring career options, transitioning from school to the workforce or looking to study after school we’re here to help you.

As a SWTAFE student, you can access a variety of support services that will enhance your study experience and help you complete your studies successfully. For more information about any of these services, visit our student page.