Requirements to Becoming a Nurse

Nursing students, who will be registered by the Adelaide Nursing School with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), must fulfil a range of legislative requirements to enable the safe delivery of care.

Students will need to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and compliance with Australian Law, professional regulations and standards and scope of practice. Compliance with professional regulations and Australian Law ensures that students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.

All legal requirements for practice must be met regardless of any adjustment made for any student.

Nursing students will be exposed to a range of unexpected and emergency situations requiring personal resilience and a consistent and sustained level of physical and mental performance that supports an appropriate response to provide safe and effective care.

For example, students will need to:

• be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback
• cope with their emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with individuals in the clinical setting
• be able to provide a caring and therapeutic approach to the needs of all persons regardless of gender, race, sexuality and or religion
• have a capacity for self-awareness to monitor their own health and wellbeing

Communication is a fundamental and necessary aspect of nursing practice. Students must have the skills and ability to communicate precisely and safely and in a way that displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships.

For example, students will need to able to:

• use clear and precise English language speaking and listening skills
• document observations clearly and unambiguously
• listen clearly and communicate with people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds
• read and analyse complex health related terms
• recognise and respond appropriately to cues in the clinical environment

On completion of the program, students must be aware of the registration requirements for English Language competency in Australia as a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Nursing students must be able to think critically to analyse, synthesise and evaluate complex oral, written and visual information. This analysis will be used to solve problems, provide for clinical reasoning and enable the provision of timely and relevant interventions.

For example, students will require:

• numeracy and literacy skills to perform accurate drug calculations
• the ability to apply knowledge of anatomy and physiology to accurately measure and record observations of patients and symptoms
• the ability to retain information, processes and procedures to provide a range of nursing interventions
• the ability to apply knowledge of policy and procedures in the clinical setting

Nursing students will need to be able to recognise and respond appropriately to non-verbal cues across all age ranges. Observational skills (vision, hearing, smell and tactile) are required as part of this program.

For example, students will need:

• visual acuity to ensure safe interpretation of medicines and labels
• to accurately undertake a blood pressure measurement by auscultation
• a sense of smell to identify infection and incontinence
• tactile ability to determine the strength and characteristics of a person’s pulse

Nursing students will require an appropriate level of physical health which will allow them to stand for long periods of time and perform repetitive tasks that may require bending, squatting and kneeling. Students need to be able to perform tasks consistently and safely and not put themselves or others at risk of harm.

For example, students will need to have sufficient fine motor skills to:

• operate health related diagnostic equipment and instruments
• use hand eye coordination to complete tasks as necessary
• perform and/or assist with therapeutic procedures
• perform complex wound dressings

For example students will need to have sufficient gross motor skills to:

• assist patients with transfers and mobilising
• manoeuvre equipment in open and confined spaces
• maintain balance while safely mobilising and transferring individuals or resources
• provide emergency care including basic life support

Students who have concerns or questions about how their specific circumstances may impact on their studies, for example a disability or ongoing health condition should contact the Adelaide Nursing School or the Counselling, Disability & Elite Athlete Service of the University of Adelaide, to explore what reasonable adjustment may be possible. In situations where it is determined inherent requirements cannot be met, guidance is available through the University to explore other study options.