Nurse
As a nurse you will help maintain the health of patients with various conditions. Nurses are employed across many different health areas such as hospitals, aged care facilities, paediatrics, surgery and mental health.
What the job looks like
Salary expectation
starts at $48,000 up to $75,000+
The good
- Helping others
- Having a hands on job
- Each day is different
- Potential to work overseas
- Making a positive difference to people's lives
- Continually learning and gaining new skills
The not so good
- Shift work, often on weekends and public holidays
- Dealing with sad and stressful situations at times
- Being on your feet all day
As a nurse you use your education and training to take care of patients who are sick, disabled or experiencing other health matters like pregnancy. In your job you can help save lives and prevent complications.
Your role can at times be very demanding but also rewarding. You will be in contact usually on a daily basis with bodily fluid and sometimes dealing with very stressful situations.
One of the most important part of your job is administering medication so excellent math skills are crucial to make sure you calculate the correct dosages.
Good English skills are also important to be able to accurately write up patient notes and record details of any medical events so they can be referred back to if need be. Nurses taking over from your shift need to be able to read and understand the notes you record.
If you are passionate about helping people, can perform under stress and like working with people then a career as a nurse could be for you.
It's great to feel you have been able to help a patient and improve their life.
Pathways to this career
Subject suggestions for the HSC
Choosing your HSC subjects from this list could really help with your career. Think carefully about what you want to study after school as you might need to choose specific HSC subjects for that course and to count towards your ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). An ATAR is your academic rank in relation to other HSC students and helps with University admission.
HSC subjects
Some subjects will count towards your ATAR, others will not. Check with your career advisor before making subject selections.
- English (Advanced or higher)
- Mathematics (2 unit or higher)
- Biology
- Chemistry
- PDHPE
What can I do after I have finished school?
University degrees
Studying one of these degrees can help with your career.
- Bachelor of Nursing
Suggestions
Check out your local hospital for more information
- Watch medical shows to start learning some of the terminology
- See if you can volunteer with a community group to build experience helping others
- Ask if you can do work experience at your local hospital
- Go to career expos and events like university Open Days for information about what you will study
