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Nursing & Health

Care for people when they need it most.

Coming soonThe practice questions for this Career Track are still being written. You can read about the career now.

This is for learning only. It is not medical advice.

What do they do?

  • Look after patients in hospitals, clinics, aged care homes, schools, communities and people's homes.
  • Check and record signs such as temperature, pulse and blood pressure, and notice when something changes.
  • Give medicines and treatments safely, following doctors' orders and careful checking steps.
  • Explain health information to patients and families, and work as part of a team with doctors and other health workers.

School subjects that help

  • Science: the human body, living things and how diseases spread
  • Maths: measurement, units, rates and careful calculation (for example, working out doses)
  • English: reading carefully, writing clear notes and talking with people kindly and clearly
  • Health and Physical Education: health, wellbeing and safety

Extra subjects in this Career Track:

  • 🫀 Living Things & the Human Body: Cells, body systems, health and the living world, in line with Victorian Curriculum 2.0 Science.

A common pathway in Australia

  1. Finish school. Many nursing courses ask for VCE English and some prefer Maths or Science.
  2. For a registered nurse: complete an approved Bachelor of Nursing at university (usually three years full time).
  3. For an enrolled nurse: complete an approved Diploma of Nursing, often at TAFE (usually about 18 months to two years).
  4. Apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia through Ahpra before working as a nurse.

This is a general guide written by Focus Academic Coaching, not official advice. Requirements differ between states and can change, so always check the official sites below. Last checked: 3 November 2026.

Official information

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