How to become a Registered Nurse in Australia?

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Australia from India. Whether you are a student planning to study in Australia or a qualified nurse interested to work as a nurse in Australia, both ways are possible.

Internationally Qualified Nurses (IQN’s)

Candidates who completed their nursing education and obtained a nursing license from India or international countries other than Australia are here referred to as internationally qualified nurses in Australia.

How to Become a Registered Nurse in Australia From Overseas?

If you are an internationally qualified nurse from India or any other international country, you need to register your nursing license with the NMBA (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia). However you can not directly apply to NMBA for registration, there are a series of steps to be followed. All the details are mentioned below.

Check your eligibility requirements to apply for the nurse registration in Australia.
Commence for Self-check at the APHRA portal of NMBA.
After the self-check you will redirectly to create a personal account inNMBA website and undergo IQNM assessment.
Based on your identified stream, you will attend the orientation part program of the Australian healthcare context.
After the course, you might be required to take the NCLEX exam and OSCE exams.
Fill in the application and upload the relevant documents to Aphra.
Now, NMBA will asses your registration requirements and approve the nurse's registration.
Upon approval, you can apply for a visa(Temporary Skill Shortage Visa) and look for employment opportunities in Australia

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Requirements For Registered Nurses in Australia

Internationally qualified nurses need to meet the set of requirements listed by NMBA in Australia to work as registered nurses in Australia. If you are curious to know how to become a registered nurse in Australia from India, then you should definitely meet the requirements listed below

Completed bachelor's in Nursing from a recognised university or college.
Obtained a registered nursing license.
Hold decent work experience in nursing (preferred but not mandatory)
English language proficiency

AHPRA Self-Check

All internationally qualified nurses (IQNs) are required to conduct AHPRA self-check as the initial step to register as a nurse in Australia. The APHRA is an online tool useful to check your eligibility for nursing registration in Australia.

Based on the self-check your outcome will be posted in the dashboard of the APHRA account of the candidate. You are required to pay the IQNM assessment fee to proceed with further assessment. This assessment process makes you eligible to apply for the nurse registration.

Bridging Programs For Internationally Qualified Nurses in Australia

IQNs who fail to meet the education qualification standard set by the NMBA are required to undergo 1-year nurse bridging programs. The decision to proceed with the bridging program will be based on the outcome of the APHRA self-check assessment of the candidate. You can pursue the registered nurse-approved programs of study for bridging for IQNMs listed on the NMBA website.

Exams Required for Nurse Registration in Australia

The MCQ and OSCE are the two exams that might be required for internationally qualified nurses (IQNs) to seek nurse registration in Australia. The MCQ exam will be different for the registered nurses and enrolled nurses in Australia. For the registered nurses the MCQ exam for RN is the licensure examination.

You can take the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) only after qualifying the MCQ. The OSCE exam is conducted 5 times a year. Candidates need to travel to Adelaide to appear for the OSCE exam. After receiving the pass qualification from the OSCE exam you can apply for the nurse registration in Australia.

Nurses Registration in Australia

The internationally qualified nurses after completing the self-check, IQNM assessment stages, will be invited to apply for nurse registration by the NMBA.

Documents required for Nurse registration at NMBA

The following are the supporting documents that are required to be submitted for the registration application of NMBA.

Identity proof
Academic Transcripts of previous education.
Certificate of registration status in the last 5 years.
Evidence of pre-registration examination for nursing.
Proof of relevant work experience: Statement of service from employers
Proof of English language proficiency like IELTS(7.0 bands)/ OET Score/TOEFL scores, etc.

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How to Become a Registered Nurse in Australia as a Student?

If you are an international student interested in planning your nursing career in Australia, then you can follow the below listed process to work as a registered nurse in Australia.

Select a nursing course and university in Australia.
Upon receiving the admission acceptance letter apply for an Australia student visa.
Enrol in the bachelor's nursing course in Australia.
Register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Explore the job opportunities and work as a registered nurse in Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How to become a registered nurse in Australia from India?

Indian nurses with English language proficiency are eligible to work as registered nurses in Australia. Firstly you need to complete the nursing education do an APHRA self-check and know the requirements to apply for nurse registration in Australia. Upon completing the APHRA assessment process you can apply for nurse registration in Australia.

2. What is the eligibility for nursing in Australia?

To work as a registered nurse, you must complete a bachelor's in nursing. Work experience is not mandatory but preferred to skip the nursing licensure exams in Australia.

3. How to apply to Australia as a nurse?

To work as a nurse in Australia you are required to hold the Australian nurse registration license. Indian students after studying bachelor's and obtaining a nurse license in India, can apply for nurse registration in Australia.