Education

You will need to have completed year 10, or equivalent. Equivalency can be demonstrated by one of the following:

• A qualification at Certificate II level or higher OR
• 2 years of industry experience in a role that requires the use of written documentation and communication.

Minimum age

You will need to be at least 16 years old. If you are under 18 your enrolment form will need to be signed by a parent or guardian.

English

This course involves reading and undertaking a range of written assessments, as well as engaging in online forums and discussions. Furthermore, the delivery mode relies on the extensive use of written communication. As such, entry to the course requires the successful completion of English to Year 10 level.

If you haven't successfully completed English at Year 10 level, you can demonstrate equivalency through one of the following:

• Successful completion of a Nationally Recognised Training qualification at Certificate II level or higher; or
• 2 years relevant industry experience in a role that requires the use of written documentation and communication

Open Colleges recognises that not all people are able to read, write and perform calculations to the same standard. See the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Considerations section for more information on tools, resources and support services provided to you by Open Colleges.

Computing

You will need access to a computer and the internet and have basic computing skills. Minimum specifications for your computer are:

All users:

• Microsoft Office 2010 or equivalent
• Broadband internet connection
• 2GB of RAM
• CD-ROM or DVD drive
• Adobe Reader XI or equivalent
• Adobe Flash Player 10 or higher
• Access to printer and associated software
• Access to scanner and associated software
• Digital imaging software
• File compression software

Windows users:

• Microsoft Windows 7 or higher (Windows 8 recommended)
• 1 Ghz or faster processer (2GHz recommended)

Mac OS users:

• Mac OSX v10.5 or higher (Mac OSX v10.6 recommended)
• 1 Ghz or faster processer (2GHz recommended)

Digital equipment

You will need access to:

• A digital video recording device and/or a digital camera and associated software to save and upload video, image and audio files to OpenSpace. Many mobile phones and smart phones include this technology.
• Software to view online videos and images. Software such as Adobe Reader, Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Viewer etc. are available as a free download from the internet.

Skills

To successfully complete this course, you will require basic computing skills. This includes:

• Creating, saving and editing Microsoft Office documents
• Accessing and searching the internet
• Downloading and saving documents from websites
• Uploading documents through websites
• Participating in online discussions
• Connecting digital cameras and downloading and storing images and audio files
• Connecting digital video devices and downloading and storing videos
• Compressing image, audio and video files.

Workplace requirements

Due to the unit requirements students undertaking the assisting in nursing in acute care work stream must be in the workplace with access to an acute care work setting. Students will need to be involved in the delivery of professional health services to clients and will need to have access to specialist equipment and resources, relevant to the delivery of healthcare assistance

Physical requirements

You will need to be reasonably physically fit as the role involves providing direct physical manipulation whilst assisting with movement or exercise requirements, assisting clinical staff with procedures, and transporting clients.

Language, Literacy and Numeracy

Our free online assessment tool can help give you an idea of the language, literacy and numeracy skills needed to study a VET course. This tool can also help you determine your learning level and help you plan your future studies. You can access the Language, Literacy and Numeracy tool here.