Please note: Students of this course are regularly required to attend classes on campus. These classes can be taken at our campuses in either South Australia or Western Australia.

Build a career that’s meaningful, fills you with a sense of purpose, and provides diverse job opportunities, with this Diploma of Nursing course. Offered via a blend of on-campus and online learning the HLT54115 Diploma of Nursing is the ideal starting point for South Australia or Western Australia residents looking to become a qualified Enrolled Nurse in Australia.
If you’ve always wanted to be a nurse, this is where to start!
Why study this course?
- Learn from experienced nurses and clinical specialists onsite at Open Colleges School of Health's state-of-the-art campuses in Adelaide and Perth.
- Get flexible! Some of your learning will be delivered online, so you can study anywhere, anytime.
- Gain hands-on experience with skills lab training and clinical placements.
- Chasing your dream Nursing career doesn’t have to cost the world. With State funded places and VET Student Loans available (conditions and eligibility criteria apply) you can achieve your career goals without breaking the bank.
Find out more about Open Colleges School of Health here.
For further information about our policies and procedures, click here.
Build a career that’s meaningful, fills you with a sense of purpose, and provides diverse job opportunities, with this Diploma of Nursing course. Offered via a blend of on-campus and online learning the HLT54115 Diploma of Nursing is the ideal starting point for South Australia or Western Australia residents looking to become a qualified Enrolled Nurse in Australia.
If you’ve always wanted to be a nurse, this is where to start!
Why study this course?
- Learn from experienced nurses and clinical specialists onsite at Open Colleges School of Health's state-of-the-art campuses in Adelaide and Perth.
- Get flexible! Some of your learning will be delivered online, so you can study anywhere, anytime.
- Gain hands-on experience with skills lab training and clinical placements.
- Chasing your dream Nursing career doesn’t have to cost the world. With State funded places and VET Student Loans available (conditions and eligibility criteria apply) you can achieve your career goals without breaking the bank.
Find out more about Open Colleges School of Health here.
For further information about our policies and procedures, click here.
Course number | E1224 |
Qualification name | HLT54115 Diploma of Nursing |
Course duration | 18 months |
Delivery Method | The delivery mode of this enrolled nurse course is blended. The schedule consists of 2 days of attendance per week for facilitated learning with your educator and practical skills sessions. You will be required to supplement face-to-face attendance through completion of online self-directed learning packages, workbooks and assessment materials. This will require on average, a commitment of at least 10-15 hours per week study time to be completed by you in your own time. |
Recognition | Nationally Recognised ![]() |
Assessments | Case studies, Knowledge tests, Oral assessments, Practical skills assessments, Role plays, Third party evidence, Written assessments |
Awarded by |
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Build a career that’s meaningful, fills you with a sense of purpose, and provides diverse job opportunities, with this Diploma of Nursing course. Offered via a blend of on-campus and online learning the HLT54115 Diploma of Nursing is the ideal starting point for South Australia or Western Australia residents looking to become a qualified Enrolled Nurse in Australia.
If you’ve always wanted to be a nurse, this is where to start!
Why study this course?
- Learn from experienced nurses and clinical specialists onsite at Open Colleges School of Health's state-of-the-art campuses in Adelaide and Perth.
- Get flexible! Some of your learning will be delivered online, so you can study anywhere, anytime.
- Gain hands-on experience with skills lab training and clinical placements.
- Chasing your dream Nursing career doesn’t have to cost the world. With State funded places and VET Student Loans available (conditions and eligibility criteria apply) you can achieve your career goals without breaking the bank.
Find out more about Open Colleges School of Health here.
For further information about our policies and procedures, click here.
Open Colleges may make changes to the course from time to time to reflect changes introduced to the relevant Training Package or other regulatory requirements. Please download the course guide for current information about the course and its status.
CHCDIV001 | Work with diverse people |
- Reflect on own perspectives
- Appreciate diversity and inclusiveness, and their benefits
- Communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and situations
- Promote understanding across diverse groups
CHCDIV002 | Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety |
- Identify cultural safety issues in the workplace
- Model cultural safety in own work
- Develop strategies for improved cultural safety
- Evaluate cultural safety strategies
CHCPRP003 | Reflect on and improve own professional practice |
- Reflect on own practice
- Enhance own practice
- Facilitate ongoing professional development
HLTAAP002 | Confirm physical health status |
- Obtain information about physical health status
- Check physical health status
- Identify variations from normal physical health status
HLTAAP003 | Analyse and respond to client health information |
- Assess client health status
- Plan action to address identified health status
HLTENN001 | Practise nursing within the Australian health care system |
- Apply principles and knowledge of nursing practice to work in a health care system.
- Identify and discuss funding sources for health care in Australia.
- Identify and respond to factors and issues affecting health in Australia.
- Work in the context of professional nursing practice.
- Contribute to professional work team.
HLTENN002 | Apply communication skills in nursing practice |
- Use effective communication skills in complex situations.
- Identify and address actual and potential constraints to communication.
- Use information technology to support communication in nursing practice.
- Lead small group discussions.
- Give and receive feedback for performance improvement.
- Evaluate effectiveness of communication in complex situations.
HLTENN003 | Perform clinical assessment and contribute to planning nursing care |
- Collect and interpret health data.
- Undertake admission and discharge procedures for a person.
- Contribute to planning the nursing care of a person.
- Contribute to ongoing development of individual nursing care plans.
HLTENN004 | Implement, monitor and evaluate nursing care plans |
- Prepare a person for care procedures.
- Implement care procedures to meet identified needs.
- Monitor a person’s identified care needs.
- Evaluate outcomes of care provided.
HLTENN005 | Contribute to nursing care of a person with complex needs |
- Perform nursing interventions to assist a person with complex needs.
- Contribute to the nursing care of people with common disorders and conditions.
- Use critical thinking to improve care quality.
HLTENN006 | Apply principles of wound management in the clinical environment |
- Apply protocols for wound assessment.
- Assess impact of wound on a person, family or carer.
- Contribute to planning care for a person with a wound.
- Undertake clinical nursing care in implementing wound care strategies.
- Apply contemporary wound management strategies to complex or challenging wounds.
- Assist in evaluating outcomes of nursing actions.
HLTENN007 | Administer and monitor medicines and intravenous therapy |
- Minimise potential risk to ensure safe administration of medications.
- Prepare for medication administration and infusion of IV fluids.
- Administer and store medication.
- Monitor and evaluate a person’s response to administered medication, IV fluids and blood and blood products.
- Assess effectiveness of pain-relieving therapy.
HLTENN008 | Apply legal and ethical parameters to nursing practice |
- Perform within scope of professional nursing practice.
- Apply knowledge of the legal framework to nursing practice.
- Apply ethical concepts to clinical practice.
- Support the rights, interests and needs of the person and their family.
- Apply open disclosure processes.
HLTENN009 | Implement and monitor care for a person with mental health conditions |
- Identify and address State/Territory mental health legislation requirements.
- Respond appropriately to signs of mental illness.
- Contribute to care planning and conduct initial clinical observations for a person with a mental health condition.
- Contribute to the recovery of a person with a mental health condition.
HLTENN011 | Implement and monitor care for a person with acute health problems |
- Identify impact of acute health problems on a person, family or carer.
- Contribute to planning care for a person with acute health problems.
- Perform nursing interventions to support health care of a person with acute health problems.
- Contribute to pre- and post-operative nursing care of a person.
- Contribute to an emergency response in the acute care environment.
HLTENN012 | Implement and monitor care for a person with chronic health problems |
- Identify impact of chronic health problems on a person, family or carer.
- Contribute to a coordinated service approach.
HLTENN013 | Implement and monitor care of the older person |
- Respond to the health requirements of an older person.
- Contribute to the care plan for an older person.
- Apply nursing practice in the aged care environment.
- Identify requirements and address issues in aged care nursing practice.
- Use strategies that relate to the progressive and variable nature of dementia.
- Develop and implement strategies to minimise impact of challenging behaviours.
HLTENN015 | Apply nursing practice in the primary health care setting |
- Work as part of an interdisciplinary health care team in a primary health care environment.
- Recognise impact of a health problem on a person in the primary health care environment.
- Provide health education and health promotion for illness prevention.
- Perform nursing interventions that support a person’s health care needs.
- Evaluate outcomes of planned primary health care and promote suitable resources.
HLTINF001 | Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures |
- Follow standard and additional precautions for infection prevention and control
- Identify infection hazards and assess risks
- Follow procedures for managing risks associated with specific hazards
HLTWHS002 | Follow safe work practices for direct client care |
- Follow safe work practices for direct client care
- Follow safe work practices for manual handling
- Follow safe work practices for infection control
- Contribute to safe work practices in the workplace
- Reflect on own safe work practices
BSBINS401 | Analyse and present research information |
- Identify reliable sources of research information
- Analyse and synthesise research information
- Present research information
BSBWOR404 | Develop work priorities |
- Plan and complete own work schedule
- Monitor own work performance
- Coordinate professional development
HLTAID006 | Provide advanced first aid |
- Respond to an emergency situation.
- Apply appropriate first aid procedures.
- Coordinate first aid activities until arrival of medical assistance.
- Communicate details of the incident.
- Evaluate the incident and own performance.
HLTENN010 | Apply a palliative approach in nursing practice |
- Recognise the special needs of a person requiring a palliative approach to care.
- Support person, family or carers using the palliative approach.
- Identify and respond to signs of deterioration and the stages of dying.
- Care for the person’s body after death and provide support for the family and others.
- Provide for own self-care in palliative care role.
HLTENN025 | Implement and monitor care for a person with diabetes |
- Identify diabetes care services in the Australian health care environment.
- Assess the needs of a person with diabetes.
- Perform complex nursing interventions to assist a person to achieve and maintain optimal diabetes health.
- Evaluate the care plan for a person with diabetes, and support a person’s self-management.
Entry Requirements
The entry requirements for the Diploma of Nursing course at Open Colleges School of Health are as follows.
You will need to:
- Be 18 years of age or over;
- Be an Australian Citizen or have a permanent humanitarian visa or certain temporary visas with study rights;
- Complete an online test to assess your Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) skills against the standard levels of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF);
- Meet at least one of the following academic suitability requirements:
- Completed Year 12 in Australia (Year 12 Certificate required)
- Successfully completed an Australian Qualifications Framework Certificate IV or higher qualification, taught and assessed in English (formal documentation required)
- Achieve a minimum Exit Level 3 in each of Numeracy and Reading in the Core Skills Profile for Adults (CSPA) (formal test report required);
- Provide a declaration regarding English language requirements as defined from time to time by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Click here for more information about the required English language standards.
Download a copy of our Course Guide for further information about our Entry Requirements.
Clinical Placements
As part of this Diploma you will be required to complete at least three Professional Experience Placements totalling 400 hours (12 weeks) in a variety of settings.
The placements will give you the opportunity to develop your clinical skills in a real-world setting, and to gain valuable on-the-job experience. Placements are arranged, fully facilitated and supported by Open Colleges School of Health.
Please note that placements are full-time, unpaid and rostered according to standard industry shifts, which may include night shifts, weekends and/or public holidays.
Prior to placement you will need to provide evidence of meeting all of the following pre-requisites:
- A clear and unencumbered Criminal History check
- A current immunisation record with evidence of up to date vaccinations and/or immunity as per the Australian Government Department of Health’s recommended vaccinations for Healthcare workers and any State Government Health Department requirements
- A current First Aid Certificate (HLTAID003)
- A current Manual Handling Certificate (part of the Diploma)
- Completion of any relevant electronic health records system training (part of the Diploma).
Download a copy of our Course Guide for further information about Professional Experience Placements including pre-requisites.
This qualification is delivered and assessed by YourLife Health & Learning Inc t/a Open Colleges School of Health (RTO 40049 | CRICOS Provider 03733E).
The testamur will be issued by YourLife Health & Learning Inc t/a Open Colleges School of Health.
Indicative fees for the HLT54115 Diploma of Nursing course are as follows:
- Full course cost - $21,000
- Learners eligible for Jobs & Skills WA funding - $10,500
- Learners eligible for WorkReady SA funding - $11,700
The student tuition fees above are indicative only and are subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. Additional fees may apply such as student service and resource fees.
Residents of Western Australia may be eligible for Jobs & Skills WA funding. Residents of South Australia may be eligible for WorkReady SA funding. Conditions and eligibility criteria apply.
Open Colleges School of Health is an approved VET Student Loans (VSL) provider for the HLT54115 Diploma of Nursing. Please click here to see more information about VSL.
Contact us on 1300 886 204 to assess your eligibility.
South Australia
- Monday, 24 February 2020 (Monday/Tuesday campus attendance)
- Thursday, 9 April 2020 (Thursday/Friday campus attendance)
- Tuesday, 7 July 2020 (Tuesday/Wednesday campus attendance)
- Thursday, 13 August 2020 (Thursday/Friday campus attendance)
Western Australia
- Monday, 24 February 2020 (Monday/Tuesday campus attendance)
- Wednesday, 15 April 2020 (Wednesday/Thursday campus attendance)
- Tuesday, 7 July 2020 (Tuesday/Wednesday campus attendance)
- Monday, 3 August 2020 (Monday/Tuesday campus attendance)

Southern Cross University is one of the Asia-Pacific’s Top 100 Universities and one of the world’s Top 50 Generation Y Universities.
Please note, articulation pathways are at the discretion of the University offering it, and subject to change. You should check the University’s website for any changes to applicable courses and credit available. Eligibility for credit does not guarantee admission, and the final decision to admit a student sits with the University.
Southern Cross University (SCU) courses:
Bachelor of Nursing / Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse pathway | 9 units, of a total of 24 | Up to 37% of the course |