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ANZSCO 4114Skill level 2Health and care

Enrolled nurse

Deliver hands-on patient care under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, primarily in hospital and aged-care settings.

Registration: AHPRA registration as Enrolled Nurse

Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1500Job Outlook (2025-06-01)

How far does this stretch in each city?

What a enrolled nurse actually does

Enrolled nurses do most of the bedside nursing work in Australian hospitals and aged-care homes. A typical shift starts with handover and patient allocation from the RN in charge. From there you'll be assisting patients with personal hygiene, observations, wound dressings and feeding. EN scope of practice is set by the Nursing and Midwifery Board: you administer medications under RN supervision (most ENs complete the medications module during their Diploma so they can do this from day one), monitor patient responses, and escalate concerns to the RN if a patient's condition changes. Shifts run 8 or 12 hours on rotating rosters that include nights and weekends. ENs in aged care often have longer-term relationships with residents than hospital ENs do with patients. The pay sits below RN rates, but the entry cost is a 12 to 18-month Diploma rather than a 3-year degree.

Typical tasks

  • Provide direct nursing care, including wound care and observations.
  • Assist with medication administration under supervision.
  • Support patients with activities of daily living.

Skills you'll use

  • Patient hygiene, mobility assistance and pressure-area care
  • Vital-signs measurement and basic clinical observations
  • Medication administration under RN supervision
  • Aseptic wound dressings and basic wound assessment
  • Clear written progress notes
  • Calm communication with families and confused patients
  • Manual-handling and safe-transfer techniques

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 10 (minimum) or Year 12 with English. Most TAFE providers prefer Year 12 or equivalent
  2. 2Complete a Diploma of Nursing (HLT54121) at TAFE or a private RTO. Full-time it's about 18 months, including 400+ hours of placement
  3. 3Include the medication administration cluster in your Diploma so you can administer medications under RN supervision after graduation
  4. 4Apply for AHPRA registration as an Enrolled Nurse in your final term
  5. 5Apply for EN graduate or supported transition programmes at public hospitals or aged-care providers
  6. 6Consider bridging to a Bachelor of Nursing later if you want to become an RN (most unis give 12 months of credit)

Where you can work

  • Public hospital wards under state health departments
  • Private hospitals and day surgeries
  • Residential aged-care facilities
  • Community nursing services and home care
  • Mental-health inpatient and community teams
  • Operating theatres as instrument or circulating ENs
  • Rural and remote hospitals

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. New graduate EN
    0-2 years
    Typical roles: Graduate enrolled nurse, Ward EN, Aged-care EN
    Salary band: $62,000 - $72,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Experienced EN
    3-7 years
    Typical roles: Senior EN, Theatre EN, Aged-care lead EN
    Salary band: $72,000 - $88,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Senior EN or bridged RN
    7+ years
    Typical roles: Senior EN with specialty modules, Registered nurse (after BN bridge)
    Salary band: $80,000 - $100,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You want to start nursing without a 3-year degree
  • You're happy doing hands-on bedside care every shift
  • You can take direction from RNs without taking it personally
  • You're physically capable of long shifts on your feet
  • You're comfortable with bodily fluids, wounds and end-of-life care

This might not suit you if

  • You want full clinical autonomy from day one
  • You can't handle shift work or weekend rosters
  • You want to specialise in advanced clinical practice without further study
  • You can't sustain empathy across difficult shifts

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for enrolled nurse. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.