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 only: median full-time weekly earnings for the ANZSCO unit group Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses (4114) from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia), and where available the QILT graduate starting salary for the matching study area.
| Figure | AUD | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time weekly earnings | $1618 | Your Career (2026-09-23) |
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Enrolled Nurse (411411), the closest official match for enrolled nurse, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- People employed
- 41,600
- Future demand
- Strong
- Work full-time
- 41%
- Average full-time hours
- 41 a week
- Women
- 89%
- Median age
- 43
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 22.8% |
| VIC | 28.9% |
| QLD | 21.7% |
| WA | 8.8% |
| SA | 13.2% |
| TAS | 2.8% |
| ACT | 1.2% |
| NT | 0.6% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 1.9% |
| Bachelor degree | 7.9% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 70.9% |
| Certificate I-IV | 12.9% |
| Year 12 | 1.9% |
| Below Year 12 | 1.2% |
What an 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
- 1Finish Year 10 (minimum) or Year 12 with English. Most TAFE providers prefer Year 12 or equivalent
- 2Complete a Diploma of Nursing (HLT54121) at TAFE or a private RTO. Full-time it's about 18 months, including 400+ hours of placement
- 3Include the medication administration cluster in your Diploma so you can administer medications under RN supervision after graduation
- 4Apply for AHPRA registration as an Enrolled Nurse in your final term
- 5Apply for EN graduate or supported transition programmes at public hospitals or aged-care providers
- 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 roles. Years of experience are a rough guide; pay at each stage depends on the employer, award or agreement.
- New graduate EN0-2 yearsTypical roles: Graduate enrolled nurse, Ward EN, Aged-care EN
- Experienced EN3-7 yearsTypical roles: Senior EN, Theatre EN, Aged-care lead EN
- Senior EN or bridged RN7+ yearsTypical roles: Senior EN with specialty modules, Registered nurse (after BN bridge)
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
Ways in
Uni and TAFE routes for enrolled nurse. 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.
Sources
ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Your Career (yourcareer.gov.au) directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.