What qualification do I need to become an Assistant in Nursing?

An Assistant in Nursing (AIN), otherwise referred to as a Nursing Assistant or a Nursing Aide, is a trained professional who assists Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses. If you’re considering a career in healthcare, this is a great place to start.  

Working as an AIN means that your days will be busy and varied. You’ll work closely with patients to make sure they’re comfortable and cared for, and will support the nursing staff in various ways.  

Read on to discover what’s involved in studying to become an AIN and what being an AIN is all about.

Assistant in Nursing duties and responsibilities  

The scope of practice for an Assistant in Nursing is not as wide as it is for an Enrolled Nurse or a Registered Nurse, as an AIN does not have the same qualifications. Generally, an AIN will always work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse who will delegate duties as needed.  

These are some, but not all, of an Assistant in Nursing’s duties and responsibilities: 

• Moving or repositioning patients as needed. 
• Helping patients with exercises as prescribed by other health professionals. 
• Providing assistance to patients with personal care, such as showering and using the bathroom. 
• Changing patients’ bedding. 
• Serving meals and helping patients eat and drink. 
• Measuring patients’ vital signs (such as blood pressure and temperature). 
• Completing paperwork. 
• Updating patient documentation. 
• Noting any concerns a patient has and making sure that information is relayed to a Nurse or Doctor. 

What is the future job outlook for healthcare in Australia? 

As long as our population continues to grow, there will always be a need for qualified healthcare professionals.  

Recently, Seek published a list of the 20 Most Needed Jobs. Nurses?(in all roles) are the most in-demand job right now in Australia. 

And from the government’s Job Outlook website, data indicates that from 2014-19, the amount of people in Australia employed as ‘Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers’ rose from 85,500 to 91,200. That number is predicted to continue to rise, with an estimated 96,700 people employed by the year 2024. 

So if you’re looking to start a career that is both stable, reliable and fulfilling, working as an Assistant in Nursing could be it.  

Do I need a qualification to become an Assistant in Nursing? 

If you’re looking to work as an Assistant in Nursing, then you need a VET qualification. The minimum qualification required to work as an AIN is a HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance. There is no such qualification as a certificate in nursing – the minimum qualification to work as an Enrolled Nurse is a HLT54115?Diploma of Nursing.  

However, the HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance will teach you key industry skills and knowledge you need to enter the healthcare industry.  

Studying this course online with OC, you’ll also complete 120 hours of work placement as part of your course. This will help you gain essential, hands-on skills and give you a first-hand look at what it’s like to work in the healthcare industry.

What can a VET certificate in healthcare do for me? 

Studying an accredited, nationally recognised VET course such as the HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance qualifies you to work in a number of areas as an AIN.  

For the most part, AINs work in both public and private hospitals. But as an AIN, you could also find work in a medical centre, private practice, aged care facility or as an at-home carer.  

Healthcare professionals are needed across the country, whether that’s in capital cities or in more rural areas. So while the job of an AIN isn’t one you can do from home, there are still job opportunities all over Australia, wherever you are.  

What is involved with studying the Certificate III in Health Services Assistance? 

If you choose to study this course with OC, you’ll be studying online. This gives you total flexibility to study the way you want, wherever you are. However, the flip side of online study means that you need to practice self-motivation and dedication in order to complete your course and graduate. You’re working to your own schedule, not someone else’s. And this means you need to allocate time every week to studying.  

As this is a self-paced, online course in health services assistance, you can complete the course as quickly as you want to. We allocate a maximum time limit of 18 months for the HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance, but that doesn’t mean it will take 18 months to complete the course. You could, like OC dental assisting alumnus Alex Park, complete your course in just six months.  

But how can an online course get you used to working in a healthcare clinic? 

OC is Australia’s first distance educator, and we have more than 125 years’ experience in distance education. And 125 years is a long time to spend perfecting your delivery methods.  

We have our own online learning platform called OpenSpace. Through OpenSpace, you’ll experience working in a clinic through the fictional Careshore Health Centre. You’ll learn through interactive study materials such as tours, lessons and quizzes.  

In addition to this, you’ll also have the opportunity to select an organisation of your choice where you can complete your work placement as part of this course.  

Enrol in an online healthcare course today 

Working in healthcare has many benefits. While a career in healthcare won’t be without its challenges, there are also many positives. You’ll get to work closely with patients and make a difference in their lives, and also enjoy job security as the demand for healthcare workers continues to grow.  

Enrol in the HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance today and discover where a career in healthcare could take you.