Explore career options in nursing
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles within the field of nursing.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
A nursing qualification provides graduates with a strong foundation in providing physical and technical care and support for patients. Registered nurses work within health service environments supporting patients, families and communities throughout the full range of life transitions. Nurses assess the health needs, strengths and resources of patients, families and communities, and are proactive in promoting health and preventing health problems through education, psychosocial support and counselling.
Registered nurses with specialised training also provide technical interventions and monitoring, which include first aid, CPR, advanced life support, medication administration, assisting in medical and surgical procedures.
Career fields
(*Denotes further study likely to be required)
- Hospitals - private & public
- Medical centres
- Public health agencies
- Drug & alcohol services
- Community health clinics
- Defence forces
- Aged care centres
- School health
- Home nursing services
- Health promotion agencies
- Medical research institutes*
- Mental health care
- International aid agencies
- Occupational health and safety*
- Clinical trials
- Prison health
Employment roles
- Clinical nurse
- Graduate nurse
- Registered nurse level 1
- Registered nurse
- Registered nurse—oncology
- Registered nurse—cardiology
- Registered nurse—perioperative
- Clinical trials nurse
- Clinical nurse consultant
- Nurse unit manager
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse navigator
- Nurse researcher
- Nurse educator
Occupation snapshot
Employed
342,800
Annual growth
13,400
Weekly earnings
$2,156
Part-time share
48%
This data is based on the occupation profile for registered nurses, retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website July 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- Australian Defence Force Recruiting
- CareCareers
- Healthcare Australia
- Healthstaff Recruitment
- Mater Careers
- Australian Public Service recruitment
- New South Wales Government jobs
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- Ramsey Health Care graduate recruitment
- Seek graduate nursing vacancies
- My Health Career: Nursing
Notable alumnus: Gabrielle Quilliam
Gabrielle Quilliam, a Bachelor of Nursing graduate and international thought leader in paediatric palliative care, co-founded Queensland's only children's hospice, Hummingbird House. She serves as a non-executive director for Health Consumers Queensland and Butterfly Children's Hospice, and is a foster parent for children with complex needs, previously working with Medair in South Sudan and Ango.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Australian College of Nursing
- Australian Health Promotion Association
- Public Health Association of Australia
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to addressing the global challenge of poverty, while committed to providing inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career outcomes
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.