Enrolled Nurse
Enrolled nurses give hands-on clinical care in hospitals, aged care homes and community settings, working under the supervision of a registered nurse or doctor.
- Median salary
- $92,400
4.1%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 21,800
1.9%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +21.3%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- 3 out of 10
- Average hours
- 41/wk
+1h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- In shortage (regional)
national
- Hospital wards, aged care homes, general practices, community health services and rural clinics all employ enrolled nurses.
- People mix up enrolled and registered nursing: both give bedside care, and the difference is the diploma, the length of study and who supervises whom.
- A Diploma of Nursing and registration through AHPRA both have to be in place before your first paid shift.
How much do enrolled nurses earn?
The median full-time salary for an enrolled nurse is $92,400 per annum, before tax, up $19,300 since 2018.
The enterprise agreement covering your employer decides the rates, so a public hospital, a private aged care provider and a community health service can pay quite differently for the same diploma. Penalty rates separate one roster from another, and a run of nights and weekends adds a lot to a year's earnings. Ask how overtime is handled, whether the roster is permanent or casual, and how much of a quoted rate comes from shift loadings.
What does an enrolled nurse do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Helping patients wash, dress, eat and move around, which is the heaviest stretch of a shift
- Taking blood pressure, temperature, pulse and other observations, and noticing when a reading has drifted from where it was
- Giving medications and checking doses against the chart, within your medication endorsement and your state's rules
- Reporting a change in a patient's condition to the registered nurse on shift before it becomes an emergency
- Handing over each patient at shift change so the next team knows what to watch
What skills do enrolled nurses need?
Employers look for patient care and support, clinical assessment and treatment, medication management, backed by Blood pressure monitor fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Patient care and support
- Clinical assessment and treatment
- Medication management
- Care planning and coordination
- Infection control and hygiene
Software and tools
- Blood pressure monitor
- Thermometer
- Patient monitoring systems
- Electronic health records (EHR)
- Medication management software
General skills
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
- Empathy and interpersonal care
Is the job growing?
About 21,800 people work as enrolled nurses in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 21.3% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become an enrolled nurse?
Here's the path most enrolled nurses take, step by step.
- 1Finish Year 12 or an equivalent
Most Diploma of Nursing providers ask for Year 12 with English, though some accept a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance or a mature-age pathway if you left school early.
- 2Complete a Diploma of Nursing
The course runs about 18 months full time and puts you in hospitals and aged care under supervision for a large block of the year, which is where you find out whether the work suits you. Placement hours differ by state.
- 3Apply to AHPRA for registration
The application covers identity, criminal history and English language checks, and registration has to be granted before your first shift. Apply as soon as your results come through, because the paperwork takes weeks.
- 4Choose a first setting with care
Aged care, a hospital ward and a general practice ask for different skills and give different levels of supervision. Ask about orientation, buddy shifts and how soon you would be working alone.
- 5Keep your registration current
Registration is renewed each year and you have to log professional development hours, so record them as you go. Many enrolled nurses use those hours to build towards a speciality or a nursing degree.
Study routes we have checked
Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.
- Diploma of Nursing
A recognised route into this role
Complete an NMBA-approved Diploma of Nursing and all placements, then meet enrolled-nurse registration requirements. This is not a registered-nurse qualification. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.
Ready to apply as an enrolled nurse?
Whether you're working toward becoming an enrolled nurse or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an enrolled nurse move to?
Moving into Registered Nurse typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $21,600 a year more on average.
- Registered NurseRecorded move$114,000+$21,600
- Mental Health NurseRecorded move$114,000+$21,600
- MidwifeRecorded move$109,900+$17,500
Thick lines are moves people were recorded making in Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility (income tax records, 2011-12 to 2020-21). Thin lines are moves we suggest from skill overlap and entry requirements.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
Registered Nurse Brings hands-on clinical care and patient monitoring, but requires further nursing qualification to register as a registered nurse.Known move | +$21,600 | 89% | requalify |
Mental Health Nurse Brings general nursing assessment and medication skills, with mental health training to specialise in psychiatric care.Known move | +$21,600 | 58% | short course |
Midwife Builds on nursing assessment and patient care, with midwifery training to support pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.Known move | +$17,500 | 55% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as an enrolled nurse?
The typical enrolled nurse is 38 years old; 87% are women, 50% work full-time, and full-timers average 41 hours a week.
- 38
- Median age
- 87%
- Female share
- 50%
- Full-time
- +1h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an enrolled nurse?
A shift starts with a list of patients and a fixed stretch of hours, and the work is steady and hands-on, with people close by the whole time. You are on your feet, moving between beds and answering to the registered nurse on shift while also being the person patients and families ask first. The pressure climbs when the ward is short-staffed or a patient's condition changes quickly, and leaving on time is not always possible. If you like being useful in a practical way and staying calm around people who are frightened or in pain, you will probably settle in well; if you need quiet, a slow pace and control over your own schedule, a week of shifts will wear you out.
What people like
- Your shift produces something visible. Someone who needed two people to help them stand on Monday walks to the bathroom by Friday, and you were part of that.
- You look after the same people for months. Aged care and long-stay wards build the kind of trust that makes hard conversations easier, because you know the person and the family.
- The diploma gets you registered sooner. About two years of study and you are qualified and earning, with the option to keep studying later if you want to go further.
- Work is available almost anywhere. Hospitals, aged care, general practice, community health, correctional health and remote clinics all employ enrolled nurses, so moving towns or settings does not mean retraining.
What people find hard
- Rosters rule your week. Rotating rosters, night duty and public holidays come with most hospital and aged care jobs, and swapping a shift to fit family life takes negotiation.
- It is physical, and it adds up. Lifting, rolling and standing for a whole shift wears on backs, shoulders and feet, so learn safe manual handling from the start and use the equipment even when going without it is quicker.
- You report, you do not decide. Your scope is narrower than a registered nurse's, so when a patient deteriorates you escalate and wait for instructions, which feels slow when you are the one at the bedside.
- Quiet shifts are rare. Wards run on tight numbers, and one extra admission or a rescheduled scan can turn a manageable day into a rushed one.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ enrolled nurses?
Health Care and Social Assistance employs the largest share of enrolled nurses.
Top employing industries
- 1Health Care and Social Assistance
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 70.8% | |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate III/IV | 12.8% | |
| Bachelor degree | 7.9% | |
| Year 12 or below | 3.1% | |
| Postgraduate | 1.9% |
Will AI replace enrolled nurses?
Low exposure. Unlikely. AI will change some of the work around this job, not the job itself.
Automation touches only the edges of this job, because so much of it is physical and happens in the room: helping someone out of bed, watching how they walk, noticing that a patient has gone quiet. Around that, software already reads monitors, drafts notes and checks medication against the chart, which cuts the writing and leaves more time with patients. When you are choosing an employer, ask which record system the ward uses and how much training you get on it.
How a typical week splits
- Care notes, handover and records25% of the week
Templates and voice-to-text drafting speed this up, though the handover has to say what the next shift should watch for, which the software cannot know.
- Medication rounds and dose checks25% of the week
Electronic charts flag interactions and allergies, but you still confirm the right person, drug and dose, and note what actually went in.
- Washing, dressing, feeding and moving patients30% of the week
Hoists and slide sheets take the strain, but judging how much a patient can safely do for themselves today is made at the bedside.
- Monitoring vital signs and watching for deterioration20% of the week
Machines record the numbers automatically, yet the useful signal is often behavioural, such as a patient who has stopped eating or seems confused.
How we work this out
We break each job into its main tasks, estimate the share of a typical week each one takes, and judge how far current AI and automation tools reach into it. The score out of 10 starts from the job's overall rating (low is 1 to 3, moderate 4 to 6, high 7 to 10) and the task split places it within that range. Source: Career Tips analysis of each role's main tasks.
Common questions about becoming an enrolled nurse
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do enrolled nurses earn?
Enrolled nurses working full time earn $92,400 per year before tax. Casual and agency work often pays a higher hourly rate, but you give up paid leave and a guaranteed roster, so compare a full year of casual shifts with a permanent contract before you decide.
How do you become an enrolled nurse?
Complete a Diploma of Nursing, roughly 18 months full time, then apply to AHPRA for registration as an enrolled nurse. Registration has to be granted before your first paid shift. If you are weighing up providers, ask how placements are allocated and what support students get while on them.
What is the difference between an enrolled nurse and a registered nurse?
An enrolled nurse qualifies with a diploma and works under a registered nurse's supervision, while a registered nurse holds a degree and takes responsibility for the care plan. Registered nurses earn more and have a wider scope. The diploma is the faster way in, and it usually counts for credit if you decide to upgrade later.
Are enrolled nurses in demand?
Enrolled nurses are currently in shortage in regional areas, and employment is projected to grow 21.3% over the decade to 2035. For someone job hunting, it helps to look past the big public hospitals at aged care providers, general practices and community health services, and to ask about casual pools while you wait for a permanent roster.
Will AI replace enrolled nurses?
The tasks most exposed are the paperwork ones: observation charts, care notes, medication checks and rostering, all of which software already handles or prompts. What it cannot do is the care patients remember, the washing, moving, feeding and quiet watching. While you study, get confident with digital records early, because employers expect you to pick them up quickly.
Where can enrolled nursing take you?
Registered nursing is one direction: patient assessment and handover overlap heavily with what you already do, the pay is $21,600 more, and you would need a bachelor's degree, though universities usually give credit for the diploma. Mental health nursing and midwifery build on the same nursing skills and also call for further study, often while you keep working.
Related roles
- Registered Nurse
- Midwife
- Mental Health Nurse
- Assistant in Nursing
- Aged Care Worker
- Disability Support Worker
Not sure this is you? Take the career quiz and get a ranked shortlist of roles that fit how you like to work.
Career advice
- Diploma or bachelor degree, and when the diploma is enoughHow diplomas and bachelor degrees differ in length, cost, loans and pathways, and when the job you want sets the qualification for you.
- How to change careers, and which moves are realisticData on 1,573 career moves across 350 Australian occupations shows 63.3% need no more than a short course, though skill overlap alone won't tell you which ones. Six worked examples, and how to check your own move.
- Salary sacrificeSalary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to give up part of your future pre-tax pay in exchange for benefits of similar value, such as extra super, a car through a novated lease, or everyday expenses if you work for a charity or public hospital.