Oct 01, 2009, 02:58 am
Hi Reenie,
I am currently studying a Diploma of Nursing in WA; I know all the states differ slightly in their delivery of the course so I can only tell you what I know about WA, but I hope this gives a little insight. At the college where I study, they use to offer part time EN which was run over 2 evenings per week, however a few years ago, because of inadequate numbers of students and the small number of lecturers, they decided to scrap the part time course.
In WA the full time course is...well ah.. yeh, just that - very FULL! First semester is 5 days per week - half of the units from the total course are covered in semester one alone. We are there 5 days, four of those are from 0830 - 1630, with Friday only being until 1230 (yay for Fridays!) Second and third semester only have a schedule for theory based learning over 2 - 3 days per week; excpetions are when clinical placement is rostered.
There are some considerations that need to be made - in WA it is a diploma that is studied to become an EN, however, I have read in some other states you are also able to do a certificate IV EN, which only takes 12 months (the Diploma is 18 months). Also I have read in a few states that they offer traineeships - so you get paid as you go (which is always a bonus in my eyes!)
Once again, the fees will depend on the delivery of the course. I have read that some states offer the EN course part time so phone the TAFE you are interested in and they should be able to tell you what they are currently offering. The fees were around $500 per semester (excluding books) if you are on concession and approximately $800 if you are not on concession. All TAFE in WA let students pay in installments, it says in the paperwork that you can only pay in installments if you are experiencing financial hardship, ie, you must have a health care card, however our TAFE offered this to all EN students.
ECU university in WA allows students, who are studying for RN, after 2.5 years of the course to register as an EN provided they pass 2 additional units. If you study at university to become a nurse, you can take out a commonwealth loan (the old HECS fees) and you do not have to pay anything back until you are earning over a certain amount (I think it is somewhere over $40000 per year); beware though - the interest you have to pay back quickly adds up over the years.
So, to summarise -
1. YES, the EN course is offered part time in some states.
2. YES, you need to pay your fees upfront. You need to pay the fees in total by 1/2 of the way into the semester, ie, if the total semester costs $500, and you begin in July, you need to have finalised your fees by September. TAFE does not offer a HECS type repayment.
3. NO, TAFE is not the only place that offers EN. You can do a traineeship or you can go and complete most of the RN course.
Good luck - follow your dream - don't give up.
