Transcript: Graduate Nurse Program FAQs

What do I need to do to become a ‘graduate registered nurse’?

Your first step is to complete a nursing qualification (like a Bachelor of Nursing). Then, you will go through a registration process to be allowed to practise nursing in Australia. All nurses and midwives need to register with AHPRA (explained below). Once you have been registered, you will be able to apply for ‘graduate registered nurse’ programs such as the one in this advertisement.

What is ‘periop’?

‘Periop’ is short for ‘perioperative’ which means ‘around the time of surgery’. Periop includes the time from when a patient decides to have surgery right up to when they eventually return home after the surgery. It’s split into three stages: before surgery (preoperative), the surgery (intraoperative), and returning home and recovery (postoperative). Working in perioperative care could include carrying out pre-surgery tests, helping patients feel comfortable, assisting surgeons in the operating theatre, monitoring a patient’s vitals during surgery, and providing patients with aftercare advice during their recovery.

What’s AHPRA?

AHPRA stands for Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. To work as a health practitioner, like a nurse, in Australia you need to register with this agency. The agency’s role is to review your qualifications and documentation to make sure you meet the standards required to work in a health role. To register, you’ll need to show you’ve completed a relevant degree, passed your exams and done any practical component (like workplace training), and have passed a criminal history check.