Nursing support workers help patients with daily tasks. They work closely with doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.
Find out what a nursing support worker does and the related Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses and pathways you can take to secure a job.
What is a nursing support worker?
As a nursing support worker, you’ll help nurses with patient care. You’ll support patients with daily tasks like showering, dressing or eating. You may help patients take medication. Observing and reporting on patient progress is also part of the role.
Find out more about nursing support workers(opens in a new window) and these related jobs on the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window):
- aged or disabled carer(opens in a new window)
- child or youth residential care assistant(opens in a new window)
- commercial cleaner(opens in a new window)
- community worker(opens in a new window)
- hospital orderly(opens in a new window)
- operating theatre technician(opens in a new window)
- pathology collector(opens in a new window)
- personal care assistant(opens in a new window)
- residential care officer(opens in a new window)
- therapy aide(opens in a new window).
Related training courses
Explore these related TAFE and training courses on the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window):
- ageing support(opens in a new window)
- community services(opens in a new window)
- health(opens in a new window)
- nursing(opens in a new window)
- nursing support(opens in a new window).
You may be eligible for government funding to help pay for your course.
Median salary
The median weekly earnings for nursing support and personal care workers in Australia is $1,279.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia(opens in a new window)
Note this salary is current as of June 2024 and is indicative only. A range of salaries apply to different roles across the industry.
Job demand in Victoria
Below are the employment forecasts for nursing support and personal care worker jobs in Victoria. Figures show the number of workers in 2023 and the new workers expected to enter the workforce by 2026.
‘New workers expected’ accounts for workers adding new jobs to the economy and replacing retirees over the next 3 years. These forecasts are estimates only. There will be additional jobs available as people move between jobs and industries.
| Region | Workers 2023 | Workforce growth 2023-2026 | New workers needed by 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 21,816 | 2.9% | 4,159 |
| Melbourne – inner metropolitan | 2,858 | 3.4% | 590 |
| Melbourne – inner south-east metropolitan | 2,052 | 1.9% | 325 |
| Melbourne – southern metropolitan | 3,103 | 3.0% | 603 |
| Melbourne – northern metropolitan | 2,589 | 3.2% | 517 |
| Melbourne – eastern metropolitan | 3,348 | 1.9% | 525 |
| Melbourne – western metropolitan | 2,033 | 3.9% | 456 |
| Ballarat and surrounds (Central Highlands) | 611 | 3.2% | 122 |
| Bendigo, Echuca and surrounds (Loddon Campaspe) | 866 | 2.9% | 164 |
| Geelong, Colac and surrounds (Barwon) | 1,251 | 3.8% | 273 |
| Gippsland | 981 | 3.2% | 196 |
| Horsham and surrounds (Wimmera Southern Mallee) | 184 | 1.2% | 25 |
| Mildura, Swan Hill and surrounds (Mallee) | 338 | 2.1% | 55 |
| Shepparton, Seymour and surrounds (Goulburn) | 612 | 3.4% | 127 |
| Wangaratta, Wodonga and surrounds (Ovens Murray) | 598 | 3.0% | 116 |
| Warrnambool, Hamilton and surrounds (Great South Coast) | 392 | 2.2% | 66 |
Source: Victorian Skills Authority employment forecast dashboard
Resources to plan your next steps
Visit our health care industry profile to find out about:
- what it’s like to work in health care, and some of the jobs you could do
- training and skills to work in the industry, and financial assistance to help pay for your course
- help getting a job in health care, and industry job forecasts for Victoria
- other free resources and advice to plan your training and career.
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Training and careers in your region
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Training and careers in growing industries
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