hello everone
i am a year one nursing student in AUSTRALIA
i just finished my first clinical placement in aged care requird by nursing course
it took 2 weeks
after that i think i can find a part time job as a personal care workers in aged care place
it took me one month to send my resume, but unfortunately all the answer i got from the aged care certers is: i am not qualified, because i dont have certificate 3, i am so confused
can anyone tell me if i need to pay 1000 -2000 dallors to study certificate 3 or keep sending resume, i really want to find a part time job for some finacial reasons,
thanks a lot

Hi ilumi

It depends a lot on the organisation and where you are in Oz. I don't think there is a legal requirement anywhere - my partner started working whilst undertaking the Cert III.

If a place would take you on while working towards your Cert III then I'd suspect they'd also take you on whilst working towards your RN even tho the Cert III is more practical skills based. But you can't account for some 'policies'.

Most places prefer HCAs to have Cert III before they start - so they might prefer to see you get a year under your belt before you meet their minimum.

*Just an additional note: "Completing" the 2 weeks clinical placement would not make you a competent aged care anything.

(Note to UK peeps - Cert III = NVQ III type thing)

The answer is a conditional YES. After your first set of clinical practicals you should be able to work as a PCA in the age care and hospital setting (depending on where you did your practical). You must however have passed all the requirements of the subject (exams, assignments, practice reports) and be able to show that it is the same as a certIII.

You might be better off working for an agency which is run for nurses by nurses, and understand what is required in nursing training and certify that the studies you have already taken meet the requirements of being a PCA. It is along the lines of Div1 nursing students working as Div2 after the second year of their course. This has been recognized by the registration boards for each state. The problem is that PCA are not registered.

Put simply:
Yes, as long as you have passed the subject you should (and people do, I was one of them) be able to work as a PCA.

Nursing homes are often run by people who don't understand nursing, so they don't recognize the role of a PCA.

Join an agency who recognize what you are doing. Ask around your fellow students to find the agencies who are employing nursing students, as not all of them do.

If you have questions about PCA and nursing in Melbourne, let me know.

__________________
'Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiselingand scraping and polishing. - BC Forbes'

thanks to Mr Ian and P/J for taking your much time to give me so much useful information

i think i had better apply a cerIII course first, i have searched many cerIII course providers, there are huge range of fees on that course, from $800-$5000, the course provided by NMRT provider in preston and greensborough campus seem to cost cheapest, no more than $1000, but they provide that course only 2 times a year, sounds like i will miss the course started in Feb, the next one will start on June. courses of other privides are very flexible, almost once a week, but cost too much

can anyone give me some advices which training provider i need to choose, any quality differece of that course provided by differernt institutes

thanks again to all of you

Before you sign up to another course and spend more money...
Ring the course providers and find out what you will be learning, otherwise you will be paying just for a piece of paper.

Call nursing agencies and find out what experience they require you to have, as they are employing students with only clinical experience.

Are you still doing to continue your nursing training?

__________________
'Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiselingand scraping and polishing. - BC Forbes'

hi P/J

YES, i will continue my full time study after this long summer holiday
but i need find a part time job to support myself, and also i want to get some more experience in nursing work
sometimes i feel so frustrated....

You're not likely to complete the Cert III before you complete the 1st year RN.

I know you're keen and wanting to work in personal care - but if you need a job badly then take anything that is part time for now - even if it's at KFC - until you have the credentials to take a PCA.

There are still places that might employ you as PCA without the Cert III - depends how needy they are tho - and those places are often not fun places to work.

You could try P/T work as a Lifestyle Support Worker - lots of NGOs employ these to support people in the community and they often don't have any clinical experience.