Special requirements and policies apply to students in both health/welfarerelated and teacher education courses.
NURSING AND MIDWIFERY COURSES
These requirements relate to:
English language proficiency
■ clinical/internship placements undertaken as part of your course
■ proof of English language proficiency
■ procedures for employment after you have completed the course.
You may have to provide proof of proficiency in English at one or two points in
your path to becoming a nurse or midwife in Australia:
Note that requirements and policies in these areas are subject to regular review.
2 when you apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of
Australia (National Board or NMBA) for the first time.
HEALTH/WELFARE-RELATED COURSES
Criminal record checks
Students who need to complete clinical placements in the NSW Public Health
system will be subject to NSW Health’s policies around criminal record
checking and will be required to abide by the NSW Health Code of Conduct.
1 when you apply for admission to your course
The tests/qualifications and results that are accepted at these two points are
different. You must therefore read the requirements carefully.
1 When you apply through UAC for admission to the course
If you have undertaken your studies in an overseas country, you may have to
provide proof of proficiency in English.
In accordance with NSW Health policy:
You need to know that:
■ Students are required to obtain a National Police Certificate before they
commence clinical placements in NSW Health facilities. Note that there
are additional requirements for overseas students and for students with
criminal convictions or pending charges.
■ Students are required to sign a ‘Code of Conduct Agreement’ stating
that they will abide by the NSW Health Code of Conduct, including
advising NSW Health if they are charged or convicted of any offence while
completing their course after the issue of their National Police Certificate.
■ institutions determine their own English language proficiency requirements
■ you can find information about tests and qualifications that institutions
accept as proof of English language proficiency on UAC’s website at
www.uac.edu.au/postgraduate/faq/elp.shtml
■ most institutions have many ways for you to provide proof of English
language proficiency.
Students attending clinical placements in hospitals or other health services
are not required to obtain a Working with Children Check.
Since 1 July 2010 (18 October in Western Australia), if you are applying for the
first time in Australia for registration as a nurse or a midwife, you are required
to show English language proficiency. You must meet the National Board’s
English language skills registration standard.
To ensure the correct documentation is obtained, students are strongly
advised to refer to NSW Health’s website at www.health.nsw.gov.au/careers/
student_clearance/pages/default.aspx for further information about NSW
Health’s requirements relating to criminal record checks.
If you do not have the documentary evidence in accordance with NSW
Health’s requirements in relation to criminal record checks, you will not be
permitted to attend your clinical placement/s in the NSW health system and
progress in your course will be affected.
Infectious diseases
Students who need to complete clinical training in the NSW hospital
system are subject to NSW Health requirements for healthcare workers to
demonstrate their protection against specified vaccine-preventable diseases
as required in PD2011_005 Occupational Assessment, Screening and
Vaccination Against Specified Diseases. For further information, visit
www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/pages/oasv.aspx
During clinical placements in NSW Health facilities, students may come into
contact with a number of patients. Students who are not protected against the
specified infectious diseases are at risk of contracting a disease and may also
place these patients at risk of contracting one of the diseases.
Therefore, students are required to demonstrate their protection against a
range of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, including tuberculosis,
Information about specified infectious diseases and the requirements of the
NSW Health policy is available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/
pages/default.aspx
Students who do not submit the required immunisation documentation will
not be permitted to attend their clinical placement/s in the NSW Health
facilities, and progress in their course will be affected.
Some healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, dentists, dental technicians,
podiatrists and physiotherapists) also have regulated individual responsibility
with regard to infection control. You need to familiarise yourself with these
responsibilities.
Healthcare workers who are HIV antibody positive, hepatitis B e-antigen
positive, hepatitis B DNA positive or hepatitis C PCR positive must not perform
exposure-prone procedures. Infected people should seek expert medical
advice on their infectious status and the extent to which this may limit their
clinical practice.
Further information about exposure-prone procedures and the requirements
of the NSW Health policy is available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/pd/
2005/pd2005_162.html
2 When you apply for registration as a nurse or midwife
The National Board’s English language skills registration standard is due for
review in September 2014. However, the National Board is participating in
an all National Boards review of common, or largely common, registration
standards, including the English language skills registration standard and the
criminal history registration standard.
The following information on the English language skills registration standard
is available on the National Board website:
■ FAQ and fact sheets at www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/CodesGuidelines-Statements/FAQ.aspx
■ registration standards at www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/RegistrationStandards.aspx
You need to know that the National Board:
■ determines acceptable English language tests and results
■ has enabled three ways for you to provide proof of English language
proficiency
■ has published useful codes and guidelines, position statements, FAQ and
fact sheets on its website at www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/CodesGuidelines-Statements.aspx
TEACHER EDUCATION COURSES
Background checking processes
The NSW Government is committed to providing a safe and caring
environment for children. Under the Child Protection (Working with Children)
Act 2012 and the Child Protection (Working with Children) Regulation 2013,
employers must implement what is referred to as the Working with Children
Check (WWCC). This Act also establishes employment screening requirements
for child-related employment in NSW. The Department of Education and
Communities also requires applicants for teaching positions to undergo a
probity check to help to ensure that only people of the highest calibre are
recruited to work in NSW Government schools.
The Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 and the Child
Protection (Working with Children) Regulation 2013 have introduced a new
process for obtaining a Working with Children Check clearance.
Teacher education students seeking to undertake an internship or associate
teacher program must be employment screened before they begin their
internship in schools. They must provide a Working with Children Check
(WWCC) clearance number and complete other employment screening
requirements including a National Criminal Records Declaration. By signing
the declaration, a student is declaring that they have not been convicted of
any prohibited or registrable offence that would preclude them from working
in child-related employment in NSW, and providing consent to the Commission
for Children and Young People to check their relevant criminal records to
verify their statement. Prohibited persons will not be able to undertake
Special requirements and policies – UAC 2014–15 Postgraduate admissions
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SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES
Special requirements and policies
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES
practical course requirements in NSW schools. It is an offence for a prohibited
person to apply for, attempt to obtain, undertake or remain in child-related
employment. It is also an offence to make a false declaration.
Employment screening is also conducted for those seeking to work in other
types of paid child-related employment in the Department of Education.
 REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHING
Entry and pathways to teaching courses have been revised and may vary
between institutions.
Make sure you check with individual institutions about specific
requirements before applying.
Subject content requirements for teachers
When seeking admission to a graduate entry initial teacher education
program you must meet the Board of Studies Teaching & Educational
Standards NSW (BOSTES) subject content requirements either before
admission or before graduation. For details of the requirements, visit
www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/future-returning-teachers/become-a-teacher/
The initial teacher education providers determine if you meet the Institute’s
subject content requirements in your undergraduate and postgraduate
degree/s.
English language proficiency
You may have to provide proof of proficiency in English at one or two points in
your pathway to becoming a teacher in NSW:
1 when you apply for admission to your course and/or
2 when you apply for teacher accreditation.
The tests/qualifications and results that are accepted at these two points are
different. You must therefore read the requirements carefully.
1 When you apply through UAC for admission to the graduate entry course
If you have undertaken your studies in an overseas country, you may have to
provide proof of proficiency in English.
You need to know that:
■ institutions determine their own English proficiency requirements
■ you can find information about the many tests and qualifications that
institutions accept as proof of English language proficiency on UAC’s
website at www.uac.edu.au/postgraduate/faq/elp.shtml
■ most institutions have a variety of ways for you to provide proof of English
language proficiency.
2 When you apply for teacher accreditation
Teachers entering teaching in NSW must meet minimum levels of English
language proficiency. You need to know that:
■ the Board of Studies Teaching & Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES)
determines acceptable English language tests and results
■ you can find BOSTES English language proficiency test requirements
at www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/future-returning-teachers/overseasteachers/do-an-english-test/. A link to download the Policy on English
Language proficiency is accessible on this page.
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Special requirements and policies – UAC 2014–15 Postgraduate admissions