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Nursing & midwifery

In demand almost everywhere, and registered country by country.

Nursing is one of the most in-demand careers for international students, but it is regulated: to work as a registered nurse you must register with the nursing regulator in the country where you want to work. Your route depends on where you start. After HSC you take a pre-registration nursing degree (BSc or Bachelor of Nursing), or a shorter practical or enrolled nurse diploma. Graduates in another subject can take a graduate-entry nursing course. Nurses who already qualified in Bangladesh usually need the host country’s registration route or a bridging course; a master’s on its own rarely gives you a licence.

What the evidence says

The numbers behind this career

Test
Nurses and midwives trained outside the UK must pass the NMC’s Test of Competence and meet its English language requirement to join the UK register.
Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK), Trained outside the UK, current
On the list
Registered nurses are on Australia’s Core Skills Occupation List.
Australian Government, Core Skills Occupation List, current list
41%
Projected growth for US nurse practitioners, 2025–35: among the fastest-growing jobs.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35, Aug 2026

You and AI

What AI takes on, and what stays yours

AI supports the work, but people still do the core of it: care, trust and being there in person.

AI increasingly handles

  • Clinical notes and handover records
  • Rostering and bed management
  • Early-warning alerts from patient data

Stays human, and grows in value

  • Hands-on patient care and assessment
  • Comforting patients and families
  • Clinical judgement and accountability

The career ladder

From your first course to a senior role

Typical steps. Titles vary by country and employer, and some roles need a local licence or registration.

  1. 1StudyBSc Nursing or Bachelor of Nursing, graduate-entry nursing, practical nurse diploma, midwifery
  2. 2RegisterNursing regulator exam or assessment, English test, supervised practice
  3. 3First roleRegistered nurse, midwife, practical or enrolled nurse
  4. 4SeniorSpecialist nurse, nurse practitioner, nurse manager, nurse educator

Skills to build

Clinical skillsCommunication and empathyPatient safetyTeamwork under pressureEnglish for healthcare

Where it’s in demand

  • Health care and social services is a Canadian Express Entry category for 2026. Source
  • Registered nurses are on Australia’s Core Skills Occupation List. Source
  • Nursing professionals are a shortage field for Germany’s EU Blue Card. Source

Lists change often and are not a promise of a visa. How to use them →