Health Roles Explained

Healthcare roles explained: duties & responsibilities

Healthcare roles span a wide range of responsibilities, from frontline patient care to vital administrative and support positions that keep services running efficiently. It’s a sector where clinical, allied health and non-clinical roles work together to deliver quality care across settings. This guide breaks down the key healthcare roles, what they involve day-to-day and how they fit into longer-term career pathways.

Core healthcare roles

Healthcare teams are structured around clearly defined roles, with duties and pay typically shaped by industrial instruments, registration requirements and experience levels. For nursing roles specifically, the Nurses Award (MA000034) sets minimum classifications and pay points in many private-sector settings, including pathways that step up as scope and responsibility grow.

Public hospitals and some large services often use separate state-based agreements and pay scales, so rates and titles can look different even when the day-to-day work is similar.

1. Assistant in nursing

The job description of an assistant in nursing centres on supporting clinical teams by providing essential, hands-on care. Working under the direction of registered or enrolled nurses, this role focuses on daily care tasks rather than clinical decision-making.

Most roles fall under the Nurses Award, with levels reflecting qualifications, experience and scope of duties. Progression often comes through further study into enrolled nursing or branching out into other allied health assistant roles.

A nursing assistant’s job description typically includes:

• Assisting patients with mobility, hygiene and daily living needs
• Monitoring and reporting changes in patient condition
• Supporting nurses with routine care and ward preparation
• Maintaining cleanliness, safety and infection control standards

Who this suits: People who want an active clinical role, enjoy patient interaction and prefer working within a structured scope of practice. It’s a strong fit for those seeking responsibility without stepping into full clinical accountability straight away.

Salary range: Award rates generally sit between $52,200 and $55,600, depending on level, shift loadings and employer.

2. Enrolled nurse

Enrolled nurses (ENs) provide direct patient care within a defined scope of practice, working as part of a team and under the supervision of a registered nurse. In most settings, the role blends hands-on care and structured clinical tasks, with responsibilities expanding as experience grows across pay points.

For those comparing enrolled nurse vs registered nurse roles, the key difference is that ENs practice within a more defined scope, while RNs hold broader clinical accountability. Under the Nurses Award 2020, enrolled nurses are classified by pay points (1–5), which generally reflect experience and growing capability rather than a change in registration.

Here’s a general overview of what an enrolled nurse does daily:

• Completing patient observations and documenting changes in condition
• Providing wound care and supporting procedures within scope and workplace policy
• Administering medications where authorised and competent to do so
• Contributing to care plans, handovers and coordinated team-based care

Who this suits: People who want a practical clinical role with clear boundaries, enjoy patient contact and like building confidence through routine, repetition and supervision. It suits jobseekers who want meaningful responsibility now, with a credible pathway into registered practice later.

Salary range: Award minimums are $28.64–$30.13 per hour (about $56,600–$59,500 per year full-time), before shift penalties, weekend rates and other loadings.

3. Registered nurse

Registered nurses sit at the next level of clinical responsibility, holding accountability for assessment, planning and evaluation of patient care. Compared to what enrolled nurses do, RNs hold greater autonomy. They make independent clinical decisions, coordinate care and supervise other nursing staff where required.

Under the Nurses Award, registered nurses also progress through structured levels and pay points, with Level 1 covering early-career practice and higher levels reflecting leadership or specialist capability.

Key responsibilities of a registered nurse include: 

• Assessing patients, interpreting clinical information and responding to changes in condition
• Administering and evaluating treatments, medications and interventions
• Developing, reviewing and leading nursing care plans and clinical documentation
• Coordinating care with medical, allied health and support staff

Who this suits: People who want greater clinical independence, are confident making decisions and can balance patient care with coordination and leadership. It suits professionals ready to move beyond task-based care into accountability and oversight.

Salary range: Award minimums range from around $60,000 per year at Level 1 to over $130,000 per year at Level 5, before penalties, loadings and role-specific allowances. National median earnings data from Jobs and Skills Australia place annual full-time registered nurse earnings at approximately $112,000.

4. Aged care nurse

Aged care nurses specialise in supporting older people in residential facilities, retirement villages and in-home care. They blend clinical nursing skills with the empathy and communication needed for long-term wellbeing.

While the core responsibilities align with general nursing, the context emphasises chronic condition management, mobility support, medication routines and quality-of-life planning.

Here’s a snapshot of what an aged care nurse does day-to-day:

• Conducting health assessments and monitoring chronic conditions
• Administering medications and managing care routines within scope
• Liaising with families, allied health and care staff to tailor care plans
• Supporting mobility, wound care and daily living goals

Who this suits: People who enjoy building relationships over time, combining clinical skills with patience and communication in a community-centred healthcare setting.

Salary range: Minimum award pay for registered nurses in aged care equates to approximately $70,000 per year at entry level, rising to around $125,000 per year at senior clinical levels, before penalties, loadings and allowances. These figures reflect the first tranche of Fair Work Commission wage increases, with further phased rises.

5. Occupational health nurse

Occupational health nurses (OHNs) focus on the health and safety of employees within workplaces. They help prevent injury, manage illness and support return-to-work outcomes.

Salaries in this area are covered by the Nurses Award, but may also sit under enterprise agreements or organisational frameworks. Senior roles are often tied to experience, specific certifications and workplace safety responsibilities.

An occupational health nurse’s duties typically include:

• Conducting pre-employment screenings and health assessments
• Advising on workplace risk controls and injury prevention programs
• Managing case reviews, immunisation programs and health monitoring
• Supporting rehabilitation and return-to-work planning after injury

Who this suits: Clinicians who enjoy blending practice with problem-solving, have strong communication skills and take a proactive approach to health promotion in non-traditional clinical settings.

Salary range: Full-time Award minimums for OHNs run from $65,000 per year (level 1, pay point 1) up to $85,400 per year (level 3, pay point 4 and thereafter), before penalties, loadings and allowances.

Management roles

These roles go beyond day-to-day care delivery and focus on coordination and accountability. They support clinical teams by managing people, systems and standards that keep services running effectively.

1. Nurse practitioners

Nurse practitioners operate at the most senior end of clinical practice. They combine advanced patient care with administrative load. While they remain hands-on in assessment and treatment, the role also carries responsibility for clinical governance, prescribing, referrals and service planning.

Nurse practitioners’ distinct classification in the Nurses Award reflects their extended scope and autonomy compared to registered nursing roles.

A nurse practitioner’s job description covers:

• Conducting advanced assessments, diagnosing conditions and initiating treatment
• Prescribing medications and ordering diagnostic tests within authorised scope
• Managing complex or chronic cases with a high level of independence
• Completing clinical governance, documentation, referrals and service coordination tasks

Who this suits: Highly experienced nurses who want to retain patient contact while stepping into advanced decision-making, leadership and accountability. It suits clinicians who are comfortable balancing clinical depth with administrative and regulatory responsibility.

Salary range: Award minimums typically translate to around $93,200 (Year 1) to $96,000 (second year), before penalties, loadings and allowances, with higher earnings common in specialised or private settings.

2. Nurse manager

Nurse managers lead teams within hospitals, aged care and community health settings, balancing clinical oversight with operational and people leadership. They make sure care standards, staffing, budgets and quality systems align so services run safely and effectively.

A nurse manager’s duties typically include:

• Coordinating nursing staff, rostering and performance
• Developing and reviewing clinical policies and unit objectives
• Managing budgets, resources and operational priorities
• Monitoring care quality, safety outcomes and professional development

Who this suits: Experienced nurses with strong leadership, organisation and communication skills who want to blend clinical insight with team and service-level accountability.

Salary range: Median full-time weekly earnings for nurse managers are about $2,608 per week, which translates to around $135,600 per year.

Support roles

These positions provide practical, administrative and technical support that keeps services organised, compliant and responsive to patient needs across healthcare settings.

1. Medical receptionist

These professionals support healthcare delivery by managing patient flow, information and communication at the front of clinics and practices. The medical receptionist role combines administration with customer service, often acting as the link between patients and clinical staff.

A medical receptionist’s duties include:

• Managing appointment bookings, cancellations and clinician schedules
• Greeting patients and handling enquiries in person, by phone and online
• Processing billing, Medicare claims and private health paperwork
• Maintaining accurate patient records and supporting daily clinic operations

Who this suits: People who are organised, calm under pressure and comfortable handling sensitive information. It’s a good fit for those who enjoy structured work and being the first point of contact in a healthcare setting.

Salary range: Under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award (MA000027), medical receptionists and comparable support staff generally fall into support services employee levels 2–3, where full-time award minimums equate to roughly $53,300–$58,300 per year before penalties, loadings and allowances.

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