English-medium universities are enrolling increasing numbers of students for whom English is not a first language. Despite having met English language entry criteria, these individuals can still have difficulty coping with degree programme content due to inadequate English language skills, and this presents receiving institutions with the challenge of how best to provide support to ensure this cohort can fully realise its academic potential. The stakes are particularly high for students who need to demonstrate specified levels of language proficiency in order to meet professional accreditation boards’ registration criteria. This is the case for students in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of South Australia, the context of the current study. This article reports on a pilot intervention model that constituted part of an English language strategy currently being formulated at the University. The model comprised 39 hours of face-to-face tuition in which language was taught within contexts relevant to trainee and practising nurses. Results suggest that even a quite modest language intervention can have an impact on students’ English language competence.