Bachelor of Nursing

Recognised and accepted in over 160 countries

If you're passionate about helping others and considering a future in nursing, then UC's Bachelor of Nursing course offers an outstanding industry and globally respected platform from which to launch your nursing career.

This immersive and fully interactive course incorporates the latest national and international interactive teaching and online practice methods while using innovative technological and medical equipment to simulate real-life scenarios.

As part of this course, you'll also undertake multiple clinical placement opportunities and gain valuable insight and experience across a broad range of healthcare service providers.

Successful completion of this course will enable you to become a registered nurse in Australia, and upon graduation you'll have the necessary skills, experience, and qualifications to be recognised as a nursing professional all over the world.

This three-year full-time course can also be studied part-time and is fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Study a Bachelor of Nursing at UC and you will:

• Develop and apply nursing knowledge and skills to approach all interactions with empathy in a culturally safe, respectful manner where cultural understanding and reconciliation is valued, ensuring that all feel safe.
• Conduct nursing assessments to establish priorities and inform planning; provide skilful nursing interventions for people across the lifespan within the scope of a Registered Nurse and evaluate responses to determine effectiveness.
• Integrate sciences, appraise research and apply evidence and strength based best practice approaches to think critically and inform safe clinical decision making for quality person centred nursing care.
• Implement culturally appropriate nursing care integrating First Nations perspectives on health, connection to land and community.
• Demonstrate professional communication and therapeutic relationships that are consistent with ethical strengths-based approaches to person-centred nursing care and relevant legal frameworks that govern healthcare practice.
• Build and apply career-readiness, a clear professional identity, and the skills, knowledge and personal attributes necessary to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for practice.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL)

WIL is a vital component of this course, and in the first semester, you will have the opportunity to participate in a ten-day placement to accurately gauge the realities of a career as a registered nurse. Over the next three years, you will be required to complete a minimum of 800 hours of clinical practice across a range of local and regional healthcare settings - including areas such as community care, mental health, aged care, medical and surgical care, rehabilitation, palliative care, operating theatre, emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU).

Participating placement venues include: Canberra Hospital, North Canberra Hospital, Goulburn Base Hospital, and several additional private healthcare clinics in and around ACT, Sydney and regional New South Wales, e.g., Bega.

A core component of the UC nursing coursework takes place within the simulated environment, where students have the opportunity to develop and hone clinical skills and behaviours in spaces that look and feel like the clinical environment. UC nursing students can expect to spend hours rehearsing and practicing together utilising a myriad of simulation trainers, manikins, emerging technology (such as AI and VR), and even actors as they prepare for clinical practice.

Career opportunities

This course leads directly into becoming eligible for registration as an Australian qualified Registered Nurse. Nursing is a diverse career and a UC trained RN can comfortably look for work in the hospital sector, private health care, primary health care, rural and remote health care and military support. An Australian RN qualification is also highly respected internationally and opens the door to numerous nursing employment opportunities overseas.

Course-specific information

The Bachelor of Nursing is fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

Prior to undertaking any clinical experience, you must:

• provide your immunisation history.
• apply for a National Police Check.
• apply for Working with Vulnerable People registration.
• undertake a tuberculosis (TB) screening test.
• sign any required NSW Health forms..
• have qualifications in first aid/CPR.

Professional accreditation

Professionally accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). Graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

This three-year full-time course can also be studied part-time and is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/ through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) https://www.ahpra.gov.au/

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has developed a set of registration standards that define the requirements that applicants, registrants or students need to meet to be registered. Core standards cover criminal history, English language skills, continuing professional development, recency of practice and professional indemnity insurance arrangements. The standards can be accessed via this link: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/registration-standards.aspx