Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-Registration)

The Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-registration) is offered by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

This course is for candidates with no previous formal nursing or tertiary qualification, enrolled nurses with a Diploma of Nursing, psychiatric/mental health/mental deficiency nurses who are seeking registration as general nurses, and nurses with an overseas qualification not recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

The 108 unit program of study requires three years of full-time study or the equivalent part-time in the internal mode only.

Students who successfully complete 108 units of study will be granted the award of Bachelor of Nursing and be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

Applicants who hold a NMBA approved Diploma of Nursing qualification or equivalent and hold current registration with NMBA as an enrolled nurse may be eligible for a maximum of 36 units of credit (one year of full-time equivalent study), providing this Diploma of Nursing or equivalent was completed within the past five years.

Professional experience placement is required to demonstrate the achievement of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Registered nurse standards for practice.

Enrolment in the honours program may be offered to a student who has completed the Bachelor of Nursing and meets certain academic criteria and subject to the College being able to provide appropriate resources and staff to supervise the program of study.

• Admission requirements
• Course aims
• Learning outcomes
• Program of study
  
• Honours
  
  

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University’s entry requirements.

Applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency as follows:

• English is your primary language and you have satisfactorily completed at least six years of schooling in English (including two years at secondary school level) in one of the following countries:  Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, Canada , Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom, OR
• You have achieved, or will achieve, the required minimum scores in an acceptable English language proficiency test no more than two (2) years prior to the course start date.

See also the Bachelor of Nursing (Graduate Entry) course rule.

Course aims

The Bachelor of Nursing is an entry-to-practice course. It aims to prepare students to be person-centred and evidence based health professionals who have well-developed clinical reasoning skills and are reflective about their practice. They will be equipped with skills and knowledge to provide relationship based, ethically responsible care, adhering to safety and quality standards for people across the lifespan and from diverse populations and care contexts locally, nationally and globally. Students will become confident to work in therapeutic, culturally safe, and professional relationships with individuals, families, communities and fellow health professionals to collaboratively and responsively assess, plan, implement and evaluate care. Students will be provided with the learning opportunities they need to practice in the range of healthcare, technology and policy environments, meet the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board Registered Nurse standards for practice, and achieve the Flinders University graduate qualities.

Learning outcomes

Graduates of the course are expected to be able to:

• apply knowledge of human biology, pathophysiology, technology, and social and nursing sciences to assess, plan, implement and evaluate nursing care as a beginning practitioner
• apply the guiding principles of ‘Fundamentals of Care’ to deliver collaborative, relationship-based, and interprofessional care that is person-centred and consistent with safety and quality standards for health care practice
• integrate knowledge of nursing, health policy, legal and ethical frameworks to provide equitable and ethically responsible care for people from diverse populations and care contexts locally, nationally and globally
• demonstrate caring behaviours that are applicable across the lifespan and informed by knowledge of the geographical, cultural and sociodemographic context in which care is being delivered
• integrate knowledge and experiences to develop clinical reasoning skills and to critically reflect on clinical practice
• apply an evidence-based approach and engage in life-long learning to enhance nursing practice and develop and promote the profession
• recognise the importance of history, and culture and apply knowledge and understanding of the impact of colonisation on the cultural, social and spiritual lives, and health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Indigenous people globally
• demonstrate knowledge, skills and professional behaviours that are consistent with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered nurse standards for practice, international nursing standards and Flinders University graduate qualities

Program of study

To qualify for the Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-registration), a student must complete 108 units with a grade of Pass or NGP or better in each topic.

Except with permission of the College the course must be completed within six consecutive years.

The award of a grade of Fail (F) in the same topic on more than one occasion may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purpose of the University's Policy on Student Progress.

A student who fails the professional experience placement component of any topic will receive a Fail grade for that topic. A student may at any time be removed from a professional experience placement for unprofessional behaviour and/or unsafe practice.

Students undertake the following program. (Note, PEP refers to professional experience placement)

Core - Year 1 topics

36 units comprising:

NURS1001 Introduction to the Nursing Profession and Independent Learning  (4.5 units)
NURS1002 Contexts of Nursing and Primary Health Care (4.5 units)
NURS1003 Psychosocial Perspectives of Health Care(4.5 units)
NURS1004 Physical Dimensions of Being Human (4.5 units)
NURS1005A Applied Science in Professional Practice (PEP) (4.5 units)
NURS1006 Ethics and Law for Professional Practice (4.5 units)
NURS1007 Dimensions of Physical and Mental Health (4.5 units)
NURS1008 Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety (4.5 units)

Core - Year 2 topics

36 units comprising:

NURS2001 Understanding People and the Healthcare Environment (4.5 units)
NURS2002 Professionalism in Action (PEP) (4.5 units)
NURS2003 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology 1 (4.5 units)
NURS2004 Dynamics of Practice 1 (4.5 units)
NURS2005 Managing Care of Clients in Different Settings (PEP) (9 units)
NURS2006 Clinical Governance and Practice Improvement(4.5 units)
NURS2007 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology 2 (4.5 units)

Core - Year 3 topics

36 units comprising:

NURS3001 Dynamics of Practice 2 (4.5 units)
NURS3002 Advanced Decision-Making and Practice (PEP) (9 units)
NURS3003 Dynamics of Practice 3 (4.5 units)
NURS3004 Transition to Professional Practice 1 (4.5 units)
NURS3005 Transition to Professional Practice 2 (PEP) (9 units)
NURS3006 The Professional Nurse (4.5 units)

Honours

Enrolment in an honours program may be offered to graduates who meet certain academic criteria and subject to the College being able to provide appropriate resources and staff to supervise their program of study.

A student who has completed all the requirements of the Bachelor of Nursing degree, or an equivalent qualification, may be accepted as a candidate for the honours degree providing they have achieved a minimum GPA of 5 in their completed studies.

To qualify for the honours degree, a student must satisfactorily complete 36 units of study within one year full-time or two years part-time.

See also the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) course rule.