Master of Nursing (Coursework and Research) - from 1 January 2021

Admission requirements

Applicants must normally hold an approved degree or equivalent qualification and must be registered nurses.

This course will not lead to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

However, the Dean (Education) may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

Course aims

The aims of the course are to provide advanced studies in nursing practice and research to prepare nurses to contribute to the present and future development of health care services and the nursing profession.

Learning outcomes

Graduates of this course are expected to be able to:

demonstrate specialist nursing skills and competencies
critique practice through critical reflection and evidence-based nursing practice
critique the delivery of specialist nursing care in a range of health care communities and environments
provide nursing leadership in a range of healthcare communities and environments
contribute to advancing nursing knowledge and practice through research

Program of study

To qualify for the Master of Nursing (Coursework & Research), a student must complete 54 units with a grade of Pass or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study set out below.

Except with permission of the Dean (Education):

no topic may be attempted more than twice;
a student may not include a topic which repeats work previously undertaken;
students are required to undertake field work as a component of their Research Project

The award of a grade of Fail (F) in the same topic on more than one occasion or in 9 units or more, or failure to complete the course within eight consecutive semesters may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purpose of the University's Policy on Student Progress.

Not all elective topics will be available in any given year or semester.

Students in the Master of Nursing (Coursework and Research) undertake 36 units of core topics (which include an 18 unit research project) and 18 units of option topics).

Core - Year 1 & 2 topics

18 units comprising:

NURS9124 Advanced Thinking, Communication and Problem Solving for Health Professionals (4.5 units)
NURS9126 Leadership in Health Studies (4.5 units)
NURS9219 Introduction to Research (4.5 units)
REHB9034 Clinical Research Methods (4.5 units)

plus 18 units of Research Project topics:

REHB9010A Dissertation in Clinical Research Design and Implementation (4.5/18 units)
REHB9010B Dissertation in Clinical Research Design and Implementation (4.5/18 units)
REHB9010C Dissertation in Clinical Research Design and Implementation (4.5/18 units)
REHB9010D Dissertation in Clinical Research Design and Implementation (4.5/18 units)

Option - Year 1 & 2 topics

plus 18 units selected from:

NURS8720 Primary Health Care Constructs and Contexts (4.5 units)
NURS8721 Community and Primary Health Care Nursing (4.5 units)
NURS8730 Diabetes Management (4.5 units)
NURS8740 Foundations for Responding to Clinical Deterioration Across the Lifespan (4.5 units)
NURS8742 Critical Care Nursing Theory (4.5 units)
NURS8746 Managing High Acuity Surgical Care (4.5 units)
NURS8747 Managing High Acuity Medical Care (4.5 units)
NURS8751 Dimensions of Emergency Nursing (4.5 units)
NURS8760 Acute Mental Health Nursing Theory (4.5 units)
NURS8821 Health Maintenance for Infants, Children and Young People (4.5 units)
NURS8824 Introduction to Working with Infants, Children and Families (4.5 units)
NURS8828 Contemporary Issues in Paediatric Nursing (4.5 units)
NURS9123 Epidemiology and Population Studies for Health Care Practice (4.5 units)
NURS9541 Counselling in Mental Health Nursing (4.5 units)
NURS9708 Social Context of Health and Ageing (4.5 units)
NURS9710 The 3 Ds - Dementia, Delirium and Depression (4.5 units)
PALL8436 Palliative Care in Aged Care Settings (4.5 units)
REHB8025 Rehabilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury (4.5 units)
REHB8031 Rehabilitation Following Spinal Cord Injury (4.5 units)
REHB8032 Rehabilitation Nursing (4.5 units)

In consultation with the Course Coordinator, students may select as their option topic(s) other postgraduate topics offered by the College of Nursing and Health Science.

Every effort has been made to ensure the information published on the Course Rule pages is accurate at the time of publication. Flinders University reserves the right to amend its curriculum without prior notice, and will update the Course Rules to reflect any amendments at the earliest opportunity.