Bachelor of Nursing

Admission requirements

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

Pre-Registration pathway

The Pre-registration pathway 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 program of study requires three years of full-time study or the equivalent part-time in the internal mode only.

Enrolled nurses registered with the NMBA and holding a Diploma of Nursing may be eligible for up to 36 units of credit. Psychiatric/mental health/mental deficiency nurses may be eligible for credit on the basis of previous qualifications and work experience.

See also the Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-registration) course rule

New applicants for 2021 entry must demonstrate English language proficiency as specified by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s (NMBA) English language skills registration standard.

Graduate Entry pathway

The Graduate Entry pathway is an accelerated program for candidates who hold an approved degree in an area other than nursing. Holders of an approved three-year full-time or part-time equivalent, higher education diploma are also eligible for consideration for admission.

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

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

New applicants for 2021 entry must:

hold a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification in an area other than nursing or a degree in nursing that does not lead to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
must demonstrate that they have completed the equivalent of 9 units of study focussed on an understanding of body structures and function such as human biology, physiology and anatomy; and
demonstrate English language proficiency as specified by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s (NMBA) English language skills registration standard.

Re-Entry pathway

The Re-entry pathway is for students whose period of non-registration prevents them from re-registering with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. The course requires two years of full-time study or the equivalent part-time in the internal mode only.

Applicants must provide evidence of previous registration as a general nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, together with evidence of practice as a registered general nurse.

See also Bachelor of Nursing (Re-entry) course rule.

Course aims

The aim of the Bachelor of Nursing is to prepare comprehensive nurses who are reflective about their practice, have well-developed clinical reasoning skills and can confidently engage in nursing practice in a variety of environments/contexts, and to provide students with the learning opportunities they need to meet the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (2012) and achieve the Flinders University graduate qualities.

Learning outcomes

Graduates of the course are expected to be able to:

meet the requirements for registration as general nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
deliver nursing care as safe and therapeutic practitioners based on justifiable decisions derived from clinical reasoning and the best available evidence, taking account of the broader contexts of health and health care
base their nursing practice on a holistic understanding of a person’s health status within their social context
practise with an understanding of knowledge from supporting psychosocial and science disciplines
critically reflect on their practice
apply the principles and processes of nursing inquiry
engage in research activities that promote and improve nursing practice and the profession
adapt their nursing practice to the requirements of any situation, individual or group
function as effective members of healthcare teams
apply the University graduate qualities to their professional lives.

Pathways

Honours

Enrolment in an honours program may be offered to students 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 a qualification which the Dean (Education) agrees is equivalent, may be accepted as a candidate for the honours degree providing they have achieved an average grade of credit or better in fulfilling the requirements for the bachelor degree.

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.

Combined degrees

The Bachelor of Nursing may also be studied in a combined degrees program with a:

Bachelor of Health Sciences - No longer offered from 2019

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.