Bachelor of Nursing

Nurses are an essential part of the health care system and work to promote and maintain the health of individuals and communities. Nursing provides varied career opportunities and nurses fulfil diverse roles such as clinicians, educators, researchers and managers.

This program is available to International students only at the Callaghan Campus.

Academic staff and clinical educators from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at The University of Newcastle are committed to being supportive and encouraging mentors, to creating opportunities to engage with students in meaningful dialogue and to assist them to realise their individual potential. We are committed to enhancing the quality of students' learning experiences through:

• Teaching excellence that ensures well-developed knowledge, skills and clinical reasoning abilities and that prepares students for the dynamic and unpredictable nature of contemporary practice.
• Facilitating the development of an ethical, legal and culturally competent stance as foundational to professional practice.
• Developing clinically relevant curricula, learning resources and assessment activities.
• Scholarship that bridges the nexus between teaching, learning, research and practice.

Over the course of the Bachelor of Nursing program, you will complete 800 hours in a range of diverse clinical contexts including, but not limited to, primary health care services, community centres, residential aged care contexts, mental health services and acute care hospitals throughout the Hunter, Central Coast, Mid North Coast and University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) sites. Clinical experience is undertaken initially in the laboratories and simulation units on campus and then the knowledge is put into practice in health care contexts. Graduates will be well prepared clinically and academically for rewarding careers in a wide variety of health settings.

You will cover courses including nursing therapeutics, foundations of nursing, aged care, mental health and human bioscience.

Opportunities for nursing graduates have never been better. Whether it's in the public or private sector, hospitals, clinics, age care facilities, primary health care services in Australia or overseas, your chances of finding just the right position are excellent. When it's time for that working holiday you can apply for registration in many overseas countries - the perfect way to see the world and sharpen your nursing skills at the same time!

Current Australian Year 12 Students:

Apply for entry through UAC. Entry based on ATAR or equivalent.

Non school leavers and previous Australian Year 12 students:

Apply for entry through UAC. Entry based on:

• Previous Year 12 studies and/or
• Higher education, tertiary, post-secondary qualifications and/or
• Overseas qualifications considered equivalent to Australian qualifications.

International Students

International students currently undertaking:

• an Australian Year 12 in Australia
• an Australian Year 12 outside Australia
• an International Baccalaureate (IB) in Australia

Apply for entry through UAC. Entry based on ATAR or equivalent.

All other international students:

Apply direct to International Admissions. Entry based on overseas qualifications considered equivalent to Australian qualifications, as well as satisfying English language requirement.

Admission to this program is available to Australian students, residents and international students. Please visit http://www.newcastle.edu.au/what-can-i-study/undergraduate-programs/how-to-get-in/ for information on how to gain entry.

You may also be eligible to receive bonus points if you will be receiving an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). Please visit

http://www.newcastle.edu.au/what-can-i-study/undergraduate-programs/how-to-get-in/domestic-students/options-for-entry/bonus-points.html to see if you may be eligible.

Please be aware that the current standard English language competency for registration as a practitioner in your discipline in most states of Australia is IELTS 7.0.

General English

General maths

Biology and/or chemistry

Computer skills - word processing, email, web, web searching.

Biology and/or chemistry, general English and general maths.

A significant component of the program is conducted online via the internet and therefore you need to have computer skills, including word processing, email and web searching. If you do not have these skills you are advised to undertake a preparatory course.

If you have not studied HSC biology, chemistry and maths you are advised to undertake bridging courses conducted by the English Language and Foundation Studies Centre during January and February each year, prior to commencing first year.

• National Police Certificate
• Prohibited Employment Declaration

• NSW Department of Health Adult Vaccination record.

  Senior First Aid Certificate

Students holding the following qualifications may be eligible for specified credit on application:

• A TAFE Diploma in Nursing,
• Enrolled nurses holding a TAFE Certificate IV in Nursing (Enrolled Nurse)
• Registration as a professional nurse with a Approved Overseas Nursing Registration Authority
• All courses must have been completed within the last five years.

If you wish to apply for credit for studies completed at another institution or if you are changing programs within the University and wish to transfer your credit to new program go to http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/credit-transfer/ and click on How to apply for credit.

Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) is available as an additional one-year full-time program or equivalent part-time. Candidates for Honours are selected on the basis of academic achievement.

Over the course of the Bachelor of Nursing program, you will complete 800 hours in a range of diverse clinical contexts including, but not limited to, primary health care services, community centres, residential aged care contexts, mental health services and acute care hospitals throughout the Hunter, Central Coast, Mid North Coast and University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) sites.

Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme administered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Entry is based on overseas qualifications which are considered equivalent to Australian qualifications as well as satisfactory English language requirements. Credit may be awarded for students who have completed nursing studies overseas. Credit will be assessed on an individual basis. All courses must have been completed within the last eight years.

International students must comply with the University of Newcastle's English language proficiency requirements. All international students admitted to the BN are required to have English language skills at International English Testing Service (IELTS) (Academic) overall band 7, with a minimum score of 6 in each band.

All International Students enrolled in the program will be provided with an orientation to familiarise them with the rules, expectations, facilities and services offered by the University. Please visit http://www.newcastle.edu.au/students/international/student-support/ to find out more about the support services available to international students.

Students who have impaired function in their hands or arms, or a audio/visual impairment will have difficulty pursuing this program. It is highly advisable for any prospective student with such a disability to contact the Faculty to discuss the issue.

Students with disabilities who require reasonable adjustments to undertake their program should contact the Disability Support Service before semester or early in the semester. Some adjustments need up to 4 weeks lead time to organise, so it is imperative that early contact is made.

Please note: All students must fulfil the inherent requirements of the programs and courses they are undertaking. While reasonable adjustments can be made, these adjustments cannot compromise academic integrity. It is the student¿s responsibility to check all the requirements of courses, and consider the effects of any medical condition or disability on their ability to complete course requirements. Please visit http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/disability/ for more info.

The Bachelor of Nursing program includes 10 units of Electives and 10 units of Directed Courses. NURS2230 Clinical for International Nurses is available only to International Registered Nurses who enter the program with 80 units of credit and must be taken by International Registered Nurses as a Directed Course in Second Year.

All students can access additional learning development mechanisms provided by the Centre for Teaching and Learning at http://www.newcastle.edu.au/unit/ctl/lsp/

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can draw on the assistance and support provided by the Indigenous Student Support and Development service through the Wollotuka Institute.

All students are required to have a current nationally accredited senior first aid certificate, a National Police Certificate and Prohibited Employment Declaration, and a NSW Department of Health Adult Vaccination record in order to undertake clinical placements.

All students must complete the Academic Integrity Module in the first four week of enrolment.