Faculty of Health Disciplines of Nursing & Midwifery

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1 Faculty of Health Disciplines of Nursing & Midwifery Frequently Asked Questions Bachelor of Nursing What is the difference between a Nursing degree and Midwifery degree? Which should I do first? Nursing and Midwifery are distinct disciplines. Both disciplines offer 3 year accredited undergraduate degrees at the University of Canberra. Nursing has a central value of informed caring with an emphasis on working to enable people to prevent and manage disease in the broader community. Midwifery has an emphasis on working with well women to grow, birth and mother healthy babies. Your decisions about which degree to enrol in or whether you should attain both qualifications needs to be guided by where you think you might want to work in the short and long term. I am finishing a Diploma (Enrolled Nursing) at CIT What do I have to do to get into the B Nursing at UC? How much credit will I get? The Bachelor of Nursing is made up of a total of 72 credit points. If you have completed the Diploma of Nursing at CIT you will be given academic status for 24 credit points. This means that if you are studying Full Time, you will complete the Bachelor of Nursing in two years. How many hours a week will I be in classes and at pracs - and how much time will I have for paid work to pay the bills etc? If you are studying Full Time in the Bachelor of Nursing, you will usually be spending around 9-10 hours in lectures and tutorials each week. You will also usually be enrolled in a unit with a clinical learning component and this means that you will need to attend clinical placements for blocks of 3-4 weeks (5 days per week). The number of blocks will increase as you progress through the course. I already have a degree in IT (etc) what credit would I get... There is an accelerated degree offered in the Bachelor of Nursing that will usually take 2.5 years of Full Time study on the basis of academic status granted for a completed first degree. You will need to apply for this credit to be transferred to the Bachelor of Nursing. Your first degree needs to be an area in which there will be knowledge and skills that are transferable to the nursing degree. Examples would be a Bachelor of Science with a major in human biology, a Bachelor of Arts degree or an undergraduate degree in Psychology and so on. Can I start in second semester? It is possible to start the Bachelor of Nursing degree in the second semester. However, because there are usually prerequisite units in first semester, it may be necessary to start

2 your degree Part Time and you will need to seek course advice to make sure that you are able to complete the degree in the shortest time frame. I am in Year 10. What subjects should I do for year 11 and 12? It is assumed that you have a level of written and spoken English proficiency that is adequate for study at university. Recommended school subjects include Mathematics, English, Science (biology or chemistry), and subject such as Social Psychology can be helpful. I have not got an ATAR (Year 12 certificate) etc. What pathways can I enter? You can still enrol at University of Canberra. Your work experience will be valuable background knowledge for your university education in the Bachelor of Nursing. If you haven t studied for a while there are some pathway courses offered through the UC College that will help you develop the skills and confidence to study successfully at university. Can I do my practical in block or do I have to do in on a weekly basis? When you enrol in the Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra you will do your clinical learning in intensive blocks of time (usually 3-4 weeks) during the semester. The number of clinical intensives will increase as you progress through the course. In between clinical learning intensives, you will have opportunities to discuss and reflect on your experiences and your learning in a classroom setting. What can I do afterwards? Can I go on to do Medicine? Completing a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra offers you a variety of interesting and different career opportunities in health care with the unique nursing perspective of informed caring. Medicine is a quite different degree and has a different approach to nursing, however there are some post graduate Medical degrees for those who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree and if you achieve a high enough GPA and meet the other criteria, you could certainly apply Registered Nurses are an essential part of the health workforce and are employed in the community, acute care, long term health setting in clinical, education and policy development areas and in research and academia. Graduates will be prepared to take up duties as first level practitioners in contexts such as primary health care and health promotion, hospitals, residential aged care facilities, the Australian Defence Forces and industry. Will I need to keep studying? What is a Grad year? The landscape of health is dynamic and requires practitioners who are able to be continuously effective. Further study will enhance your capacity to make a contribution to

3 the health of the community at the same time as allowing you to reach your own potential as a Registered Nurse. Most people will apply for a place in a new graduate program in a health service organisation. You are employed as a Registered Nurse when you enter these programs. A new graduate program in nursing allows you to make the transition from being a student to being a confident clinician. Being part of a new graduate program means that you will be fully accountable as a Registered Nurse but there is usually extra support available to help you move into your professional role. The new graduate program is not part of your university degree. Can I work overseas? The Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra is a fully accredited undergraduate nursing degree that will enable you to apply for registration as a nurse in Australia. Historically, Australian Registered Nurses have been very well regarded in other parts of the world however, it is important to be aware that other countries and the European Union have their own regulatory requirements. Can I select to do placements in a particular area such as mental health or paediatrics? The Discipline of Nursing at the University of Canberra works closely with health care providers to offer you with varied valuable opportunities for clinical learning. Every effort is made to facilitate students requests in regard to your clinical learning needs. Some students enter the Bachelor of Nursing program with a distinct outcome in mind in terms of the specialised area that they would like to work in at the end of their degree. Other students have more general goals and some students require extra support to ensure that your study is successful. We endeavour to facilitate all of these groups of students in the Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra. How much external work in retail can I continue to do when I am studying? It is important that you consider your commitments carefully to ensure that you have a balance between all of the very important elements in your life to ensure that you have the best opportunity to complete your Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Canberra. If you are studying Full Time in the Bachelor of Nursing, you will usually be spending around 9-10 hours in lectures and tutorials each week. You will also usually be enrolled in a unit with a clinical learning component and this means that you will need to attend clinical placements for blocks of 3-4 weeks (5 days per week). The number of blocks will increase as you progress through the course. It is possible to study in the Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra. If you do chose to study Part time it

4 is really important to seek course advice to make sure that you are able to complete the degree in the shortest time frame. Can I complete a unit in the degree while I am still in year 11 and 12? UC Accelerate is the University of Canberra s University Extension Program. It offers up to two university units to Year 11 and 12 students. UC Accelerate is available to students nominated by your school or college Principal as having the potential and motivation to undertake university study. Through UC Accelerate, capable students can experience tertiary studies and University life while you are still at school. There is a unit in the Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Canberra that you can study in this way. Can I do drama at the university while studying the BN? It is valuable to participate in an active and fulfilling social life while you are studying in the Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra to help you enrich your study experience. There are many social and sporting activities that you can be a part of and these are advertised around the campus. It is important that you consider your commitments carefully to ensure that you have a balance between all of the very important elements in your life to ensure that you have the best opportunity to complete your Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Canberra. I live out of town. Can I get accommodation on campus? University of Canberra students are able to take advantage of the accommodation facilities at the University of Canberra. If I complete the B of Mid, what would I need to do then to complete the B of Nursing, to have both qualifications? There is an accelerated degree offered in the Bachelor of Nursing that will usually take 2 years of Full Time study on the basis of academic status granted for a completed first degree. What is the best way to enrol at uni if I haven t completed my year 12 certificate? Yes, you can enrol at University of Canberra. Your work experience will be valuable background knowledge for your university education. If you haven t studied for a while there are some pathway courses offered through the UC College that will help you develop the skills and confidence to study successfully at university.

5 You can also apply directly to the university. Will I be able to do the course if I have small children? It is important that you consider your commitments carefully to ensure that you have a balance between all of the very important elements in your life to ensure that you have the best opportunity to complete your Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Canberra. If you are studying Full Time in the Bachelor of Nursing, you will usually be spending around 9-10 hours in lectures and tutorials each week. You will also usually be enrolled in a unit with a clinical learning component and this means that you will need to attend clinical placements for blocks of 3-4 weeks (5 days per week). The number of blocks will increase as you progress through the course. It is possible to study in the Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra. If you do chose to study Part time it is really important to seek course advice to make sure that you are able to complete the degree successfully in the shortest time frame. Should I go to CIT and do a Cert IV or Diploma in Nursing first before coming to Uni to be educated as a Registered Nurse? If you have worked or studied a Certificate III previously as an AIN your work experience will be valuable background knowledge for your university education. However, you will be unable to apply for credit to be transferred to the Bachelor of nursing at the University of Canberra. Studying a Certificate IV in Healthcare or a Diploma in Nursing at CIT will allow you to enrol as a nurse when you successfully complete that course. If you complete at Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra you will be able to apply for Registration as a nurse when you complete your degree. There are different professional roles and career paths for the two different classifications. CIT and University of Canberra have agreed articulation 9and reverse articulation) arrangements. The Bachelor of Nursing degree is made up of 72 credit points in total and if you have studied a Certificate IV at CIT you will be able to apply to transfer 12 credit points to the Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra. If you have studied a Diploma of Nursing at CIT you will be able to apply for academic status of 24 credit points in the Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Canberra. I am a mature aged student and I haven t been at school for a while, what are the requirements for writing essays and exams etc in the Nursing program?

6 Your work experience will be valuable background knowledge for your university education. If you haven t studied for a while there are some pathway courses offered through the UC College that will help you develop the skills and confidence to study successfully at university.