Nurses are the heart and soul of healthcare, and nursing is a career where you can make a positive difference in the lives of others every day.

Our Bachelor of Nursing is taught in state-of-the-art facilities, including laboratories that simulate real healthcare settings. You will develop the ability to apply knowledge and evidence-based clinical reasoning skills to a nursing practice, provide therapeutic care to patients, coordinate and lead nursing care to individuals and groups, and work independently as well as collaborate in multidisciplinary teams for effective, person-centred outcomes.

Supervised clinical placements provide invaluable nursing experience in public and private hospitals and health agencies with an option in third year to undertake a specialised professional experience placement where you can explore your diverse career options.

This degree is a strong foundation for a nursing career in a number of settings, with options including primary health, mental health, chronic disease, leadership and care management. Your employment prospects as a Southern Cross University graduate are excellent — 95 per cent of our nursing graduates find employment shortly after graduation (QILT, 2018).

The course is responsive to contemporary nursing practice and provides content and clinical experiences as follows:

• Professional areas: nursing knowledge and development, critical thinking and analysis, provision and coordination of person-centred care, independent and collaborative care, primary health care, mental health, acute and complex care, chronic disease management, palliative care, leadership and care management, aged care.
• Biological sciences: anatomy, physiology, patho-physiology and pharmacology.
• Social sciences: Australian health care system, Indigenous studies, psychology and sociology for health sciences, legal and ethical studies and research methods.

Career opportunities exist as a registered nurse in a range of public and private health settings. Nurses typically deliver acute and chronic disease management in clinical settings such as emergency departments, critical care or operating theatres, paediatrics, and in community and primary healthcare and education. They can work as a practice nurse in GP clinics, in mental health, with children and health, rural and remote area healthcare.

Professional Placement

Supervised clinical placements of approximately 880 hours provide students with nursing experience in public and private hospitals and health agencies. These may include acute and low care health facilities; community settings; mental health facilities; extended residential aged care; GP practices; health promotion and education; intensive care; health clinics; accident and emergency; palliative care; primary health care settings and related nursing and health services within metropolitan, regional and rural areas throughout NSW and QLD and may include national or international opportunities.

Professional Recognition

The degree is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and provides the necessary academic qualification for eligibility as a Registered Nurse in Australia.