Bachelor of Nursing (Post-Registration) (BNPO) - BN

QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: 906691; Distance education: 906695

CRICOS code (International applicants): 009259M

This program will accept no new admissions from Semester 2, 2009. The information relating to this program is applicable to currently enrolled students and students intending to enrol prior to Semester 2, 2009. Students who are interested in this study area should contact us.

Contact us

Program focus

The Bachelor of Nursing (Post-Registration) is designed for registered nurses with either a Certificate or Diploma of Nursing who wish to gain a degree in nursing.

Career opportunities

Registered Nurse – Public and Private General and Psychiatric Hospitals, Community Health, Mental Health, Aged Care, Paediatric and Adolescent Health, Home Health Care, Indigenous Health, Occupational Health, Rural Practice, Overseas Nursing. This program is a pathway to graduate entry Midwifery and Mental Health programs and other specialties within nursing and health care.

Program objectives

The Bachelor of Nursing (Post-Registration) is designed for registered nurses with either a Certificate or Diploma of Nursing who wish to gain a Degree in Nursing.

Completing the Bachelor of Nursing (Post-Registration) at USQ will allow graduates to:

• demonstrate a scholarly approach to nursing as a discipline

• utilise research findings to maintain and update standards of nursing care

• develop a critical understanding of, and approach to, the discipline

• enhance their career prospects in nursing.

Admission requirements

Applicants meeting the following criteria may be accepted into the program:

• Be a registered nurse

• have personal access to a BC computer with CD-ROM and Internet facilities for teaching-learning purposes. This is essential if students are to fulfil course assessment requirements. See below for further technical requirements

International applicants must also have met the University's English language requirements or have completed the University's ELICOS/UNIPREP programs

How to apply

Domestic students

Application for undergraduate programs may be made through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). The same procedure applies whether you plan to study on-campus or by distance education.

If you completed Year 12 at a Queensland secondary school you will be assessed for entry on the basis of your Overall Position (OP) or equivalent score. Year 12 students from other states or territories are considered for entry on the basis of their UAI, ENTER or TER and the subject prerequisites indicated. Other applicants will be based on their overall Rank. You should ensure you submit your application by the closing dates.

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of your higher education and you as a student pay a student contribution amount, which varies depending on the courses undertaken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called HECS-HELP.

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Program structure

The program consists of eight courses, each of one unit. Of these eight units:

• a minimum of four units of approved USQ courses must be completed whilst enrolled in the program

• a maximum of four units of exemptions may be granted to students who have, within the five years prior to admission to the program, completed appropriate studies at a recognised university and/or the College of Nursing. Such studies must not have contributed to a completed award at a university.

There is no requirement for students to undertake clinical experience in the program. No residential attendance is required.

International Students

Successful completion of the Bachelor of Nursing (Post-Registration) does not guarantee registered nurse status in Australia.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 3 years to complete this program.

Core courses

Students then choose four units of elective courses as follows:

Elective courses

Post-Registration nursing students do not have to follow the enrolment requirements listed in the course synopses section of the Handbook for any courses with codes beginning with NUR. These enrolment requirements are for Pre-Registration students only. However, enrolment in other elective courses is subject to satisfactory completion of the enrolment requirements for that course.

Nursing elective courses

Of the four units of electives, at least one must be selected from the following:

Additional elective courses may be selected from any level 1, 2 or 3 courses offered by USQ, however, students should bear in mind the following when making their selection.

Students who have little or no experience with computers and the use of the Internet are strongly encouraged to study CSC1402 Foundation Computing as one of their electives, provided that they have regular access to a computer that may be used to access the Internet.

In the past, many students have chosen from the following Management Elective Courses: MGT1000 Organisational Behaviour ; MGT1001 Human Resource Management ; MGT2000 Staffing and Remuneration ; MGT2001 Management of Workplace Health and Safety .

IT requirements

Students should visit the USQ Recommended Hardware and Recommended Software sites to check that their computers are capable of running the appropriate software and versions of Internet web browsers and to check the minimum and recommended standards for software.

Recommended enrolment pattern

From Semester 2, 2009, this program will no longer be available for admission. Students currently enrolled in this program are requested to contact the Administration Officer (Nursing and Midwifery) on telephone +61 7 4631 2384 or email ,to discuss an appropriate study plan.

Students are free to construct their own enrolment pattern noting that:

• it is not necessary to complete the four compulsory courses before commencing the electives

• there are no enrolment requirements for Post-Registration nursing students for Nursing courses listed above

• the four compulsory courses and electives must be satisfactorily completed within three years of first enrolling in the program

• students wishing to enrol in Management Electives or any other electives from the Minor Studies section of this Handbook must discuss their enrolment pattern with the Program Coordinator.

Note: Some courses may be studied in other semesters. Please refer to semesters of offer listed in the Course Synopses section of this Handbook.