Programs
What is Nursing?
The USQ Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-Registration) program prepares students for the nursing profession as a Registered Nurse. Clinical experience is undertaken by students throughout the program and includes a wide variety of health care settings. The facilities for practical nursing education at USQ are of the highest standard. On our Toowoomba and Fraser Coast campuses we have laboratory facilities that include simulated ward areas and nursing science laboratories, and dedicated technical staff to service these areas.
Students will develop competency in nursing by actively participating in nursing laboratories at the University and through relevant clinical experience. Almost 50 percent of the program is devoted to clinical practice within simulated laboratories or settings such as large general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, smaller country hospitals, aged care settings, community health service, special clinics and rehabilitation.
USQ Nursing programs recognise the unique responsibilities you will encounter in career as a health care provider and will provide you with the perspective, compassion, knowledge and skills to succeed. Our Nursing and Midwifery Department enjoys widespread acclaim for its excellence in clinical teaching and our graduates experience an employment rate close to 100 percent.
Career opportunities
Employment opportunities for graduates are many and varied. As well as traditional roles within hospitals and community healthcare services, nurses are employed in Australia and around the world in many non-hospital settings including the military, international aid agencies, the mining sector, schools, occupational health settings and even the tourism industry. Wherever there are people there are nurses working to care for them and to promote health care.
Registered Nurses may further their education by undertaking study at the postgraduate level. These studies are available full-time or part-time, on-campus or via distance education and include areas such as Midwifery, Mental Health, Rural and Remote Area Practice, Nursing Education and Nursing Management.
Research
Faculty members undertake research projects in areas of their expertise. The Department's recognised strength in the area of nursing in rural and remote areas is enhanced through its association with the Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health (CRRAH).
The Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health (CRRAH) is located in Toowoomba, Queensland. It is a jointly-badged Centre of the University of Southern Queensland and the University of Queensland. The CRRAH is committed to enhancing the health of people living in rural and remote areas of Australia by supporting the work of health policy planners, rural and remote area health professionals, health workers, and consumers with relevant research, research training, and consultancies.
Departmental staff regularly publish books, journal articles and conference papers.
Prospective postgraduate research students are encouraged to contact potential academic supervisors directly to discuss available research projects and areas of interest. Entry into research postgraduate programs is dependent on availability of an appropriate academic supervisor. The Office of Research and Higher Degrees manages the enrolment, progress and examination of all research higher degree students.