Hi, I'm Clare and I'm studying a Bachelor of Nursing here at Southern Cross University.
I chose to study nursing as I've always been interested in the medical field. I completed
a school-based traineeship in Year 11 and 12 and from that moment knew that supporting people at
their most vulnerable and being an advocate for their needs was where my passion lied. I enjoy
most the beautiful location and state-of-the-art facilities we use to learn our clinical skills in,
the opportunities for placement to attend at some of Australia's best hospitals in Queensland and
New South Wales and to be able to put all the theory into practice. I'm hoping to nurse in a
rural and remote setting. I'm from a small country town and that's where I grew up so
I intend to work towards bridging the health gap and meeting the unique needs of those populations,
whether that be in acute critical care or primary care. During my degree, I've done placements in
a number of clinical settings. I've done surgical and medical and I've got mental health coming up.
Being able to see different clients at their various stages of their health journeys and
be able to learn the nursing cares and skills to support them and implement the nursing process
has been really valuable for my learning. Health labs are set up like a hospital, a four bed bay,
and we have SimMan technology, which we use to practice our clinical skills on each week,
all supported by tutors who are really knowledgeable in actually working in the field
and can provide that real world experience. I'm now going to talk you through Southern
Cross University's Bachelor of Nursing, our campus facilities, careers and study options.
Southern Cross offers a Bachelor of Nursing, which can be completed over three years full-time or six
years part-time. I'm studying here on the Gold Coast but the degree is also available
in Lismore and Coffs Harbour. The course offers three major areas of study. There's professional
areas that cover subjects like critical thinking and analysis, mental health and chronic disease
management. There's biological sciences, that include subjects like anatomy and physiology.
And social sciences, that cover subjects like the Australian healthcare system and pharmacology.
Southern Cross also offers the EN to RN pathway at our Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour and Lismore
campuses. This is a course specifically designed for enrolled nurses to become registered nurses in
just two years full-time or three or four years part-time, for students who have completed the
approved health training package, Diploma in Nursing. The course builds further knowledge
on professional nursing, biological and social sciences. Supervised clinical placements are a
core element of studying nursing. Nursing students will complete approximately 860
hours of clinical placement in public and private hospitals and health agencies.
There is an option in third year to undertake a specialised professional experience placement,
where you can explore your diverse career options. Placement opportunities may include acute and low
care health facilities, community settings, mental health facilities, 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.
Students will need to fulfil certain prerequisites prior to attending any placements,
such as a working with children's check, national police certificate, up-to-date
vaccinations and a first aid certificate. Placements are organised by the University.
We have clinical partners that students complete their placements with. Some are based locally,
some are regional and rural areas throughout New South Wales and Queensland and further afield.
Depending on where the placement is, they can be completed part-time or in a block. Nurses are in
strong demand, with over 96 percent of Southern Cross nursing graduates finding employment shortly
after graduation. Career pathways for registered nurses include public and private health sectors,
clinical settings, education, management, research, public health, defence services,
not-for-profit organisations and so much more. And, of course, Southern Cross University's
nursing degree is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, providing you with
the right qualifications to graduate job ready. Now let's hear from our study expert Claudia to
learn how to apply. So, how to apply. If you're about to finish school, you can apply through UAC
in New South Wales and QTAC in Queensland. You can also apply directly to the Uni by finding
the web page for the course you're interested in. Click ‘how to apply’ and follow the prompts.
Also, if you're in Year 12, don't forget our Early Entry Program, which is open now.
If your principal recommends you, you could receive a university offer before your
ATAR is even released, makes Year 12 a lot less stressful. And don't forget there are
heaps of scholarships available ranging from $150 to $60,000 over four years,
so definitely worth checking out. And you only have to apply once to be considered for
all scholarships that apply to you. All sound pretty good? Come and see for yourself. Come to
an on-campus Open Day experience, you can book at our Open Day website. We hope to see you there.