Study a Bachelor of Nursing at UC and you will:

Develop and apply nursing knowledge and skills to approach all interactions with empathy in a culturally safe, respectful manner where cultural understanding and reconciliation is valued, ensuring that all feel safe.
Conduct nursing assessments to establish priorities and inform planning; provide skilful nursing interventions for people across the lifespan within the scope of a registered nurse and evaluate responses to determine effectiveness.
Integrate sciences, appraise research and apply evidence and strength based best practice approaches to think critically and inform safe clinical decision making for quality person centred nursing care. Implement culturally appropriate nursing care integrating First Nations perspectives on health, connection to land and community.
Demonstrate professional communication and therapeutic relationships that are consistent with ethical strengths-based approaches to person-centred nursing care and relevant legal frameworks that govern healthcare practice.
Build and apply career-readiness, a clear professional identity, and the skills, knowledge and personal attributes necessary to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for practice.

This immersive and fully interactive course incorporates the latest national and international interactive teaching and online practice methods while using innovative technological and medical equipment to simulate real-life scenarios.

As part of this course, you’ll also undertake multiple clinical placement opportunities and gain valuable insight and experience across a broad range of healthcare service providers.

Successful completion of this course will enable you to become a registered nurse in Australia, and upon graduation, you’ll have the necessary skills, experience, and qualifications to be recognised as a nursing professional all over the world.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL)

WIL is a vital component of this course, and in the first semester, you will have the opportunity to participate in a ten-day placement to accurately gauge the realities of a career as a registered nurse. Throughout the three-year duration of the course, you will be required to complete a minimum of 800 hours of clinical practice across a range of local and regional healthcare settings - including areas such as community care, mental health, aged care, medical and surgical care, rehabilitation, palliative care, operating theatre, emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU).

Participating placement venues include: Canberra Hospital, North Canberra Hospital, Goulburn Base Hospital, and several additional private healthcare clinics in and around ACT, Sydney and regional New South Wales, e.g., Bega.

A core component of the UC nursing coursework takes place within the simulated environment, where students have the opportunity to develop and hone clinical skills and behaviours in spaces that look and feel like the clinical environment. UC nursing students can expect to spend hours rehearsing and practicing together utilising a myriad of simulation trainers, manikins, emerging technology (such as AI and VR), and even actors as they prepare for clinical practice.

Career opportunities

UC's Bachelor of Nursing course leads directly into becoming eligible for registration as an Australian-qualified registered nurse. Nursing is a diverse career and a UC-trained RN can comfortably look for work in the hospital sector, private health care, primary health care, rural and remote health care and military support. An Australian RN qualification is also highly respected internationally and opens the door to numerous nursing employment opportunities overseas.

UC's Bachelor of Nursing includes 24 units, including:

Core units

Health Across the Lifespan: Child and Family Health (3 credit points)
Health Across the Lifespan: Mental Health (3 credit points)
Health Across the Lifespan: Chronic and Complex Care (3 credit points)
Concepts in Pathophysiology (3 credit points)
Integrating Nursing Concepts 1 (3 credit points)
Integrating Nursing Concepts 3 (3 credit points)
Integrating Nursing Concepts 4 (3 credit points)
Foundations of Anatomy and Physiology (3 credit points)
Person-Centred Practice in Nursing (3 credit points)
Integrating Pathophysiology (3 credit points)
Diversity, Inclusion and Healthcare (3 credit points)
Mental Health Care in Practice (3 credit points)
Research and Technology for Healthcare Practice (3 credit points)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People's Health Contexts (3 credit points)
Integrating Nursing Concepts 6 (Capstone) (3 credit points)
Quality, Safety and Leadership in Healthcare (3 credit points)
Health Across the Lifespan: Dimensions of Ageing (3 credit points)
Professional Orientation (Nursing) (3 credit points)
Health Across the Lifespan: High Acuity Care Needs (3 credit points)
Comprehensive Health Assessment and Learning for Nursing Practice (3 credit points)

Restricted Choice - 12 credit points as follows

Part C - Must pass 3 credit points from the following

Ethics and Law for Health Professionals (3 credit points)

Part D - Must pass 3 credit points from the following

Concepts in Pharmacology (3 credit points)

Part A - Must pass 3 credit points from the following

Integrating Nursing Concepts 2 (3 credit points)

Part B - Must pass 3 credit points from the following

Integrating Nursing Concepts 5 (3 credit points)

Note: UC's Bachelor of Nursing has a limited application period and will only be opened twelve months prior to the commencement of each intake.

Admission to this course is based on an entrance rank. A rank can be achieved by the following means:

Year 12 ATAR
other Australian qualification
work experience
overseas qualification

UC also offer a number of entry initiatives that give you the opportunity to gain entry to the university via alternate pathway programs and admissions schemes.

Additional admission requirements

Immunisations
TB Screening
National Police Check
NSW Health forms
Working With Vulnerable People
First Aid/CPR

Academic IELTS 7.0 across all bands to comply with ANMAC RN Accreditation Standards and NMBA (AHPRA) registration requirements.

Assumed knowledge

Mathematics - general (minimum - required) English (required) Biological Science (preferred) Chemistry (preferred) Psychology (recommended).

Integrate sciences, appraise research and apply evidence and strength-based best practice approaches to think critically and inform safe clinical decision making for quality person-centred nursing care.
Comprehensively conducts assessments that are situated in practice.
Develops a plan for nursing practice.
Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice.
Maintains the capability for practice.
Implement culturally appropriate nursing care integrating First Nations perspectives on health, connection to land and community.
Develop and apply nursing knowledge and skills to approach all interactions with empathy in a culturally safe, respectful manner where cultural understanding and reconciliation is valued, ensuring that all feel safe.
Demonstrate professional communication and therapeutic relationships that are consistent with ethical strengths-based approaches to person-centred nursing care and relevant legal frameworks that govern healthcare practice.
Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice.
Build and apply career-readiness, a clear professional identity, and the skills, knowledge and personal attributes necessary to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for practice.
Conduct nursing assessments to establish priorities and inform planning; provide skillful nursing interventions for people across the lifespan within the scope of a Registered Nurse and evaluate responses to determine effectiveness.
Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships.
Provides safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice.

Student fees shown are subject to change. You may also be required to pay student amenities fees. Contact the university directly to confirm.

The fees shown are per unit. The number of units are listed on this page. Together, they indicate the total fees for the course.

HECS-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of Commonwealth Supported Places to the University of Canberra each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you receive CSP for UC, you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Most domestic students who have been admitted to an undergraduate degree are offered a CSP.

Your student contribution amount is:

calculated per unit you're enrolled in
dependent on the study areas they relate to
reviewed and adjusted each year