Nursing in Australia: An overview

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Australias Nursing Education
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• Educational Aims
• Learner centred programs which focus on the
  professional needs of nurses
• Programs which prepare nurses to contribute to,
  and lead improvements in health in a changing
  health care system

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Features ofPrograms

• Meeting the diverse needs of the profession
• Australia offers a broad range of specialties and
  areas for study

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Developing professional attributes essential
forexcellence in nursing practice
Features ofAustralias Programs

• Focus on developing clinical competence
• Core units focusing on leadership and management,
  and contemporary practice issues
• Learning strategies which foster lifelong
  learning, critical analysis, and information
  literacy
• Emphasis on evidence based practice

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Focus on the professional career needs of nurses
Features ofAustralias Postgraduate Programs

• Providing flexible pathways
• Integration of award and non-award learning, and
  recognition of prior learning

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Features of Programs

• Flexible modes
• of delivery

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Partnerships between the university and the
health sector
Features of Programs
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Pathways for Australian Nursing Education
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Undergraduate Programs Three year university
degree program minimum entry for registered nurses
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Enrolled Nurse (practice nurse) 18 month course
at technical college (TAFE)
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Undergraduate Program 1st year Foundation
year, introduction to key areas of nursing and
the health system
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2nd year Builds on knowledge from first year
and Introduces advanced nursing
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3rd year speciality areas are the major focus
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Clinical Practice

• Graduates throughout the three years with
  increased clinical hours introduced every year of
  the program
• Clinical teacher support ratio 18
• 1200 hours of clinical practice required for
  degree courses

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• Postgraduate nursing education

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Postgraduate Courses

• Graduate Certificates
• Consist of 4 units
• Can be completed in 1 year of part-time study
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing
• Graduate Diploma in Midwifery
• Consists of 8 units
• Can be completed in 1 year of full-time study or
  2 years of part-time study
• Master of Nursing/
• Consists of 12 units
• Can be completed in 1 and a half years of
  full-time study or 3 years of part-time study
• Master of Nursing Science (Nurse Practitioner)
• can be completed in 2 years of full-time or 4
  years of part-time study

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AGED CARE NURSING
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MEDICAL/SURGICAL NURSING
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PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
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INTENSIVE CARE NURSING
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WOMENS HEALTH
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CANCER NURSING
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COMMUNITY PRACTICE
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MIDWIFERY
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PAEDIATRIC, CHILD YOUTH HEALTH NURSING
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MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
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Doctor of Health Science (Nursing)program
designed for the advanced practitionersmall
units of study and researchover three years
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Doctor of Philosophy

• Major thesis
• Large body of research work
• Students assigned supervisors
• Examination international and local

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• Any Questions?