Bachelor of Nursing
at CQUniversity Australia, Queensland.
An ANMAC-accredited nursing degree leading to registration as an enrolled or registered nurse with AHPRA. Includes more than 800 hours of supervised clinical placement across hospital and community settings.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the CQUniversity Australia Bachelor of Nursing. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official QTAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
First year builds the foundations of nursing practice: human anatomy and physiology, health assessment, the fundamentals of nursing care, infection control and an introduction to professional, legal and ethical practice. CQUniversity is well known for nursing and delivers the degree on campuses across regional Queensland and the metro hubs, with on-campus laboratory and simulation work supported by flexible theory delivery, preparing nurses for rural, remote and regional settings. Second year develops clinical knowledge across medical, surgical, mental-health and chronic-care nursing, pharmacology and medication safety, and lifespan and community health. Skills are practised in simulation laboratories before being applied in supervised clinical placements in hospitals and community services. Third year focuses on complex and acute care, leadership and the transition to practice, with the largest blocks of supervised clinical placement. Across the degree students complete more than 800 hours of placement. The program is ANMAC accredited, and graduates are eligible to register as a nurse with AHPRA through the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Example first-year subjects
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Foundations of Nursing Practice
- Health Assessment
- Professional, Legal and Ethical Nursing Practice
- Introduction to Pharmacology
- Communication and the Therapeutic Relationship
How you will be assessed
- Clinical-skills assessments in simulation laboratories
- Supervised clinical-placement competency assessments
- Case studies and care-plan assignments
- Final exams worth 40 to 60 per cent in science and theory units
- Medication-calculation and safety tests
- Reflective practice journals and written reports
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as registered nurses in hospital, community and aged-care settings after registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
- Common destinations include public hospital graduate transition programmes, mental-health services and rural and remote nursing positions.
- Many alumni progress into specialty practice (intensive care, paediatrics, midwifery), nurse-practitioner study or clinical education roles.
Professional accreditation
- ANMAC accredited
- AHPRA registration eligible
Typical first jobs
- Registered nurse in a hospital graduate program
- Nurse in a regional, rural or remote health service
- Aged-care or community nurse
- Mental-health nurse
- Medical or surgical ward nurse
- Practice nurse in a general-practice clinic
Graduate starting salary
$65,000 - $72,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
Graduates register with AHPRA and typically enter a graduate or transition-to-practice program in a public or private hospital, with strong demand in regional, rural and remote Queensland where CQUniversity has deep links. Early careers often rotate through wards before specialising. Postgraduate options include graduate certificates and masters in areas such as critical care, emergency, mental health, child and family health and nurse practitioner study, plus the Master of Nursing and research pathways for clinical-education and research roles.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Caring, resilient people who want hands-on patient contact
- Students prepared for shift work and clinical placements
- Those interested in regional, rural and remote health
- Calm communicators who work well under pressure
- Practical learners who enjoy simulation and skills practice
It is probably not for you if
- Students uncomfortable with bodily care, blood or illness
- Those wanting a fully online degree with no placement
- People who dislike shift work or physically demanding roles
- Students who avoid science, anatomy and medication maths
Related courses at CQU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the CQUniversity Australia handbook and on QTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/cqu/bachelor-of-nursing.