Bachelor of Nursing
at Curtin University, Western Australia.
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 Curtin University 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 | TISC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official TISC 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 is the nursing foundation: anatomy and physiology, professional nursing practice, health assessment, communication, pharmacology basics and the social context of health. You spend time in Curtin's clinical simulation labs at Bentley learning hand hygiene, observations, medication safety and patient handling, and complete an early observation or aged-care placement. Second year deepens medical-surgical nursing, mental-health nursing, child and family health and care of people with chronic and complex conditions. Pharmacology and pathophysiology become more demanding, and placements expand to acute hospital wards across WA public and private health services. You learn to interpret medication and observation charts and to work within a clinical team. Third year features advanced and complex-care units, a transition-to-practice capstone and a final consolidation placement in an acute setting. Curtin students complete at least 800 hours of supervised placement across the degree as required by ANMAC, including opportunities in rural and remote WA. On graduation you apply for registration with AHPRA as a Registered Nurse and for hospital graduate transition programs.
Example first-year subjects
- Foundations of Nursing Practice
- Anatomy and Physiology for Nurses
- Health Assessment
- Introduction to Pharmacology
- Professional and Ethical Nursing Practice
- Communication and the Therapeutic Relationship
How you will be assessed
- Supervised clinical placement competency assessments
- Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in simulation
- Written exams in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology
- Case-study assignments and care-plan documentation
- Reflective practice journals from placement
- Medication-calculation tests
- Group presentations on health-system issues
Placement and industry experience
ANMAC accreditation requires at least 800 hours of supervised clinical placement across the degree. Curtin arranges placements through partnerships with WA public health services, private hospitals, community-health, aged-care and mental-health providers, with rural and remote options through WA Country Health Service. Placements range from short observation blocks in first year to extended consolidation placements in third year. Students must meet AHPRA fitness-to-practise and immunisation requirements, and the degree leads directly to AHPRA registration as a Registered Nurse.
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
- Graduate registered nurse in WA public hospital transition program
- Graduate nurse in private hospital networks (Ramsay, St John of God)
- Rural and remote nurse with WA Country Health Service
- Aged-care registered nurse
- Mental-health nurse graduate roles
- Community-health and district-nursing positions
- Paediatric, oncology or critical-care entry positions
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
Most graduates apply for a Graduate Nurse Transition Program at WA public hospitals (Sir Charles Gairdner, Royal Perth, Fiona Stanley, Perth Children's) or private and rural health services. Postgrad options include the Master of Nursing Practice, specialty graduate certificates (critical care, emergency, mental health, perioperative), Master of Midwifery and the Nurse Practitioner pathway. Many nurses progress into clinical education, leadership or research roles, often supported by Curtin's health-research links.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students who like working with people in moments of vulnerability
- Calm communicators who think on their feet
- Patient learners who can absorb anatomy, physiology and pharmacology
- People comfortable with shift work and physically demanding placement
- Team players who handle hierarchical clinical environments well
It is probably not for you if
- Students who dislike personal-care tasks or are needle-averse
- Those uncomfortable with shift work, weekends or night placement
- People wanting a primarily research-based or office-bound role
- Students unable to meet AHPRA's English-language or fitness requirements
Related courses at Curtin
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Curtin University handbook and on TISC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/curtin/bachelor-of-nursing.