Bachelor of Nursing
at University of Southern Queensland, 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 University of Southern Queensland 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 is the nursing foundation: anatomy and physiology, professional nursing practice, health assessment, communication, ethics and an introduction to pharmacology. UniSQ delivers nursing on campus at Toowoomba, Springfield and Ipswich and supports external study, with clinical skills taught in simulation labs and intensive residential schools for students studying off campus. The first placement is typically a short observation block in aged-care or community care. Second year deepens medical-surgical nursing, mental-health nursing, chronic-disease management and child and family health, with placements expanding to acute hospital wards. Pharmacology and medication-safety content become more demanding. Third year covers advanced and complex care, a transition-to-practice capstone and a final consolidation placement in an acute setting. Total supervised placement across the degree exceeds 800 hours, as required by ANMAC, with many placements arranged in regional and rural Queensland health services. On graduation you apply for AHPRA registration as a Registered Nurse and for graduate transition programmes.
Example first-year subjects
- Foundations of Nursing Practice
- Anatomy and Physiology for Nurses
- Health Assessment
- Introduction to Pharmacology
- Professional Practice and Ethics
- Communication in Nursing
How you will be assessed
- Supervised clinical placement competency assessments
- Objective Structured Clinical Examinations in simulation
- Written exams in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology
- Case-study assignments and care-plan documentation
- Reflective practice journals from placement
- Medication-calculation tests
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 a Queensland public hospital transition programme
- Graduate nurse in private hospital networks
- Rural and remote nurse in regional Queensland health services
- Aged-care registered nurse
- Mental-health nurse graduate roles
- Community-health and primary-care nursing positions
- Entry roles in paediatric, oncology or critical care
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 Year at Queensland public hospitals (including Darling Downs and West Moreton health services), private hospitals or aged-care and community providers, with strong demand in regional and remote areas. Postgraduate options at UniSQ include the Master of Nursing, specialty graduate certificates (mental health, emergency, critical care) and nurse-practitioner pathways, many available online for study while working.
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
- Regional students who want to train and work close to home
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 English-language or fitness requirements
Related courses at UniSQ
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the University of Southern Queensland handbook and on QTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/usq/bachelor-of-nursing.