Bachelor of Nursing

The UTAS Bachelor of Nursing is a three-year ANMAC accredited programme leading to AHPRA Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia registration as a Registered Nurse. The degree is delivered by the School of Nursing at Sandy Bay (Hobart), Newnham (Launceston) and Cradle Coast (Burnie), with simulation labs at each site. Tasmania's Bachelor of Nursing has one of the largest regional and rural cohorts in the country. Year one covers anatomy and physiology, foundations of professional practice, the Tasmanian and Australian healthcare systems, primary health care and the first block of clinical placement. Year two layers pathophysiology and pharmacology, evidence-based practice and research methods, mental health nursing, acute care nursing and chronic disease management with around 240 hours of placement. Year three carries complex care, Aboriginal health, leadership and transition to practice with the final 320 to 400 hours of placement. ANMAC requires a minimum 800 clinical placement hours over the degree. Simulation labs and OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations) are built into every semester.

ANMAC-accredited programme delivering more than 800 hours of supervised clinical placement (the regulatory minimum). UTAS partners with the Tasmanian Health Service - South (Royal Hobart Hospital), North (Launceston General Hospital) and North West (North West Regional Hospital Burnie and Mersey Community Hospital Latrobe), Calvary Health Care Tasmania, Aboriginal community controlled health organisations, residential aged-care facilities and community health services. Placement allocations include acute medical and surgical wards, mental health units, primary and community care and a rural or remote block. Students must obtain Working with Vulnerable People registration, criminal history checks, vaccination compliance and AHPRA student registration before commencing placements. Some students complete a final-year elective placement in a specialty (emergency, ICU, paediatrics) to strengthen graduate-year applications.

Graduates apply to the Tasmanian Health Service (THS) Graduate Nurse Transition Programme at Royal Hobart Hospital, Launceston General Hospital and North West Regional Hospital (Burnie). After two years of clinical experience, RNs can specialise via UTAS postgraduate certificates and diplomas (emergency, critical care, paediatrics, mental health, perioperative, rural and remote) or a Master of Nursing. Nurse practitioner endorsement requires the Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) and significant clinical hours. Many alumni progress into clinical educator, nurse unit manager and clinical specialist roles within five to seven years.