The nursing profession is incredibly rewarding. But with so many universities, colleges and programs to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start.
Students can choose from a variety of academic paths. Various schools offer diplomas, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate programs in nursing.
In fact, you may choose to specialise in aged care, mental health, community health or emergency medicine.
Getting a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing requires going to university.
Several Australian universities offer these degrees, including many that are internationally renowned for their nursing programs.
Why Study Nursing?
In 2021, over 1.8 million people were employed in Australia’s health care and social assistance sector.
By 2025, this number will surpass 2 million.
By 2040, 20% of Australians are projected to be over the age of 65, and 1.2 million will be over the age of 85.
There will remain a high demand for nurses as more Australians enter retirement and old age.
After your studies, you will have access to a variety of employment opportunities across Australia as well as job security.
Nurses Now provides direct placement for nursing and support staff – you can see the positions available right now in our jobs section.
Differences in Nursing Qualifications
Australia has nurses with a wide range of skills and education.
While a nursing diploma entitles you to become an enrolled nurse (EN), a Bachelor of Nursing allows you to become a registered nurse (RN).
A registered nurse is more qualified and has more responsibilities than an enrolled nurse, and is paid more. RNs supervise ENs directly.
A Bachelor of Nursing can also include a specialisation in Midwifery, or even a fourth-year honours program.
Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-registration)
If one did not have any prior education in a related field, this is essentially a full three-year nursing degree. Adult learners or graduates from secondary school are also eligible. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) allows you to register as a nurse after completing this course.
Bachelor of Nursing (Graduate Entry)
Students who already hold a degree are eligible to apply for the ‘graduate entry’ program. The previous degree should be related to health, although this is not always required. You may reduce the length of your nursing degree to two years full-time if you meet this requirement.
Bachelor of Nursing (Enrolled Nurse Entry)
The course is specifically intended for enrolled nurses who are interested in obtaining a degree. Upon completion of this two-year nursing program, enrolled nurses can take advantage of their previous experience and pursue a shorter path to becoming registered nurses.
Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery
An individual must earn 480 credit points to graduate from a bachelor’s degree program in nursing and midwifery, a full-time, four-year course. As a graduate of this program, you will be capable of performing tasks similar to a BSN. Clinical placements are part of the midwifery and nursing courses every year. Your clinical placement could be a multi-day or multi-week experience or one day. Finally, all midwifery programs by ANMAC require completion of the Continuity of Care experience.
The Top 10 Best Nursing Universities
| Global ranking | University | Location | Overall score |
| 11 | University of Technology Sydney | Haymarket, Australia | 89.8 |
| 13 | The University of Sydney | Sydney, Australia | 88.9 |
| =15 | Monash University | Melbourne, Australia | 88.5 |
| 25 | Griffith University | Nathan, Australia | 86 |
| 30 | Deakin University | Geelong, Australia | 85.6 |
| 31 | Queensland University of Technology (QUT) | Brisbane, Australia | 85.1 |
| 33 | The University of Melbourne | Parkville, Australia | 84.1 |
| 36 | The University of Newcastle, Australia (UON) | Callaghan, Australia | 83.5 |
| =38 | The University of Queensland | Brisbane, Australia | 82.8 |
| 42 | Australian Catholic University | Melbourne, Australia | 82.2 |
Source: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021.
A Spike In Nursing Interest At Universities
Interest in nursing is topping all other fields at six of Victoria’s nine public universities, The Age reported.
Indeed, data from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre reveals a bachelor’s degree in nursing is the most popular choice among applicants at Deakin, La Trobe, Swinburne, Victoria, Federation and the Australian Catholic universities.
Andrew Norton, professor in the practice of higher education policy at ANU, said there had been a huge rise in interest in studying nursing since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Australia.
“Nursing has been generally increasing along with health for quite a period of time, but there was a quite spectacular spike between 2020 and 2021, almost inevitably due to all the heavy attention that nursing and other health occupations have been getting over the last 18 months,” Professor Norton told The Age.
The cost of a nursing degree has also been slashed by 45 per cent as part of the Morrison government’s “job-ready graduates” fee changes.
Other Nursing Study Options
- Scholarship information, including a full description of eligibility criteria, can be found on the ACN website, or by contacting the ACN Scholarships Team on 1800 688 628 or via scholarships@acn.edu.au.
- Edith Cowan University’s Bachelor of Science (Nursing) degree provides a broad knowledge and skill base that will enable students to practice independently and interdependently as a registered nurse within the Australian healthcare industry. The course is designed to enable graduates to be well prepared to make significant contributions to the outcomes of patients within a diverse range of health care settings.
- The University of Notre Dame offers a Bachelor of Nursing at the School of Nursing & Midwifery, Fremantle Campus. Completed in three years of full-time study our Bachelor of Nursing places a strong focus on the nurse-patient relationship and is highly practical. You will undertake 1,120 hours of practical nursing experience during the program – more than any other nursing program in Western Australia.
If you’re a highly-skilled Nurse or Support Worker, we’d love to discuss working with you. We can find you ideal roles that match your requirements and help you make a difference right when you’re needed most. Contact Nurses Now today and build a working lifestyle that suits you.