You now know all the facts and stats about the Bachelor of Nursing at ACU. If you don’t, have a quick look here now!
But, are you still speculating how people feel about this degree? Wonder no more!
We chatted with Jazmyn, a Bachelor of Nursing student at ACU about what this degree is really like to study.
Have a read below!
Why should you study a Nursing degree at ACU?
Top 3 Pros of a Nursing Degree
Top 3 Cons of a Nursing Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting ACU Nursing
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying ACU Nursing
Potential Career Paths
Why should you study a Nursing degree at ACU?
There are many different reasons to commence study at ACU for a Bachelor of Nursing!
ACU’s size and reputation among the nursing world make this uni well sought after in this discipline.
With an extensive range of contacts and partners, ACU can direct their students to over 200 clinical partners who generously open their doors for placements. Students will be able to gain a rich and fulfilling practical experience by studying nursing at this university.
ACU even offers students the opportunity to commence placements and units overseas!
Top 3 Pros of a Nursing degree
#1: Exposure to Professional Placements
ACU gives students professional work experiences and placements to be commenced each semester. Students will go to different types of wards, including but not limited to Geriatrics, Emergency and Children.
“For placements, they have your home address and do their best to put you as close as possible to home. You have a facilitator from ACU to help you out with any questions or if you need help in any way while on placement. They are generally there every day,” Jazmyn tells us.
#2: Credits for Future Study
“This degree can help you achieve anything you want to — I personally am looking at doing my Bachelor of Midwifery afterwards. You can get into all the general wards, emergency, neonatal, so many different areas and opportunities. You also get lots of credits for future courses, so I will convert lots of nursing units into midwifery ones,” Jazmyn says.
The units studied can be used towards completing a Bachelor of Nursing on its own, or students can continue onto more specialised study with several of their Nursing units counting towards their next degree!
#3: The Variety of Teaching Styles
“You also have a placement to be commenced each semester,” Jazmyn says. These placements give students the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice and gain a feel for what being a nurse really entails.
Students will also have lectures, tutorials and practical classes! The variety of teaching styles and learning methods will only benefit students in the long-run by providing them with a well-rounded knowledge.
Not only will they learn numerous theories, but they’ll be able to apply them in a practical sense. ACU really gives their students a holistic and solid grasp of the values and principles of being a nurse.
Top 3 Cons of a Nursing degree
#1: Some Subjects are Health-related but not Particularly Needed for Nursing
“Something I don’t love is that some of the Health Science subjects, that the Physio students do, don’t feel particularly relevant to Nursing,” Jazmyn says.
While this degree covers a broad range of subjects that students are required to complete, some may feel more relevant than others. Don’t worry though, these will all help you acquire a more holistic understanding of Nursing.
Subjects such as Human Biological Science 1 and 2 are broad and extensive. They cover aspects that don’t feel like they’re very specific to the Bachelor of Nursing — but who knows, they could be subjects you end up enjoying!
#2: ACU is based on Catholic Principles (you don’t need to be Catholic to study here though!)
ACU, as its name stands for — Australian Catholic University, is founded and run on Catholic principles.
“We have to do two religious subjects throughout our degrees; you can study them in Rome if you want to. They do them in a way that if you aren’t religious, you can do the subject as an intensive over four weeks rather than doing it over the whole semester — you can get them done faster, as ACU understands it’s not everyone’s cup of tea,” Jazmyn reveals.
The university is aware that not all students enrolled are Catholic, so they provide them with the option to fast-track these subjects if they are just wanting to get their required units over and done with.
#3: The Large Workload
Working as a nurse means you’ll definitely be busy on a regular basis — ACU Nursing prepares you for such circumstances.
“We have assignments, essays, online quizzes weekly, online exams at the end of semester and we have the placements on top of that,” Jazmyn tells us. So basically, you shouldn’t slack off because there are lots and lots of things you need to do aside from just going to your classes.
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Don’t assume this degree at this uni isn’t for you because you aren’t religious or follow a different religion or belong to a denomination that is different to Catholicism! ACU makes an effort to ensure all students regardless of backgrounds are seen and heard.
It may be simple to push aside ACU as a university option for Nursing because it’s a Catholic university, but the smaller and tight-knit learning environment may be more suited to your educational needs.
Check out ACU’s AskACU page, to ask any questions and have them answered!
What do you wish you had known before starting the degree?
“The teachers and lecturers have been great. The Nursing, Paramedicine and Midwifery cohort are all together, and some tutors and lecturers interchange between the subjects — everyone is super kind and helpful,” Jazmyn says.
However, it should be remembered that with the mixed cohort, some subjects as mentioned prior like Human Biological Science 1 and 2, cover an extensive range that feel more relevant to Physio and Health Science students — they don’t all feel as specific to the Bachelor of Nursing.
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
ACU is different to other unis because of its size and principles based on religion!
In terms of size, ACU is a lot smaller in compared to other unis like UNSW or USYD. This isn’t necessarily put you at a disadvantage — in fact, your learning may feel more personalised and tailored to you since tutors and lecturers have less students to supervise.
Another factor that differentiates ACU from other unis is that their education system is established on Catholic principles. As mentioned previously, this means that students are required to undertake two religious units throughout their degree, but it should also be remembered that you don’t have to be Catholic or even religious to study at the uni.
What inspired you to choose this degree?
“ACU is my closest uni from home and I’ve heard some very good things. ACU has a very good name for nursing professionally. I was really interested in doing it here and I spoke to a few other people who said that ACU students come out with jobs and they’re really highly regarded. I think it has a really good name,” Jazmyn tells us.
What are the possible career paths?
Career paths for this degree are wide and varied within the nursing industry. This degree can lead to jobs within:
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- Aged care nursing
- Community care nursing
- Medical/surgical nursing
- Mental health nursing
- Paediatric nursing
With further study, students can become midwives! The career path you choose to follow really just depends on which area of nursing you’re most passionate about.
Matilda Elliott is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and a Communication graduate with a major in Journalism at Western Sydney University. You can find some of her published work in a range of platforms including SBS World News, The Music Network and within her own creative exploits with her twin sister. Matilda is a lover of listening, helping people to tell their stories, making genuine connections, clowning around in her circus troupe and dancing like no one is watching at live music shows!
