Nurses play an extremely important role in society — it is a super rewarding job that lets you genuinely make a difference in the lives of others. If this sounds like a potential career path you see yourself in, a Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith University can get you there!
Keen to find out more? We’ll break down everything you need to know about the core units, placements, uni culture, assessments, and more.
Let’s get right into it!
What is a Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith University?
Core Units for this Degree
How to Get into a Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith University
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith University?
A Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith University teaches students the theory and practical skills needed to become fully accredited nurses. It teaches them how to integrate science and clinical skills in real-life hospital and caregiving settings, while emphasising the importance of professional patient care.
The degree is three years in duration and consists of 240 credit points, as well as 800 hours of industry placement across various health sectors.
The completion of this degree sees graduates become eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Once this is complete, students are recognised as accredited nurses in Australia.
Can this degree be studied in conjunction with another?
This degree cannot be studied alongside another.
However, students who graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing and register with the official board can choose to complete an additional Graduate Certificate which enables them to further specialise in a specific area of nursing.
This Graduate Certificate is a one year program offered part-time and via online delivery.
At Griffith you can complete a Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing, Critical Care Nursing, Paediatric Nursing and Emergency Nursing.
Honours
An Honours program is available with an additional year of study. This would increase your total time at university from three years to four. To be accepted into this program, students must maintain a 5.0 GPA.
In this extra year students undertake advanced study and research work, completing a dissertation on a topic of their choosing.
While the Honours program is not necessary to become an accredited nurse, it does give graduates a competitive edge when job-hunting.
You can find out more about the Honours program here!
Career Paths
Graduates of this degree have the opportunity to work in a wide variety of different professional spheres. Some of these include:
- Aged Care Nursing
- Mental Health Nursing
- Perioperative Nursing
- Critical Care Nursing
- Pediatric Nursing
- Midwife Nursing
Core Units for this Degree
A Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith consists mainly of core units. This is because each student needs to cover the same important, fundamental content in order to successfully complete placements and enter into the workforce after graduation. These units cover everything from human anatomy to the ethical responsibilities of nurses.
Each core unit is worth 10 credit points and it is expected for a full-time study load that students complete eight of these each year.
Year 1
In first year, students complete both Human Anatomy 1 and 2; these subjects unpack everything students need to know about the human body — from how it functions, to why it does the things it does. These specific core units offer a strong foundational knowledge of the human body that is necessary for the completion of subsequent units.
Furthermore, students learn how to administer medication in Safe Administration of Medications and how to effectively speak to patients in Communicating Effectively.
Year 2
Second year coursework consists of Human Pathophysiology and Pharmacology 1 and 2, which looks into disease processes, assessment and treatment.
Legal and Ethical Principles in Healthcare is also covered in second year, detailing how students should deal with legal and ethical challenges in the workplace.
Mental Health Nursing Practice is another unit taken. This class teaches students how to care for those with mental health problems. This unit introduces students to one of the many areas of specialisation available to them as registered nurses.
Year 3
Finally, third year continues looking into specific areas of specialisation, with classes consisting of Health and Illness in Older People and First Peoples Health and Practice. Both of these units teach students how to care for certain groups in the community, acknowledging that nursing caregiving practices must be flexible and accommodating to the patient’s unique history.
Electives
While most of the degree’s credit points consist of these core units, there is an opportunity in the first trimester of the third year for students to pick an elective.
This is called a free-choice elective and is also worth 10 credit points.
Some of the recommended options include:
However students are not confined to these options alone and have the ability to select any of Griffith’s Undergraduate free-choice electives, given that the appropriate prerequisites are met.
Placements
Student placement is very important to the completion of Griffith’s Bachelor of Nursing, as it is compulsory to complete a certain number of practical hours to become a fully accredited nurse.
At Griffith, each student needs to complete 800 hours of industry placement. This is on top of university coursework required for the completion of the degree.
While this may seem like a lot, the university assigns these placement periods to blocks throughout the year, where students watch course content online and do not have to attend tutorials or labs.
These placements can occur in a wide variety of different clinical settings, including rural and remote — so be prepared to venture out into some pretty interesting areas of Queensland!
How to Get into a Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith University
The ATAR cut-off for guaranteed entry into this degree is 82, but keep in mind that there’s another pathway you can take if this isn’t the ATAR you receive.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites include English, English as an Additional Language, Literature or English & Literature Extension.
For NSW and ACT students, they must reach at least a band 3 in English standard or above.
If this is something you weren’t able to achieve, Griffith University offers an English Bridging Course. This 7-week program is a blended learning course consisting of both online and on-campus tutorials. You can move at your own pace and once finished, will have met the appropriate English prerequisites for Nursing at Griffith.
Alternative Pathways
Students can also enter into Nursing at Griffith by first completing a Diploma of Health Care from Griffith College. This can be taken over two or three trimesters and it covers all of the necessary content you need to know to seamlessly enter into a Bachelor of Nursing in your second year.
It should be noted that selection into nursing from this program is very selective — so if this is the pathway you choose, you’ll have to hit the books!
Scholarships
There are a lot of nursing-specific scholarships available at Griffith University.
Some of these include:
- Aunty Pamela Mam Indigenous Nursing Scholarship
- Erika Groote Memorial Bursary for Nursing Students
- The Soroptimist International (Brisbane) Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship
- SurePark Nursing Scholarship
Head over to this site to find the full list of scholarships available!
What’s the Teaching Format?
Griffith University operates using a trimester structure for their teaching year. This means the year is divided into three teaching periods of 12 weeks.
However, most students will cram all of their studies into the first two trimesters, completing 40 credit points per trimester, which allows them to take the final trimester off.
This allows for a bigger holiday over the summer — which is always a bonus!
However, if students wish to spread out their studies more, they can choose to take fewer units each trimester and spread it out across the three teaching blocks. While this gives you shorter break periods, it is a useful option for students juggling multiple commitments throughout the year.
Class Structure
Lectures
Lectures are the primary mode through which content is taught to the cohort. Weekly lectures for each unit are conducted in a presentation style format, with lecturers speaking to a powerpoint while students actively listen and take notes.
They are often recorded and uploaded online so that students can watch them in their own time. Lectures normally have about 100 students in them, with most opting to watch them online.
Tutorials
Tutorials are opportunities for students to interact with the content taught in lectures in smaller groups guided by tutors. In these smaller groupings of about 20 to 30 students, tutors will oversee group discussion relating to that week’s content and organise activities to help consolidate this information.
Labs
Nursing simulation laboratories are also a weekly feature. These labs are where students are able to apply the theoretical knowledge learnt that week into practical situations.
Students are taught the basic nursing practices of manoeuvring patients and responding to patient symptoms. They are equipped with interactive mannequins which are designed to mimic symptoms of various conditions and respond to actions by making different noises.
Students might also be made to practice their clinical skills on each other — so be prepared for some light acting work!
Labs hold approximately 50 students, which are then further divided into smaller groups of about 8 to 10. Each of these groups will be assigned a station in the lab and must work on the patient-care activity. This all occurs under the supervision of tutors.
How much time do you spend in class?
It is expected that Nursing students at Griffith complete a 25-35 hour study week. This includes the on campus and online lectures, tutorials and labs, as well as additional self-directed study.
This number is significantly reduced during the periods where students complete their placements. During these blocks students only need to watch online lectures, which consist of approximately 6-8 hours of study a week.
What are the assessments like?
Assessments in this degree consist of multiple formats.
Quizzes, assignments and written exams are used to test content heavy units. They often focus on the theoretical knowledge taught to students, such as human anatomy content or knowledge of different diseases.
Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are used to test the application of this theory in practical settings. They involve students being given patient scenarios which they must respond to by performing the appropriate treatments.
Skills That You Refine and Learn
A Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith University teaches students a lot of incredibly valuable skills.
One of the most important ones is communication. This is a critical skill in nursing — so much so that this degree has multiple core units dedicated to it.
“They do teach you a lot about how to talk to patients. Initially they place a lot of emphasis on it. It is really important to know how to introduce yourself to the patients and communicate.” — Md Mahdi, Bachelor of Nursing Graduate at Griffith University
Being able to work effectively in teams is also important. This degree teaches students how to cooperate with others, particularly those in different allied health professions.
The course’s heavy study load also teaches students how to work under pressure and develop strong time management skills. This is particularly useful for students when they enter into the workforce, as they will be able to manage the crazy shift work and fast-paced nature of professional clinics and hospitals.
On top of this, students are also taught how to look after themselves. This degree gives students the skills to perform basic nursing practices without injuring themselves.
For example, how to safely lift patients without risk of injuring themselves. This is such an important set of skills for students to learn as they must prioritise their own health and safety in order to give excellent care to patients.
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
The Nursing faculty at Griffith University are incredibly friendly. They are very supportive and are always ready to help.
“Tutorials are done by a lot of very good nurses. Some of them are pretty awesome. They work in really busy hospitals and are very accomplished in their field.” — Md Mahdi
Griffith University campus culture is also said to be really great, with lots of different cool spaces to hang out and fun events being hosted regularly.
Societies
Griffith University Nursing Society (GUNS), is the main society connected to the Bachelor of Nursing degree at Griffith. GUNS is a student led society working towards empowering future nurses through education, support and a sense of community.
They host a range of events, ranging from vaccine clinics to meet and greets over board games. While it is not compulsory to join a society, they are a great way to meet new people, learn more about the industry and get involved in campus life.
Mentorship Programs
Griffith University also has plenty of support programs available for its students.
There is a strong culture of mentoring at the university, with lots of different programs available. Some of these include the Back on Academic Track Mentor Program, which helps connect students who feel like they are falling behind with appropriate mentors and Nyumbanyun nga Nyumbiyan, an introductory mentoring program specifically for First Peoples health students.
There also does exist the School of Midwifery and Nursing Mentoring Program. This group consists of older midwifery and nursing students who volunteer their time to help incoming students with their transition into the course.
Jessica Arentz is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney where she studies a Bachelor of Arts/Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Marketing). She currently volunteers at 2SER community radio station as a producer and newsroom reader. When not writing, you can find Jess searching the web for cheap flights or spending her days with her head buried deep in a book.
