Now that you’ve got all the details about studying Nursing at UQ, you might be wondering what it’s really like.
We’ve talked to Samara, a third-year Bachelor of Nursing/Midwifery student, to give you some honest opinions about her experience studying this degree.
Let’s dive in!
Why should you study a Nursing degree at UQ?
Top 3 Pros of a Nursing Degree
Top 3 Cons of a Nursing Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting UQ Nursing
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying UQ Nursing
Potential Career Paths
Why should you study a Nursing degree at UQ?
Studying a Bachelor of Nursing at UQ means you’re constantly learning about ways to help others while also gaining hands-on experience within healthcare industries where you make a real difference to the lives of patients.
Top 3 Pros of a Nursing degree
#1: Employability prospects
Nursing is a major growth industry at the moment so needless to say, employability is definitely one of the best things about studying Nursing!
“You can go anywhere! Like, every country needs nurses,” said Samara.
With the growth of the nursing and healthcare industries, you’ll find yourself in high demand and with greater opportunities when it comes to job security and stability.
#2: It’s a very hands-on learning experience
One of the best parts about studying Nursing at UQ is the hands-on experience you receive. You’ll start clinical placements as early as Week 6 during your very first semester and complete over 1000 hours of placements throughout your degree!
Not only are you building experience through these placements but also through Clinical Based Learning sessions which are hands-on classes to consolidate your theoretical knowledge.
#3: You’re making a difference!
If you’re thinking of studying a Bachelor of Nursing, you’re probably already a compassionate person who loves helping others. So, knowing that the work you do during your degree and afterwards is actually making a difference can be very rewarding!
“Looking back and thinking how I was helping that woman birth her baby, or I was helping that old man feel better that night than he would’ve otherwise… what you’re doing is very important even if you get a bit of FOMO sometimes!” said Samara.
This sense of fulfilment you receive during your clinical placements when you realise the difference you’re making in the lives of others is a big plus of a Nursing degree.
Top 3 Cons of a Nursing degree
#1: Clinical Placements are time-consuming
While you’ll typically find your lengthy clinical placements as a rewarding and exciting learning experience, it does mean you’re dedicating long hours to your degree and going beyond the time you spend at university. On average, you’re doing 16 hours of placements a week on top of 20 contact hours and independent study!
This can make it quite tiring and you may feel like you’re missing out on other uni experiences, especially if you’re completing a night shift or working on weekends! But the exciting nature of clinical placements certainly makes up for it most of the time.
#2: It’s a content-heavy degree
Like most degrees in the Health and Behavioural Sciences faculty, you’ll often find yourself dealing with an “unbelievable amount of content!” Whether it’s Integrated Biomedical Sciences for Nursing or Anatomy and Physiology for Nursing and Midwifery, there’s a lot of content to cover which can be challenging at times.
A Bachelor of Nursing at UQ is also very exam-heavy, which means you’ll usually need to demonstrate your understanding of this content through exams which may be worth up to 50-60%!
#3: Preconceptions about the degree
Public preconceptions about the degree are another con of a Bachelor of Nursing at UQ. Of course, this shouldn’t affect your decision-making too much, but it’s important to recognise it nevertheless because it can be super frustrating when people have preconceptions about your degree!
“People sometimes assume that Nursing is very easy, which I would strongly disagree with!” said Samara.
Any regrets?
Samara told us she doesn’t have any regrets about studying a Bachelor of Nursing at UQ!
She initially wanted to study Medicine and a Bachelor of Nursing was meant to be a stepping-stone towards going into Medicine.
“However, since I’ve worked in hospitals and seen what doctors do and what nurses or midwives do, I’ve realised that medicine is not for me! I want to be with the patients, with the people, rather than talking about the patients in a room with other doctors. So, I don’t regret the degree at all,” shared Samara.
In fact, rather than regretting anything, she’s simply thanking her 17-year-old self for making this decision!
What do you wish you had known before starting Nursing at UQ?
“I wish I had known to go into it with more of a thick skin,” said Samara. Nursing is a very high-pressure and often confronting environment and things don’t always go as planned, so it’s important to be resilient.
“Know that when something goes wrong, you can’t beat yourself up… it’s quite hard when you’re in high-pressure situations because you play such a major role and if you mess up, you can make a bigger mistake for that person’s life but remember that we are humans and humans make mistakes — just try not to make them big ones,” she added.
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
#1: Clinical placements are integrated and you start them really early
One thing that makes this degree unique is that you’ll be jumping right into placements from your very first semester!
Not only do you start placements super early in your course, but these placements are also integrated as part of the semester and you complete them the same way you would complete a core unit!
Samara said, “Lots of universities do block placements but we do integrated placements which I think is awesome because you get to keep those skills up like you’re constantly doing a placement. You also do it over a long time period so you have a degree of continuity with the staff that you’re working with at the hospital which is great in terms of employability because when they get to know you they’ll consider employing you back here!”
#2: The degree is very science-focussed
A Bachelor of Nursing at UQ is very science-driven which helps you build a broader understanding of theories and skills within health sciences.
“It’s got that more scientific aspect to it than I’ve heard about at other universities. Because we work closely with the School of Biomedical Science, we do focus a lot more on that scientific side, which is really beneficial and I think it’s quite complementary to Nursing,” said Samara.
What inspired you to choose UQ Nursing?
Originally, Samara wanted to enter into Medicine and she had heard good things about UQ’s Health and Behavioural Sciences Faculty so she looked into the degrees they offered and found herself considering a Bachelor of Nursing at UQ!
“Most people usually weigh-up between Biomedical Sciences or similar degrees but I knew I needed something hands-on. So, I thought a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at UQ is hands-on and it’s well-regarded… I thought this could be an option for me so I went into it and fell in love with it!” she said.
What are the possible career paths?
Studying a Bachelor of Nursing at UQ is the starting point for a wide range of career opportunities within the healthcare industries.
Here are just some of the career paths you can pursue:
- Registered nurse
- Researcher
- Aged care
- Community health
- Critical care and emergency
- Child and family health
- Disability and rehabilitation
Maitreyi Kulkarni is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently studying a Bachelor of Media and Communications (Public Relations and Social Media) at Macquarie University. She loves writing just about anything from articles to poetry, and has also had one of her articles published with the ABC. When she’s not writing up a storm, she can be found reading, bingeing sitcoms, or playing the guitar.
