BlogUniversityPros and Cons of a Bachelor of Nursing at UTS

Pros and Cons of a Bachelor of Nursing at UTS

So, you pretty much know all the details and info on studying a UTS Bachelor of Nursing — take a quick look here if you don’t! 

But you want to know how people really feel about this degree? 

Well, we’ve got you covered! Meet Jacob, a Nursing student at UTS (alongside a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies).

Let’s get to it! 

Why should you study a Nursing degree at UTS?
Top 3 Pros of a Nursing Degree
Top 3 Cons of a Nursing Degree
Things to Know Before Starting a UTS Bachelor of Nursing
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying a UTS Bachelor of Nursing
Potential Career Paths

Why should you study a UTS Bachelor of Nursing?

There’s one simple answer: UTS Nursing is rated as the number one Nursing degree in Australia! If you want to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to become a nurse, UTS will give you the best Nursing education in the country.

UTS Bachelor of Nursing - Student Quote

Top 3 Pros of a Nursing degree 

#1: Practical experience

UTS Nursing is all about getting that practical experience to develop your skills as a nurse. That means there’s a big focus on placement hours and you’ll find yourself working in different healthcare environments such as hospitals, aged-care facilities, mental health facilities and more! 

“You get 800 placement hours so you can expect lots of hands-on Nursing and quite early on in the degree,” said Jacob.

#2: You develop important life-skills 

As a nurse, you’re exposed to so many different people and situations all the time, so you learn to become aware of your surroundings and how to handle challenges. Compassion, kindness and patience also go a long way! 

“It’s hard to be naive when you’ve seen people at their worst, people at their best and people with every single kind of condition — seeing all that while I’m still growing up is really important and cool for a life perspective,” Jacob said.

#3: Your peers 

Jacob tells us that he’s made lifelong friends through the degree, “It attracts a sort of kind of person — you all have the same ideas about caring for other people and being sensitive. Everyone helps each other study and prepare for practical exams.”

There’s no doubt that the Nursing students are a tight bunch! You should definitely join the Nursing and Midwifery Society (NamSoc) to meet other Nursing students and get involved — they offer both social and educational events.

 

Top 3 Cons of a Nursing degree

#1: It can be confronting

“You just get to be exposed to so much of life — you get every single facet of life,” Jacob tells us. 

Now, being exposed to all of this is by no means a bad thing — it’s life! But, it can also be confronting at times and nobody wants to see another human suffer. “It’s intense but lots of people are sort of light-hearted about it and they try and make it as easy going as possible,” Jacob said. 

#2: Placements — you won’t always get the ones you want 

“My least favourite thing about the degree was that sometimes I got placements that I didn’t really want,” Jacob tells us.

UTS does organise the placements for you! They try to assign you placements that relate to your subject and are reasonably close to where you live. However, that can mean that you don’t always get the placement you were hoping for. 

Jacob explained this only happened twice and the rest of his placements were exactly what he wanted. 

#3: Need more time in the labs 

“I also think we should get more time in the labs to practice our skills,” Jacob said. 

As a nurse, there’s a lot of skills to learn! You have at least one practical subject a semester where you learn and practice these skills in labs. There’s also a fair few science and culture/society based subjects.  

Any regrets?

“No regrets whatsoever about the degree,” Jacob said. 

Now, that’s what we’re talking about — it pretty much speaks for itself!

What do you wish you had known before starting a UTS Bachelor of Nursing? 

“I wish I had known that our placements are unpaid — even the ones towards the end of the degree where you can have up to 6-8 weeks of placements with no income.”

Now, this is a really good thing to know! Placements are really full on — we’re talking 5 days a week and actual work hours. This means that you’ll still probably need some sort of part-time job because although you’re working, you don’t get paid for it (it does count toward your degree though!) 

What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities? 

#1: UTS is known for its Nursing degree 

Yes — they are number one in Australia for Nursing! Did we mention-number one?!

“I think the combo of high placement hours and the funding and technology and how you get to practice your skills using manikins give UTS its competitive edge,” Jacob said.  

#2: Campus facilities 

Let’s take a big breath because the campus facilities are actually out of this world! If you’re still not convinced about Nursing at UTS, we’re pretty sure you will be now. 

Jacob tells us, “There’s a lot of cool technology in terms of the facilities at the uni.” We’re talking mechanised manikins that breathe, talk and even have pulse so you can practice your skills in real time. The tutors can even speak through a microphone to give you feedback as mock patients. 

Each year, you have a pretty full on practical assessment where you have to display your skills and show how you would treat a patient — just like in the real world!

The 16 clinical labs are also decked out with all of the latest equipment and are set up as if you were in an actual hospital. So, there’s patient beds and all kinds of medical equipment! 

#3: The tutors

“The tutors are well respected in their field and a lot of them still currently work as nurses, so their skills and knowledge are really up to date,” Jacob said. 

They are also very passionate about what they do and have lots of great insights into the industry! There’s no doubt that enrolling into a Bachelor of Nursing at UTS will guarantee you a high quality learning experience.

What inspired you to choose a UTS Bachelor of Nursing?

Jacob didn’t actually plan on doing Nursing at first and instead was looking at Management for a while. But when it was time to submit those university preferences after finishing Year 12, he changed his mind sort of last minute — he definitely made the right choice! 

“Once I did choose it, I was like, obviously Nursing — why did I think of anything else?” he said. 

He added, “I got really excited about it because experiences I’ve had in life with nurses — they’ve always been really nice, strong and helpful and they’ve helped people out in my family who’ve had to go through the hospital system.”

“I just think everything that makes a nurse was what I wanted to be as an adult,” he shared. 

What are the possible career paths? 

UTS Bachelor of Nursing - Careers

Well, there’s no doubt that a Bachelor of Nursing sets you up for a successful career as a registered nurse. Now, what area you end up working in really depends on what you’re interested in.

There’s different hospital units you could end up in including intensive care, emergency, surgery, aged-care, mental health or perhaps something completely different! Then again, perhaps you’re more interested in the research side or want to take on a health education role.


Tanna Nankivell is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently in Germany completing a year of study for her double degree in Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Arts (International Studies). She has had articles published on Central News – the UTS Journalism Lab and wrote a feature piece for Time Out Sydney during her internship. Tanna has a love for travel and the great outdoors, you’ll either find her on the snowfields or in the ocean, teaching aqua aerobics or creating short films. 

 

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