Bachelor of Nursing

Make a difference every day

Nurses are highly respected members of the community. They help treat patients in all sorts of health care settings and touch lives with empathy and compassion.

Nursing is flexible, exciting and challenging. It's a rewarding profession full of problem-solvers and pillars of strength.

The Adelaide Nursing School is ranked first in South Australia for graduate employment and first in Australia for overall educational experience*.

This degree provides a professional qualification, which is recognised for registration as a nurse Australia-wide, and supports application for registration in a number of countries around the world.

Qualified nurses have a wide range of career options, from working in public or private hospitals, to community health care, aid organisations and regional health care.

Please see the inherent requirements for nursing programs for more information.

Students will work in clinical areas as members of a health care team, with additional clinical support from clinical lecturers. Placements will vary across different practice settings, from acute care and tertiary to primary health care areas. For example, clinical placement may be undertaken at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and a range of other health care providers.

One of the most important strengths of this innovative degree is the substantial length of time dedicated to learning in practice. Students will be introduced to the practice environment in a structured manner and will be able to integrate knowledge with practice. Clinical placements are compulsory and not restricted to the University teaching semesters. Placements will be in both metropolitan and rural areas of South Australia and students will be required to attend early, late, night and weekend shifts. Therefore, it is recommended that students have access to a mode of transport for the duration of the degree.

All costs associated with the rural placement are the responsibility of the student. Depending on the locations available, costs to attend rural placement can exceed $1,000 to cover accommodation, food and living-away from-home expenses.

During placement, students will be required to comply with the Adelaide Nursing School dress standards. The cost of uniforms, which must be worn on placement, are the responsibility of the student. Students must be aware that they will need to comply with the policies and procedures (e.g. correct use of theatre attire) as prescribed by the health care site.

Students who undertake clinical placements, internships and research projects involving children, or people who are ill, elderly or vulnerable, must obtain the following clearances before attending clinical placement:

• AHPRA student registration (undertaken on the student's behalf)
• criminal history clearance and a national police clearance
• immunisation  
• prescribed communicable infections screening
• tuberculosis screening.

Please see the clinical placements page for more information. Students who do not meet the above requirements are at risk of not completing the degree, as placements are a compulsory component of the degree. For further information, visit: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences .

The Bachelor of Nursing is accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council. In Australia, all undergraduate programs leading to registration as a nurse must be accredited every five years. The curriculum at the University of Adelaide is subject to accreditation with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia from 2018.

Graduate Registration

Just prior to completion of the degree, students apply to Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. In order to be able to register as either an enrolled or registered nurse, all applicants must comply with the English language skills requirements as determined by AHPRA.