Bachelor of Nursing Practice
(Graduate Specialist Degree) - Post Registration

Aim of the course

This course is intended to provide registered nurses with the opportunity to enhance previously acquired professional education and to develop new knowledge and skills that can be used in a variety of practice settings. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to undertake studies in a specialised field of nursing practice. Specialised strands are offered independently by the School of Nursing, and collaboratively with health care agencies. A list of the specialisations appears below.

• The course requires the completion of 36 points, which is equivalent to one year of full-time study. This consists of 18 points of core subjects ( 2 subjects), and 18 points of subject matter relevant to the specialist strand chosen.

*Clinical strands requiring additional entry requirements – these criteria are identified under Entry Requirements below.

** North Western Adelaide Health Service, incorporating the Queen Elizabeth and Lyell McEwin Hospitals.

Due to the specialist nature of the strands offered in this course, students graduate with a parchment that reflects the nature of their specialty field — on completion of this award the specialty strand will feature on the parchment.

Not all strands will necessarily be available each year.

More specific information, and short form syllabus statements for clinical specialist strands, are available from the School Office: Telephone +61 8 8302 2490, or e-mail: enquiries@unisa.edu.au
 

In addition to a SATAC application, applicants must complete a Supplementary Application Form, which they obtain from and return to the School of Nursing Office, Level 6, Centenary Building, City East Campus.
 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
All applicants must be registered nurses holding a current practising certificate in their own State or Territory.  Applicants from overseas must provide evidence that they are currently licensed to practice as a registered nurse in their own country or place of residence and that their qualifications to practice are equivalent to the requirements for registration with the Nurses Board of South Australia.  Applicants will normally be required to hold an undergraduate degree or diploma but may also enter on the basis of previous studies and experience in nursing assessed to be equivalent to 108 points as required to complete an undergraduate degree.
Prior learning experiences may be taken into account in assessing eligibility for entry. Applicants who seek entry on the basis of prior learning must supply evidence of experience or learning used for eligibility. Students will not be able to use points assessed as entry requirements to seek further credit when enrolled in the course. Further information in respect of prior learning experiences is available from the Graduate Programs Coordinator. 

Additional entry requirements for collaborative specialist strands.

Students undertaking clinical specialist strands, offered collaboratively with health care agencies, will need to meet additional entry requirements. This is because of the highly specialised nature and clinical practice requirements of those strands, identified by asterisks on the list overleaf.

In addition to the criteria above, applicants for these strands must: 

• have a minimum of one year post-registration acute care nursing experience; 
  be currently employed in an approved clinical area, or show evidence of access to a clinical area in an approved setting for a minimum of 390 hours per semester, in order to achieve the competencies inherent within these clinical specialist strands.

CONTENT
The concepts of nursing, health and illness are studied with a focus on health care systems and nursing research. Core studies allow students to identify issues in health as an industry and explore specialist nursing practice related to their field of study. In addition, emphasis is placed on studying dominant research paradigms and relating issues and methods of research to clinical decision making.  Clinical specialist nursing strands integrate nursing knowledge related to bioscience, social and behavioural sciences, technology, health policy and advanced clinical decision making, placing an emphasis on the practice of nursing in a specific field of practice.  The course is also designed to provide graduates with the skills to be lifelong learners able to extend their competence and knowledge through critical analysis and reflection and the incorporation of research findings into their practice. 

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
Entry to the course requires applicants to be registered nurses holding current practising certificates. As such this course does not lead to registration or provide further recognition with the Nurses Board of South Australia.  In some specialist strands however (eg. occupational health and safety, intensive care, coronary care) the course may form a component of a credentialing process with a professional nursing organisation. 

Course Coordinator: Ms Carol Grech (City East).
Telephone: +61 8 8302 2754
e-mail: carol.grech@unisa.edu.au