The University of Queensland has boosted its nursing student intake by almost 150 percent by offering an additional 100 places for 2005.
UQ’s Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Greenfield, said nursing was a priority area for the University with the increase following the distribution of places by the Department of Education, Science and Training earlier this month.
“The additional intake recognises the critical importance of nursing, both as an important program within the Health Sciences Faculty’s comprehensive range of disciplines, and as a profession requiring a significant boost in numbers. Nursing is also a key component of our proposed strategy for UQ Ipswich,” Professor Greenfield said.
UQ’s nursing program, with 60 students in its inaugural year (2004), was hailed as “futuristic” by 2002 National Nursing Review Chair, Patricia Heath, for its clinical focus and attention to industry requirements.
UQ Ipswich hosts academic teaching for the nursing program directed by Professor of Nursing Elizabeth Davies with Associate Professor Heather Beattie as deputy.
The program gives graduates the option of entering the workforce after two-and-a-half years’ education (six semesters) — six months earlier than most undergraduate courses.
Professor Davies said the program had been developed in collaboration and partnership with key healthcare providers, particularly Queensland Health.
“Unlike other nursing programs, we are able to access existing University clinical and teaching infrastructure,” Professor Davies said.
“Through this ‘clinical schools model’, students are educated by practising professionals with academic qualifications. A significant component of their teaching and learning occurs at their nominated teaching hospitals with clinical lecturer and registered nurse mentors.
“This infrastructure underlies the Faculty’s visionary approach towards educating future health professionals. Central to this is the concept of ‘multi-professional learning’, enabling nursing students to work alongside other health science students including future doctors, dentists and pharmacists to develop the skills needed to work as part of an effective healthcare team.”
Media contact: Marlene McKendry (telephone 07 3346 4713, mobile 0401 996 847, email: m.mckendry@uq.edu.au).
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