With a health system under pressure and nurses in continued demand, The University of Queensland will offer the state’s first fast-tracked Master of Nursing Studies for graduates in 2010.
School of Nursing and Midwifery Coordinator of Teaching and Learning Associate Professor Stephanie Fox-Young said the program had been specifically designed to prepare graduates to apply to work as registered nurses and could be completed in as little as 18 months.
“The program offers students the option of completing a summer semester after the first year, cutting six months from the standard two-year graduate entry Master’s program and helping to deliver more nurses into the health system faster,” Dr Fox-Young said.
The UQ Bachelor of Nursing degree for undergraduates can be completed in three years or fast-tracked with a summer semester to two-and-a-half years.
According to Head of School Professor Catherine Turner, the new degree has been designed to help meet the growing demand for nurses across Queensland and Australia, while also catering for graduates seeking an alternative career path.
“With economists recently predicting that more than 25,000 Australians may have lost jobs in the last month, including professional workers, some graduates could now be considering alternatives such as part-time work, study or careers in sectors with higher demand like healthcare,” Professor Turner said.
“Nursing, with its possibilities for role diversity, flexible working hours, travel and research opportunities, is sure to be an attractive career path for many people, particularly those seeking to make a social contribution or with a genuine desire to help others.”
Similar graduate entry programs in fields such as education, medicine and physiotherapy have proved successful, with the Master of Nursing Studies already receiving endorsement from the health industry.
Director of Nursing at The Wesley Hospital Anne Copeland has praised the initiative for its innovative approach.
“I believe this pathway will be attractive to a diverse range of people who wish to study, which can only benefit nursing by increasing its numbers and adding a depth of knowledge and skills,” Ms Copeland said.
According to Dr Fox-Young, the program will be offered to graduates of any discipline other than nursing, dependent on grade point average and date of completion of their initial degree.
“The Master’s degree, subject to approval by the Queensland Nursing Council, will follow a problem-based learning model successfully used as part of UQ’s Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery programs,” she said.
“Graduate students will complete more than 1000 hours of clinical experience, in addition to clinical laboratory learning at the school’s partner hospitals, including The Wesley Hospital and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital in Brisbane.”
For additional information visit www.nursing-midwifery.uq.edu.au
Media: Lya McTaggart (07 3365 5084, lya.mctaggart@uq.edu.au)
