Bachelor of Nursing [Casuarina]

The Bachelor of Nursing is a professionally accredited degree that meets the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) qualification criterion for registration as a Division 1 nurse in Australia. Graduates are prepared to be safe, collaborative, articulate and ethical registered nurses that are responsive to local, national and regional health care needs and aware of emerging global health care trends.

The course is offered in external and internal mode. Internal mode is only available at Casuarina Campus. Regardless of mode of enrolment, all students will be required to complete a full time on-campus simulation block at an approved CDU venue in each year of the course as preparation for clinical placement. Simulation blocks are offered at Casuarina, Alice Springs and Sydney campuses.  CDU allocates places in simulation blocks and cannot guarantee a place at a specific venue. All costs associated with attendance at simulation blocks are a student responsibility.  

Students complete supervised clinical placements (880 hours in total) across the three years of the course in a variety of health care settings, including opportunities to participate in international study tours and exchanges that are in addition to the required 880 hours and at student’s own cost.    All students, regardless of study mode or pattern are required to complete clinical placement on a full time, rotating shift basis, including night shifts, across a seven day week, including weekends and public holidays. CDU arranges all placements and cannot guarantee that placements will be arranged in the semester of enrolment or near a student’s residential location. All costs associated with placement attendance are the student’s responsibility.

There are inherent requirements for nursing. Inherent requirements are the essential abilities, knowledge and skills to achieve course learning outcomes and to be able to safely practice as a nurse.  Nursing requires a degree of physical strength and mobility, endurance, communication and cognitive abilities for safe practice. See information on the Bachelor of Nursing course web site for detailed information. Prospective and current students are encouraged to consider if they may experience challenges in meeting the inherent requirements for nursing and to contact the Bachelor of Nursing Course Coordinator to discuss any concerns they may have before enrolling in the course.

Reporting obligations:  Under the national Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, CDU is required to register nursing students with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and to notify AHPRA if a student has or develops a health impairment that may place the public at substantial risk of harm.