Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science

Domestic students:

Recent secondary education (Year 12)

This course uses the ATAR as part of its selection considerations.

VCE: Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL.

Selection rank adjustments

VCE: A study score of 20 in Health And Human Development, any Mathematics, Physical Education or any Science equals 4 aggregate points per study. A study score of 20 in any LOTE equals 4 aggregate points per study. Overall maximum of 12 points.

Higher education, VET and work/life experience applicants

Subject proficiency: Demonstrated proficiency equivalent to stated Year 12 prerequisites.

Additional selection information

• Applicants who wish other information to be considered during the selection process can complete and submit a Personal Statement. This information may include work experience, reason for applying and anything else relevant to the course. Applicants may wish to provide other documentation in support of their application.

• Applicants seeking consideration via Work Recognition must complete all requirements listed on the La Trobe University Work Recognition webpage and submit a Personal Statement, including relevant work experience and reasons for applying for this course.

• English language requirements for Nursing courses (Compulsory) To be considered for an offer in this course, applicants must have completed one of the following criteria:

  1. Six years of schooling in English must have been completed – including at least two years of secondary school in English - in one of the following countries: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, Canada, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom; or
  2. Have undertaken an approved English language proficiency test accepted for entry to this course preference no more than 2 years before the course start date (minimum test results required);
  3. Are a currently registered enrolled nurse or registered nurse with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), as verified via the AHPRA website. See Language requirements for further details.

• A study score of 20 in Health And Human Development, any Mathematics, Physical Education or any Science equals 4 aggregate points per study. A study score of 20 in any LOTE equals 4 aggregate points per study. Overall maximum of 12 points

International students:

Recent secondary education (Year 12)

Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL.

English language requirements

IELTS of 7.0 with no individual band score less than 7.0 (can be across 2 sittings in a 6-month period, but no score can be below 6.5 and overall score must be 7 in both sittings)

All applicants:

Inherent requirements

Behavioural and relational skills

Core requirement

Students must be able to manage their own responses and behaviour to work effectively in a range of learning environments with diverse people and tasks. This includes the capacity to be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback. Students should also be able to work with others in a team or group environment and make and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals in order to complete tasks or for professional practice.

See also: Student Behaviours Policy

Course-specific requirement

Nursing psychological science students must demonstrate knowledge and engage in ethical behaviour in practice (academically and clinically) to facilitate safe, competent interactions and relationships with people to ensure their own and others' physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing is not placed at risk.

Nursing psychological science students must be able to demonstrate behavioural stability by functioning and adapting effectively and sensitively in a diverse and changing academic and clinical environment.

Nursing psychological science students must demonstrate knowledge and compliance with Australian law, professional regulations and scope of practice to enable the safe delivery of care. Nursing and midwifery students must be responsible and accountable for their practice to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others.

Nursing psychological science practice requires effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills for the safe delivery of care. Nursing psychological science students are required to have effective and efficient verbal communication in English. Nursing and midwifery students also need to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental; and have effective written communication skills – a fundamental nursing and midwifery responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.

Cognition

Students must be able to locate, acquire, retain and apply knowledge as part of their learning and for assessment. They must have the ability to sustain their attention over a designated period, maintain their focus in a variety of learning environments and remember information long enough to complete tasks in a reasonable and safe timeframe.

Nursing psychological science students must be able to use retained knowledge to determine safe and appropriate care decisions. They must be able to notice, focus their attention and process information in order to respond effectively to critical changes in instructions, measurements or observable behaviour. For example, they must be able to focus on and respond to changing visual information in answering questions about appropriate courses of action in distracting environments.

Nursing psychological science practice require comprehensive theoretical knowledge. Nursing psychological science students must demonstrate consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills to provide safe and competent nursing and midwifery care.

Competent literacy skills are essential for safe and effective delivery of nursing and midwifery care. Nursing psychological science students must have the ability to accurately acquire information and accurately convey appropriate effective messages; to read and comprehend a range of literature and information; and the capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.

Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective nursing and midwifery care. Nursing psychological science students must demonstrate the ability to interpret and correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria.

Sensory Capability

Students should possess the ability to interact with visual, auditory or tactile inputs sufficiently to manage their learning environment and to meet professional performance needs.

Nursing students must be able to observe visual inputs, including patient symptoms, which will allow them to manage patient care and continually develop their nursing practice during placements and throughout their career.

Adequate visual, auditory, tactile acuity is required to provide safe and effective nursing and midwifery care. Nursing and midwifery students must demonstrate the following:

• adequate visual acuity to perform the required range of skills, tasks and assessments to maintain consistent, accurate and safe care to self and others
• adequate auditory ability to monitor, assess and manage individuals' health needs consistently and accurately
• adequate tactile ability to monitor, assess and detect patients' physical characteristics and act on any abnormalities detected to provide thorough nursing and midwifery care.

Strength and mobility

Gross motor skills

Students should possess the strength, range of motion, coordination and mobility sufficient to manage their learning environment and ultimately professional performance needs.

Fine motor skills

Students should possess the manual dexterity and fine motor skills sufficient to manage their learning environment and ultimately professional performance needs.

Nursing and midwifery practice involve physical demands and requires gross motor function and manual dexterity and fine motor skills. Nursing and midwifery students must demonstrate sufficient gross motor function, manual dexterity and fine motor skills necessary to perform, coordinate, prioritise care and undertake tasks that involve:

• gross motor skills include lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, twisting and bending; and
• fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects and individuals. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.

Nursing and midwifery practice require both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level to meet individual needs over time. Nursing and midwifery students need sufficient physical and mental endurance to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective care. Students require the capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of duty; and the ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration to ensure focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately.

You can apply your nursing and psychological science skills across healthcare, wellbeing, behavioural health, community services, education, leadership and human services sectors. Possible roles and career settings include:

• acute and medical-surgical nursing
• community and primary healthcare
• mental health and psychiatric nursing
• aged care and rehabilitation services
• emergency and chronic disease care
• health promotion and wellbeing services
• behavioural health and behaviour change programs
• health coaching and patient education
• disability and support services
• public health and preventative health initiatives
• school, university and community-based wellbeing programs
• leadership and management within healthcare and community sectors
• research and evidence-informed healthcare practice
• human services and people-focused industries.

After graduation, you will be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse (RN) with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

The psychological science component provides a foundation for further Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)-accredited study pathways towards psychology-related careers, subject to additional postgraduate study and professional requirements.