Early success for new course

A new degree offered at the School’s Gippsland campus has attracted significant early enrolments and is on track for a successful first year.

Course coordinator Associate Professor Ysanne Chapman said she was “thrilled” with the numbers of students who had applied to study the Bachelor of Nursing Practice in 2010.

The new program is based on principles of primary health care which includes health promotion, illness prevention, treatment and care of the sick, community development and advocacy and rehabilitation.

The three-year course takes a multi-disciplinary approach and looks at ways care can be integrated across healthcare sectors.

Associate Professor Ysanne Chapman said the clinical component of the course was critical to students developing nursing skills and a comprehensive understanding of healthcare practice.

One of the goals of the BNP is for students to undertake most of their clinical work in the same hospital. This allows them to focus on learning and practicing their skills, rather than spending time orienting to a number of different hospitals and systems.

Associate Professor Chapman said the course was also sensitive to rural and regional health needs.

Health workers in rural areas often need to be able to multi-task to accommodate for limited access to specialist staff, and to care for patients with fewer resources than in metropolitan areas.

Students and staff at Gippsland describe the campus as “like a little family”, saying it offers a rigorous academic education within a friendly and supportive environment.