Preparing students for practice

New program aims to meet the needs of contemporary nursing.

The University of Ballarat will introduce a master of nursing program to provide specialist training to graduates.

The updated program will meet the needs of educating nurses for contemporary nursing practice, says Professor Lynette Stockhausen, head of nursing.

“The program is designed to facilitate the development of specialist nurses with high order skills in assessment and care delivery, and with advanced practice and leadership knowledge in clinical environments,” she says.

Developed in consultation with experienced clinicians, the program will address the need for increasing skill and knowledge development in nurses so they can manage complex clinical situations and meet the current shortage of nurses in specialist positions.

The course is offered as a masters program over three years part-time. Students may elect to exit with a graduate certificate of nursing or graduate diploma of nursing.

Matthew Walsh, nursing lecturer, says the focus will be on three priority areas – aged care, palliative care, and acute care nursing.

“The program is offered in a flexible mode of delivery with online discussions, the use of other multimedia technologies such as podcasting, as well as some face-to-face tutorials,” he says.
“Work integrated learning ensures there is a nexus between practical and theoretical nursing.”