Charles Darwin University, the first in Australia to offer an external Bachelor of Nursing, continues to lead the way in nurse education, with its mix of programs evolving to suit health industry needs.
CDU is no longer the only accredited external Bachelor of Nursing degree, however it remains one of the most highly regarded.
The health sector sees the University as a leader in addressing challenges for rural and remote nursing at VET, undergraduate and post-graduate level, according to Acting Head of School of Health Science, Janie Mason.
CDU nursing and health science programs are state of the art, showcasing innovative health developments in a broad range of areas including mental health, renal health, remote health and addiction.
"Our external nursing courses are highly respected and a significant number of interstate students still choose to study at CDU, even though their local universities now have external programs,” Mrs Mason says.
CDU’s flexible learning pathways into higher education assist nurses to work while studying towards career goals.
CDU trains nurses at interstate satellite centres at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and in Geraldton, WA, and at NT regional satellite centres in Nhulunbuy and Alice Springs.
Students enrolled externally in the VET certificate III and IV nursing programs, and Higher Education nursing under-graduates, work directly with patients in these local hospitals.
Both teaching and nursing professions are experiencing a 30 per cent drop in applications nationally, and 20 per cent in the Northern Territory.
While the University has lost some interstate numbers, Territory enrolments are the same level as last year.
“CDU is at maximum capacity in terms of placing students for the 'placement' component of their courses. If we took any more students, we would have to find hospitals in other states to take them.
“Locally, we may have already met the learning needs of our market because of our accelerated programs. There is no-one we can't or haven't helped achieve a nursing qualification,” Mrs Mason says.
CONTACTS:
Jen Richardson, CDU Acting Media Manager. Ph 0421 602 304
Janie Mason, Acting Head of School of Health Science. Ph 8946 6358