Bachelor of Nursing

Assess your eligibility for entry to Swinburne.

Special requirements

Immunisation
International students must provide an up to date record of all immunisations they have received over their lifetime, translated in English at the time of course commencement. For information on required vaccinations, please visit the Australian Government website.

At course commencement, the Faculty Immunisation form will require completion and signed by an Australian medical practitioner to ensure you are immunised according to the Vaccination for Healthcare Workers standards. Further information will be provided upon course commencement.
Additional immunisations may be required in response to any changes in Government policy or the specific requirements of the organisation you attend for your placements. Any required immunisations or serology tests would be at your own cost.

Police check
A Police check from your country of residence will be required at the time of course commencement.

Overseas
If you have lived overseas for more than 12 months in the past ten years, you are required to provide a police check from each country you resided in (including an English translation) and/or a statutory declaration stating that you have never been convicted of any crime in another country.

Australia
You will be required to have an annual National Police Record Check to attend placements. Further information about how to apply will be provided at course commencement.

Working with Children Check – all applicants must maintain a current Working with Children Check throughout the duration of the program.

Professional placements
Placements can occur at any time during the course, including during the school holidays, Christmas and Easter holidays. Students need to be available to attend placements at all times during the course. It is advised that holidays are not booked prior to allocation of placements as alternative placements may not be available, therefore impeding progress in the course. 

Detailed information will be provided to all students at the commencement of the course.

Additional costs

Some placements will be undertaken in regional locations, students are responsible for costs incurred for travel and accommodation. 

Students should allow approximately AUD$450 for a nursing uniform and equipment. Students can purchase some of these items from any supplier, however the Swinburne University of Technology branded nursing uniform is only available from the Swinburne University bookshop. These items remain the student's personal property. 

In addition, students must obtain:

• a National Police Check - AUD$20.00 (annually)
• a Working with Children Check (no cost) 
• mandatory immunisations are required, the costs of which may vary depending on previous immunisation history, approximately AUD$250-AUD$500
• Nursing placements may incur accommodation and travel costs, and these will vary depending on the placement venue. All students are expected to undertake at least one rural placement – all accommodation and travel is a student’s responsibility.

Please note: all costs are approximate and subject to change.

Once enrolled in the course, all students are registered with the Australian Heath Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Graduates of the Bachelor of Nursing must also meet the English language skills requirements to become a registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Boards of Australia (NMBA).

The Bachelor of Nursing has program entry criteria set by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council. All students entering this program must demonstrate they have achieved the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) specified level of English language skills, prior to commencing the program.

You must demonstrate your English language competency in one of the following ways: 

• English is your primary language and you have attended and satisfactorily completed at least six years of primary and secondary education taught and assessed in English in one of the recognised countries*, including at least two years between years 7 and 12
• Extended education pathway - you have completed 5 years (or more) full-time equivalent continuous education taught and assessed in English, of which, at least 1.5 years will include this vocational qualification (Diploma of Nursing), in any of the recognised countries* Example: Secondary education completed January 2015 – December 2019 (5 years), vocational qualification (Diploma of Nursing) will complete February 2020 – August 2021 (1.5 years) = 6.5 years of full-time equivalent continuous education.
• Test pathways – below is a list of the approved tests and the minimum scores required:
• IELTS (academic Module) with a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components
• OET with a minimum score of B in each of the four components
• PTE (Academic) with a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills
• TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 94 and a minimum score of 24 in listening, 24 in reading, 27 in writing and 23 in speaking.

* Recognised countries include Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa or the United States of America.