Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science
2024 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2024 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science |
| Deakin course code | D387 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong), Warrnambool |
| Online | No |
| Duration | 4 years full-time The course is only available to students on a full-time basis. |
| Course Map - enrolment planning tool | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2024 |
| CRICOS course code | 079499D Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong), Warrnambool |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7 |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Articulated courses
- Fees and charges
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
Course overview
Deakin's Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science develops your understanding of human behaviour and builds the skills needed to become a successful nurse. With a wealth of real-world skills gained through your professional experience placements, you will graduate ready for work as a registered nurse from the #16 ranked nursing School in the world.* You will also be eligible to pursue further study towards qualification as a registered psychologist.
This combined degree helps you understand personality, the brain, emotion, underlying mental processes and the factors that lead to changes in behaviour. You will learn in our purpose-built clinical simulation centres, which replicate real-world hospital and community settings with state-of-the-art equipment. Plus, you will put your knowledge to work with 800 hours of professional experience placements in various metropolitan, regional and rural healthcare settings, under the supervision of qualified practitioners.
Do you have good communication and decision-making skills and want to make a genuine difference in people’s lives?
The wide range of units within the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science provides you with a scientific knowledge base for mental health practice, including psychological testing and measurement, mental health promotion and research.
Graduate with solid clinical experience and the knowledge and skills to comprehensively care for patients and their families.
As one of the most research-active schools in Australia, our School of Nursing and Midwifery also boasts some of the best facilities and resources available.
With so much diversity and growth in the healthcare sector, you will be in the best position to follow your interests and shape your future. The nursing component of your degree provides eligibility to become a registered nurse through the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
Similarly, the psychology stream of your degree is recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). This is the first step in your journey to becoming a registered psychologist.
To progress your career in psychology, an approved fourth year of psychology study such as our Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) or Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) will allow you to apply for provisional registration with the PsyBA and seek associate membership of the Australian Psychological Society. In order to gain general registration, provisional psychologists must complete a further two years of postgraduate study. They can then choose to complete further supervised practice in order to specialise in a specific area of psychology.
* 2023 ShanghaiRankings Global Ranking of Academic Subjects
Indicative student workload
As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time. There is an expectation that you are available to undertake clinical practicum outside of trimester dates. All expenses associated with professional experience placements are your own responsibility.
Professional recognition
Upon successful completion of your course, you will be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
You will also have gained a three-year undergraduate psychology sequence that is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), recognised for registration purposes by the PsyBA and enabling you to undertake additional study in pursuit of provisional registration.
The NMBA has mandatory registration standards that applicants need to meet to be registered. Core registration standards are available on the NMBA website.
This course is accredited with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and is an NMBA approved course.
Career opportunities
As a registered nurse with psychology experience, you will be a unique graduate who can pursue career opportunities around the world, in a range of work settings, including:
- mental health rehabilitation
- youth work
- careers counselling
- community development and work/life counselling
- hospitals
- homes
- hospices
- aged care settings
- clinics
- schools
- universities
- community health centres
- government agencies and private industries.
There are a wide variety of career opportunities available to graduates from both nursing and psychology degrees. If you wish to learn more about the diverse careers available to psychology graduates please visit deakin.edu.au/psychology/psychology-careers.
Alternatively, if you are interested in pursuing a professional career in psychology, your next step involves enrolling into an approved ‘fourth year’ of psychology study (such as Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Psychology or honours in psychology), after which you may apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and seek associate membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
In order to gain full registration, provisional psychologists can then complete either two years of supervised practise, or two years of postgraduate study - such as Deakin’s Master of Psychology (Clinical), Master of Psychology (Organisational), or Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) (with supervised practice completed outside the degree).
Participation requirements
As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of learning activities each week. This may include classes, seminars, simulations, and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.
Inherent requirements
A number of inherent requirements are essential to safely perform the skills and functions of the nursing role and consequently to undertake and successfully complete the course. Learn more about the School of Nursing and Midwifery's Undergraduate Courses Inherent Requirements.
Mandatory student checks
Department of Health – Safety Screening Requirements - Police Record Check, Working With Children Check and Immunisation Status
Police Record Check
In accordance with the Department of Health policy, all students are required to undertake a Police Record Check prior to professional experience placements in each calendar year of their course. Students who fail to obtain a Police Record Check prior to the commencement of professional experience placement will not be able to undertake professional experience placement and this will impede progress in the course.
Working With Children Check
In accordance with the Worker Screening Act 2020, all students are required to undertake a Working with Children Check at the commencement of their course. Students who fail to obtain a Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of professional experience placement will not be able to undertake professional experience placement and this will impede progress in the course.
Immunisation Status
Students are required to declare their immunisation status to satisfy the requirements of health organisations where they will be undertaking their clinical learning experience. A health organisation may refuse to accept a student for placement if the student’s immunisation status is not satisfactory to the health organisation.
Articulated courses
| Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) (H421) |
Fees and charges
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
In 2022, the Victorian Government announced a range of government-administered scholarships for eligible domestic students commencing nursing and midwifery studies in 2023 and 2024. These scholarships are not automatic. For information about the eligibility criteria, application process and payment arrangements please visit Undergraduate (entry-to-practice) nursing and midwifery scholarships.
Course Learning Outcomes
See course entry for Bachelor of Nursing (H326) or Bachelor of Psychological Science (H344)
Course rules
To complete the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science students must pass 32 credit points. Units (think of units as 'subjects') may be worth 1 or 2 credit points - check each unit for its credit point value in the course structure below. Most students choose to study 4 credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters each year. All units in this course are core units (these are compulsory).
The course consists of 32 credit points of study which includes the following:
- 16 core units worth 20 credit points from Bachelor of Nursing
- 11 core units worth 11 credit points specific to psychology
- 1 foundation unit worth 1 credit point
There is an expectation that you will be available to undertake clinical practicum outside of trimester dates. All expenses associated with professional experience placements are your responsibility.
If you are studying at Waterfront (Geelong) and Warrnambool some units may only be available online in years two, three and four. If you are enrolled at the Waterfront (Geelong), you will be required to take some units at Waurn Ponds (Geelong).
See course entry Bachelor of Nursing (H326) or Bachelor of Psychological Science (H344).
All commencing Faculty of Health Undergraduate and Postgraduate course work students are required to complete DAI001 Academic Integrity Module (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first trimester of study (0 credit point compulsory unit).
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Course structure
Units
Course structure for students who commenced in 2022 onwards.
Level 1 - Trimester 1
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity Module (0 credit points) |
| HNN120 | Quality and Safety in Health Care 1 |
| HBS109 | Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology |
| HNN112 | Quality and Safety: Nursing Practice 1 |
| HPS111 | Introduction to Psychology: Human Behaviour |
Level 1 - Trimester 2
| HNN114 | Person-Centred Health Assessment |
| HNN154 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' History, Culture and Health |
| HNN124 | Quality and Safety: Nursing Practice 2 |
| HNN104 | Care of the Child and Adolescent |
Level 2 - Trimester 1
| HNN217 | Primary Health Care |
| HNN108 | Evidence-Based Practice |
| HPS105 | Foundations of Psychological Practice |
| HPS204 | Social Psychology |
Level 2 - Trimester 2
| HNN215 | Quality Use of Medicines |
| HNN227 | Acute Illness and Supportive Care (2 credit points) |
| HPS121 | Introduction to Psychology: Individual and Social Development |
Level 3 - Trimester 1
| HNN222 | Mental Health and Supportive Care (2 credit points) |
| HPS203 | Cognitive Psychology |
| HPS310 | Biological Psychology (Brain and Behaviour) (online) at Warrnambool) |
Level 3 - Trimester 2
| HNN301 | Mental Health and Wellbeing |
| HPS201 | Psychology Research Methods (Introductory) |
| HPS202 | Developmental Psychology (Child and Adolescent) |
| HPS307 | Personality Psychology (online) at Warrnambool |
Level 4 - Trimester 1
| HNN329 | Chronic Illness and Supportive Care (2 credit points) |
| HNN318 | Care of the Older Person |
| HPS301 | Psychology Research Methods (Intermediate) |
Level 4 - Trimester 2
| HNN320 | Quality and Safety in Health Care 2 |
| HNN325 | Quality and Safety: Comprehensive Nursing Practice (2 credit points) |
| HPS308 | Psychopathology |
Work experience
Professional experience placements - Nursing
Beginning soon after commencement of the course, early exposure to the clinical environment gives you extensive opportunities to develop clinical skills in a variety of settings including acute/sub-acute care, medical and surgical care, paediatrics, aged care, rehabilitation, community nursing and mental health nursing. These may be undertaken in hospitals and community health care centre in metropolitan rural and regional areas.
There is an expectation that you will be available to undertake clinical practicum outside of trimester dates. All expenses associated with professional experience placements are your own responsibility.
Other course information
Course duration
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing professional experience placements.
Further information
Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.
- Contact Student Central