Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science
2025 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2025 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science |
| Deakin course code | D387 |
| Course version | 4 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health |
| Course Information | For students who commenced from 2022 onwards |
| 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 2025 Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS 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
- Course learning outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Fees and charges
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 #15 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, underlying mental processes and the factors behind human 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 Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). 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.
Discover our nursing and midwifery or psychology and mental health courses.
*2024 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
- mental health care settings
- 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 our psychology careers page.
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 (Advanced) or honours in psychology), after which you may apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA).
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) |
Course learning outcomes
| Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Nursing (H326) | Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Apply nursing knowledge and capability in accordance with legal and ethical requirements to deliver comprehensive, holistic, culturally appropriate, evidence based, safe and quality care. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO5: Problem solving GLO8: Global citizenship |
| Foster effective therapeutic and professional relationships to ensure safe and quality care across the lifespan. | GLO2: Communication GLO7: Teamwork |
| Use digital technologies in healthcare to locate, interpret and disseminate information and deliver quality and safe patient care. | GLO3: Digital literacy |
| Thinks critically, analyses evidence and evaluates outcomes to inform quality nursing practice. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| Self-manage behaviours to develop and maintain critical nursing knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure capability for practice in self and others. | GLO6: Self-management |
| Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Psychological Science (H344) | Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes |
| Integrate theoretical knowledge of the discipline of psychology in relation to: health, social, cognitive, methodology, neuroscience, development, and personality. Demonstrate appropriate communication, counselling, and research methods skills. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| Communicate psychological knowledge and arguments effectively using the most appropriate means utilising clear, discipline appropriate, coherent and well-developed communication skills. Demonstrate appropriate interpersonal communication and interview skills in situations appropriate to psychological practice. This includes active listening, clarifying and reflecting, effective questioning, summarising and paraphrasing, developing rapport, appropriate cultural responsiveness and empathic responding. | GLO2: Communication |
| Utilise online technologies to interact with others, access research and evaluate empirical evidence; and create and disseminate psychology-relevant content. | GLO3: Digital literacy |
| Identify and critique the factors that contribute to the development of unhealthy mental processes and behaviours, develop arguments, reports, or commentaries based on empirical research and apply the results to affect healthy behaviour change in oneself or others, and; apply the skills required to affect healthy behaviour change in oneself and in others in diverse contexts. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| Apply knowledge of the scientific method when addressing problems related to behaviour and mental processes; design, plan, and conduct research that addresses these problems; and apply analytic and statistical skills to interpret the results and validity of research. | GLO5: Problem solving |
| Engage in independent learning as a reflective practitioner to sustain personal and professional development in the changing world of the science and practice of psychology; and manage resources, timelines and other constraints to achieve quality and timely outcomes. | GLO6: Self-management |
| Collaborate and communicate psychological principles and practices effectively in interdisciplinary teams to work and learn in a range of environments including communities of practice, research and professional practice. | GLO7: Teamwork |
| Embody the values and attitudes of the scientist-practitioner; apply ethical and professional responsibilities to local and global communities, apply knowledge and skills in culturally appropriate and inclusive ways. | GLO8: Global citizenship |
Course rules
To complete the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science students must pass 32 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
- 20 credit points of core nursing units
- 12 credits points of core psychology units
- course requirements for both the Bachelor of Nursing (H326) and Bachelor of Psychological Science (H344) must be satisfied.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.
Note:
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).
Course structure
Units
Course structure for students who commenced in 2022 onwards.
Level 1 - Trimester 1
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (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 practice - 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.
To be eligible to undertake placements, you are required to supply mandatory documents (prerequisites) including police checks, working with children check and immunisation status.
Course duration
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Further information
Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.
- Contact Student Central
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 or 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.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.