What's it like to study nursing at Murdoch?

Do you want a career that makes a positive impact in people’s lives? Look into a nursing degree at Murdoch University.

If you’re interested in a job where you can make a positive impact on people’s daily lives, then a career in nursing may be for you. 

A Bachelor of Nursing offers the prospect of turning your interest into a challenging and rewarding career – one that will see you bring comfort to those in need. At Murdoch you’ll have the opportunity to experience real-time simulations, so you can practice your skills for application in the real-world, alongside the support of leading academics.

What do nurses do?

Registered nurses don’t have a typical 9 to5 job and every shift is different. Nurses are responsible for many day-to-day jobs including assessing appropriate patient care, administering treatments, working with multidisciplinary teams, and providing information to patients and their families.

You’ll also be required to stay up to date with new tools and technology to ensure your patients receive the best support and care. 

Head of the School of Nursing, at Murdoch University, Associate Professor Vicki Cope, says the role of a contemporary nurse is to empower their patient, through a strength-based approach.

Fundamental to the School of Nursing at Murdoch is that our nurses will be valued for their ability to empower all the patients in their care through actualising their strengths in assisting them through evidence-based safe and quality care.”

As a registered nurse you’re not only limited to working in hospital settings – you may decide to specialise in other areas.

“The Bachelor of Nursing at Murdoch University is a general nursing degree, which means we educate our students to be ready for any and all environments, including rural and remote work, international placements and metropolitan hospitals.”

 Murdoch University’s School of Nursing has strong ties to First Nations peoples and their healthcare and have the first partnership for First Nations students with major tertiary hospital Fiona Stanley. This allows all First Nations students to become embedded in a supportive environment helping to change the future of First Nations health care.

Partnership student, Peta Clifford found the experience enjoyable.

“The partnership between Murdoch University and the Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital group has been one of my most enjoyable experiences while completing my Bachelor of Nursing. Being a part of the partnership has exposed me to the practical elements of being a registered nurse while also allowing me to complete all clinical placements.

This has enabled students to form diverse professional relationships with health professionals of varying specialities, from whom we were able to gain a wide range of knowledge and expertise from. During clinical placements, I had the opportunity to work with some very inspirational nurses who have been nothing but encouraging, allowing me to hone a range of abilities, strengthen my clinical knowledge, and relate what I've studied in university to real-world applications.”

Real-world experience

When you study a Bachelor of Nursing at Murdoch you will have access to state-of-the-art clinical simulation suites that allow you to translate textbook learning to realistic situations. 

The suites resemble an authentic hospital ward, where you will master your technical skills by practicing important techniques in a controlled and safe environment.

You’ll build your confidence and refine your expertise by working with patient simulators who will provide challenging scenario-based simulations such as heart attacks, strokes and anaphylactic reactions. 

Your job will include looking for symptoms, diagnosing a patient’s health condition, preparing medication, and observing and monitoring the patient. You’ll use real equipment, undertake proper processes and observe as these lifelike simulators respond to treatment. 

Other complex tasks you’ll practise are communication with your unwell patient, hygiene regimens and preparing proper documentation. 

Assoc. Pro. Cope says that additionally, the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Avatars allows for students to become fully immersed in their studies.

VR is huge in education, and we have harnessed this to teach students the function of the human body – learning how the healthy body works and then building on this to understand how disease and disorder affects the body. Further to this, we use Avatars to assist with communication techniques, learning to communicate with the older adult, and those of diverse backgrounds is extremely important in the ability to deliver top quality nursing care.”

Learn from Murdoch’s leading experts

The Good Universities Guide 2024 gave Murdoch University nursing courses five star ratings for learning resources, overall experience, skills development and learner engagement.

Assoc. Prof. Cope said students learn from leading academics from diverse nursing positions who will prepare them for the changing needs of healthcare in Australia, and across the world. 

"Our academic leaders are committed to ensuring that students walk away with a combination of knowledge, technical skills and confidence so they’re ready for day-to-day operations as a registered nurse. We have leading academics from all over the world, who bring international knowledge and expertise, allowing for students to be taught by the best." 

Students will also benefit from the combined knowledge of lecturers who have worked across the globe treating patients and administering healthcare. 

“Many of our lecturers have worked as a frontline nurse in divisions including research, community, operating theatre, accident and emergency, army and midwifery nursing.

“They’ll teach you the fundamentals and techniques for patient health, future health of the contemporary industry, and the many specialities of nursing and the diversity of nursing roles.”