Bachelor of Nursing

You’ll be in high demand with NorthTec’s unique and comprehensive Bachelor of Nursing. Learn the clinical and interpersonal skills to work in a range of healthcare settings, from hospitals to community-based organisations. You will complete clinical placements here in Northland, and learn through a blend of classroom and online study, preparing you to become a Registered Nurse with the Nursing Council of NZ.

The NorthTec curriculum challenges you to go beyond traditional health and illness care to focus on creating a supportive environment for health and wellbeing. You will learn how to assess health needs, advise and support people to manage their health, and practice nursing both independently and in collaboration with other health professionals.

You will be able to perform general nursing functions and also delegate to and direct Enrolled Nurses. You will be skilled at developing, implementing and evaluating integrated health care plans in a range of settings and in partnership with individuals, whānau and communities. Your teaching will also ensure that you can demonstrate attributes of a reflective practitioner and understand the importance of self-care and ongoing professional supervision.

Clinical Experience

Students will be required to attend clinical placements throughout the Bachelor of Nursing programme. These placements may occur anywhere in the Northland region (students will need to reside in the Northland region). The student will be responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses incurred when undertaking a clinical placement outside of their home locality. The Nursing Council of New Zealand requires each student to complete a minimum of 1100 clinical hours in a variety of clinical placements prior to completion of the programme. 

Programme aim

The key aim of this programme is to produce competent nurses suitable for registration as Registered Nurses following successful achievement of the NCNZ state final Examination. The programme has been designed to prepare a nurse who can practice at a beginning level in a variety of clinical settings and meet NCNZ competencies for entry to the Register of Registered Nurses.

The Bachelor of Nursing is a progressive sequence of six semesters of study, totalling three years for a full-time student. Students wishing to study part-time should discuss with the Nursing Pathway Manager. There is a Nursing Council requirement for you to complete your degree within five years. 

How you will learn

This programme is a blend of classroom, face-to-face teaching and e-learning. All face-to-face classes, except for the clinical placements, are delivered at the NorthTec Raumanga campus only and students are required to attend these onsite classes. Classes are generally timetabled on consecutive days, two-three days per week during the theory aspects of the semester. Students will need to reside in the Northland region.

All theory courses have course content online that is designed to provide the student with some learning flexibility to study from home. There are weekly requirements for each course and the student can decide what time of the day or how many hours they spend online to reinforce their understanding of the content and to work on their assessments.

This is a full-time course which means 36+ hours per week will be required to achieve the weekly learning requirements.

Also 50% of every New Zealand nursing program must be hands-on. This means experience in a clinical setting with real patients so you will have placements every semester to attend which may include rostered shiftwork.

Courses (Year 1):

• Human Bioscience 1
• Nursing Practice
• Nursing Knowledge 1
• Applied Social Theory
• Human Bioscience 2
• Nursing Knowledge 2
• Aged Care Clinical Nursing              
• Primary Health Care

Courses (Year 2):

• Altered Health States
• Acute Care Nursing
• Acute Care Clinical Nursing
• Long Term Care and Disability
• Hauora Māori
• Population Health
• Primary Health Care Nursing

Courses (Year 3):

• Pharmacology
• Evidence for Practice
• Integrated Mental Health and Addiction Nursing
• Contemporary Issues in Nursing and
• Health Care
• Transition to Registered Nurse Practice

Example Clinical Schedule

Year 1

Nursing Practice 715.5021 (two groups)
25 Clinical hours minimum required.
5 hours on a Tuesday morning for 5 weeks
8.00am – 1.00pm

The Older Adult 715.5161 (two groups)
120Clinical hours minimum required.
Monday – Friday rostered shifts for 3 weeks
6.45am – 3.00pm or 1.00pm – 9.00pm

Year 2

Acute Care Clinical Nursing 715.605
Monday – Saturday rostered shifts for 14 weeks (3 days per week)
7.00am – 3.30pm or 2.30pm – 11.00pm

Primary Health Care Nursing 715.607
Monday – Thursday for 6 weeks

Year 3

Mental Health and Addiction Clinical Nursing 7715.710
5 rostered shifts from Monday – Sunday for 5 weeks
7.00am – 3.30pm or 2.30pm – 11pm or 11pm – 7.00am

Transition to Registered Nurse Practice 7715.712
5 rostered shifts from Monday – Sunday for 11 weeks
7.00am – 3.30pm or 2.30pm – 11.00pm
 11.00pm – 7.00am

Please note that this is only an example, and is subject to change. In years 1 and 2 clinical practice will generally occur between Monday and Saturday 7am – 11pm. In year 3 clinical practice can occur on all days and times.

All first year nursing courses will be offered in flexible delivery mode. This means they will have an online component, as well as scheduled face-to-face support sessions at NorthTec Whangarei campus