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

Educational Criteria

Completed NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance including at least:

• 14 credits in an English language rich subject, e.g. English, history, art history, classics, geography, economics.
• 14 credits in a science subject e.g. biology, chemistry, physics.

Alternative Educational Criteria

• ‘B’ passes in a level 4 Foundation Programme; OR
• Evidence of recent successful study in other relevant courses at tertiary level; OR
• Documented verifiable evidence of relevant work life experience (usually the equivalent of two years full time) that indicates the ability to meet the requirements of this degree. Such evidence would normally include details of roles/responsibilities undertaken, interpersonal skills, other achievements and referee statements. Admission under this provision requires an interview with and approval from the Nursing Pathway Manager.

Additional Requirements

The following are required if you are accepted into the programme:

• NZ Police Authorisation to Disclose Information: Nursing is a trusted, high ranking profession and as such requires its members to be law abiding citizens. Each applicant is therefore required to complete and return a NZ Police ‘Authorisation to Disclose Information’ form with your application. If you are accepted into the programme, your form will be sent by NorthTec to the Police Licensing and Vetting Service and returned in confidence to the Nursing Pathway Manager. Information on the NZ Vetting Service is available from www.police.govt.nz. (Please note that access to some clinical placements is subject to police vetting).

Personal Requirements

All applicants must:

• have health clearances, vaccinations and immunisations at the student's expense to meet the policies of the various clinical practice institutions and agencies (if accepted onto the programme);
• have a level of physical and emotional health commensurate as to achieve the required nursing practice competencies;
• provide the names of 2 persons who are prepared to act as referees for you;
• be able to read and write unassisted (because of the requirement to independently and accurately read and write case notes and other documentation when in clinical practice). Applicants must be able to understand, interpret and speak English, at a level that is safe in clinical practice – the inability to do so would create risk or harm to others. Note that students may request, however, the use of a ‘reader/writer’ for exams in the instance of temporary disability.

Workforce Restrictions for Children's Workforce

The Children's Act 2014 was part of a series of comprehensive measures brought in to protect and improve the wellbeing of vulnerable children. If you have a criminal conviction, and you are studying (or considering studying) toward a qualification that will lead to a job in the state funded sector working directly with children, you need to check whether your conviction could prevent you from working in some roles in your chosen field.

English Language Requirements

Applicants where English is not their first language are required to provide evidence that they have achieved an overall IELTS score of 6.5 with not less than 6.5 in each, or in exceptional circumstances a pass in another equivalent test of English. Please note the Nursing Council no longer accepts PTE.