Master of Nursing
MNurs
Fee paying
Coursework with specialisations
This course provides registered nurses with an opportunity to build upon their undergraduate learning, extend their clinical focus, and develop research related skills. The course consists of a generic strand or a choice from four areas of focused study (specialised strands).
Students may elect to exit following completion of the first eight subjects in the course with a Postgraduate Diploma in the area chosen for the specialised strand.
Enrolment through
Wagga Wagga Campus
Study mode
Distance Education
Normal course duration
Part-time 3 years (6 sessions)
Admission criteria
Students must hold an undergraduate degree in nursing, or a related discipline, and have one years professional experience in the health system since completing their nursing qualifications. Consideration for entry will be given to students who fall outside the above criteria but who have demonstrated success at the postgraduate level.
Articulation
The Postgraduate Diploma exit point only articulates with the Master degree and credit is given in the Master degree for the Postgraduate Diploma subjects.
Credit
Students who have completed the Canadian four-year BSN program are awarded a 32 point (four subjects) credit package. Other credit is available for completed postgraduate studies, or other studies as approved by the Course Coordinator
Students holding Graduate Certificate qualifications from the College of Nursing after 1995 will receive 32 points of unspecified credit equivalent to having completed a specialty strand.
Graduation requirements*
To graduate, students must satisfactorily complete 96 points.
*The number of subjects and specific subject choices are described in the course structure and enrolment pattern for the course.
Course structure
The course is normally completed in three years of part-time study. Students undertake coursework in the specialised strand of their choice in the first year. In the second year, core subjects in the discipline of nursing and research methods in health science are completed. In the final year, students have three options. These are:
- Four additional elective subjects or
- Two additional elective subjects and a major project HLT508. The project provides the student with a range of opportunities (e.g. pilot study, small scale research replication, evaluation of a program/service, single case study report, course proposal, etc.) or
- An original piece of research through the dissertation option HLT509. This would usually involve the student planning, implementing, and reporting an original piece of research.
Compulsory core subjects (32 points)
HLT505 Research Methods in Health Science A
HLT506 Health Master's Proposal
NRS510 Nursing as a Discipline
NRS520 Transcultural Nursing
Specialisations (32 points)
Students complete all four subjects in a single specialisation. Those students who then choose Option 2 or 3 in third year select their restricted electives from list provided below. These specialisations are:
Rural Nursing
HSM409 Epidemiology & Public Health
HLT401 Contexts of Health Promotion
NRS523 Rural Health Practice
NRS512 Perspectives of Mental Health Nursing
Management
HSM401 Perspectives on Health Care Systems
HSM402 Human Resources Management (Health Services)
HSM404 Management in Health Services
HSM512 Evaluating Health Services
Nursing Education
HLT402 Learning in Health Context
NRS513 The Nurse as a Health Teacher
HLT405 Issues in Clinical Education
NRS515 The Nurse as a Clinical Teacher
Mental Health Nursing
Option A
HLT512 Perspectives and policies in mental health (16 points)
NRS408 Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health Nursing 1
NRS409 Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health Nursing 2
Option B
NRS408 Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health Nursing 1
NRS409 Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health Nursing 2
NRS512 Perspectives in mental health nursing
plus ONE of
NRS516 Advanced Nursing Skills - The Therapeutic Relationship
NRS517 Advanced Nursing Skills - Group Process and Therapy
Chronic Care Nursing Practice
NRS420 Perspectives of Managing Chronic and Complex Conditions
NRS421 Chronic Care Nursing Practice 1
NRS422 Chronic Care Nursing Practice 2
PLUS one of:
NRS423 Advanced Chronic Care Nursing Practice
HLT401 Contexts of Health Promotion
NRS513 The Nurse as Health Teacher
NRS523 Rural Health Practice
Restricted elective subjects
Students who choose Option 2 or 3 in third year can select their restricted elective subjects from the list of subjects below:
GER401 Choices and Options in Later Life
GER402 Ageing bodies, Ageing Minds
GER501 Contemporary Issues in Gerontology
HLT401 Contexts of Health Promotion
HLT402 Learning in the Health Context
HLT403 Clinical Teaching Techniques
HLT404 Clinical Education Planning
HLT405 Issues in Clinical Education
HLT510 Clinical Issues in Health
HLT511 Clinical Judgement and Decision Making
HLT512 Perspectives and Policy Issues in Mental Health (16 points)
HSM401 Perspectives on Health Care Systems
HSM402 Human Resources Management (Health Services)
HSM404 Management in Health Services
HSM409 Epidemiology and Public Health
HSM512 Evaluating Health Services
NRS401 The Ecology of Child Health Care
NRS408 Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health Nursing 1
NRS409 Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health Nursing 2
NRS420 Perspectives of Managing Chronic and Complex Conditions
NRS421 Chronic Care Nursing Practice 1
NRS422 Chronic Care Nursing Practice 2
NRS423 Advanced Chronic Care Nursing Practice
NRS512 Perspectives of Mental Health Nursing
NRS513 The Nurse as a Health Teacher
NRS515 The Nurse as a Clinical Teacher
NRS516 Advanced Nursing Skills - The Therapeutic Relationship
NRS517 Advanced Nursing Skills - Group Process and Therapy
NRS523 Rural Health Practice
Students can seek approval from the course coordinator to choose other level 4 or 5 subjects.
In order for students to graduate with the specialisations listed below, students must complete:
- 32 points of coursework subjects in the specific specialist strand;
- either a 16 point project or a 32 point dissertation on a topic relevant to the specialisation.
The current specialisations available are:
Master of Nursing (Rural Health Nursing)
Master of Nursing (Management)
Master of Nursing (Nursing Education)
Master of Nursing (Mental Health Nursing)
Master of Nursing (Chronic Care Nursing Practice)
Students not meeting the specialisation requirements will graduate with a Master of Nursing.
Enrolment pattern
Part-time
Year 1
Session 1 (30)
[Specialisation subject]
[Specialisation subject]
Session 2 (60)
[Specialisation subject]
[Specialisation subject]
Year 2
Session 3 (30)
HLT505 Research Methods in Health Science A
NRS510 Nursing as a Discipline 1
Session 4 (60)
HLT506 Health Master's Proposal
NRS520 Transcultural Nursing
Students may opt to exit at this point with the qualification Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (with specialisations)
Year 3
Option 1
Session 5 (30)
HLT509 Health Master's Dissertation (32 points)(commenced)
Session 6 (60)
HLT509 Health Master's Dissertation (32 points)(completed)
Option 2
Session 5 (30)
HLT508 Health Master's Project (16 points)(commenced)
[Restricted Elective]
Session 6 (60)
HLT508 Health Master's Project (16 points)(completed)
[Restricted Elective]
Option 3
Session 5 (30)
[Restricted Elective]
[Restricted Elective]
Session 6 (60)
[Restricted Elective]
[Restricted Elective]
Exit points
Students may elect to exit the Master course after completion of the first two years with a Postgraduate Diploma in the area chosen for the specialised strand, as follows:
- Postgraduate Diploma of Chronic Care Nursing Practice
- Postgraduate Diploma of Management PostGradDipMgt
- Postgraduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing PostGradDipMentalHlthNurs
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing Education PostGradDipNursEd
- Postgraduate Diploma of Rural Nursing PostGradDipRuralNurs
Contact
For further information about Charles Sturt University, or this course offering, please contact info.csu on 1800 334 733 (free call within Australia) or email inquiry@csu.edu.au