Davesax

Hi

Does anyone know how difficult it is for mature students to undertake a nursing degree in Perth for those of us not straight out of school and if there are bursaries / scholarships of any kind available .?
I had a bit of a root around to not much avail - I'm 40 and am considerIng a career move .
Thankyou
Dave

Dorothy

http://www.studyat.uwa.edu.au/underg...mission/mature
http://www.nd.edu.au/nav-future-stud...ative-pathways
http://midyear.murdoch.edu.au/?s_kwcid=TC|9550|university%20mature%20student||S| p|11325961722&gclid=CPHpn8O_0rACFUNMpgodjXqK2A
http://futurestudents.curtin.edu.au/...quirements.cfm

Davesax

Thanks Dorothy for your efficient reply .
Does anyone have experience applying for grants or scholarships ? I've a degree already so entryisnt necessarily an issue , my main obstacle is paying for it

Bernieboy

Can i ask why you want to be a nurse ??

Davesax

Someone has to be!
Seriously , it's a long story and not one my fumbling clumsy thumbs on this iphone , are feeling up to .

Bernieboy

Takes a lot of hard work and dedication,good luck

Dorothy

If you're an Australian citizen you can get a HECS loan. If not, then you'll have to pay upfront. If you need books then let me know - I'm doing mine externally from UniSA. In my second year. There are a lot of scholarships out there. Just google nursing scholarships for what's out there. My advice is to apply for all of them and you may get lucky and be granted one.

If you can wait a while one of the universities in WA (sorry, can't remember which one) will be offering a Masters of Nursing which will be a one year graduate program where most of your study will be practical based and in the virtual wards. I'll see if I can find out more about it and post in the next few days. IIRC it will be starting next year.

Davesax

Thanks Dot , that sounds perfect , do you mean like a post graduate crash course ? Please let me know and thanks again for your help.

Dorothy

Exactly. Your previous degree is counted and the masters is a post grad one year crash course - mostly placement (in hospitals and nursing homes) and in the virtual wards (it's a hospital ward set up with dummies that are computer programmed by the instructors - they breathe, have pulses, have all bodily functions of real people, etc). My friend who was telling me about it was saying they have these glasses that the student wears while working on the virtual patients so everything they do is videotaped and they can watch the tape together later to critique. Very cool stuff! Most of what is taught in the virtual classrooms is basic nursing care stuff like how to take a pulse, manual handling, how to make a bed and that kind of thing while placements will teach actual hands-on nursing care.

holly13

Wow, one year to be a nurse... Not sure about that. I'd be worried about some huge gaps of knowledge depending on the degree you already have. I guess the course founders feel it will work. Once you qualify you are accountable for all your actions...scary with only one year of (virtual) training. Good luck though if that's the route you take. Look for a supportive place to work for your first job.

galba

Found this: UWA Masters of Nursing - 2 years

I've just completed my Masters and as I was a citizen was offered a commonwealth supported place - makes it a bit cheaper. You can either pay the fees on Hecs or pay upfront (by semester) and get 10% discount.

Dorothy

Yup. That looks like what my friend was telling me about. She thought it was one year, but perhaps it's just the one year's classes she would be teaching.

Davesax

Galba- did u do this specific course ?

galba

Sorry - should have been clearer. No - I did a Masters of Teaching but with the current teaching situation in WA perhaps I should have done the nursing.

Davesax

I'd love to know what this course is like, quite intense I imagine . No time to work too . That's the main obstacle for me , getting into a load of debt .