Master of Nursing Science

The Master of Nursing Science encourages a practice-oriented and evidence-based approach to learning as a means of ensuring close links between theory and practice and as a tool to support self-directed and life-long learning.

At the completion of the Master of Nursing Science graduates are expected to:

• meet the competencies identified by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council as necessary for practice as a registered nurse;
• demonstrate a well developed understanding of health from global, population, community, family and individual perspectives;
• integrate knowledge from a range of disciplines that contribute to health and disease management in the provision of nursing to people experiencing alterations in their health;
• perform nursing assessment and intervention within legal and ethical parameters and demonstrating accountability for their own practice;
• work effectively as a member of the multidisciplinary team;
• demonstrate the ability to critically appraise research evidence relevant to common health problems and to translate this evidence into the development of nursing interventions to improve patient outcomes;
• demonstrate an understanding of the Australian health care system in terms of policy and the organizational context of health service delivery;
• practice effectively in health promotion and health education roles;
• demonstrate the ability to identify knowledge gaps in the delivery of nursing care and to utilize research skills to address current gaps in practice in collaboration with researchers in nursing and allied disciplines.

Students who commenced in 2012 or earlier should follow the 2012 course structure which can be found in the 2012 Handbook

For 2013 or later commencing students

The Master of Nursing Science (MNSc) comprises 200 credit point, on-campus, coursework degree, with a clinical practice component. It is a five semester, full-time course that prepares graduates to practice as a Registered Nurse in Australia. The aim of the Master of Nursing Science degree is to prepare internationally recognised graduates for roles that enhance the health and well being of society and demonstrate leadership in advancement of the discipline of Nursing.

First Year

Second Year

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• either
– an undergraduate degree in any discipline, or equivalent, completed not more than ten years prior to the date of application, or
– an older undergraduate degree and either more recent graduate study that demonstrates current capacity for graduate study or five years of documented relevant work experience.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic performance; and where relevant
• the work experience

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7 is required.

Requirements:

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's courses. This course requires all students to enrol in subjects where they must actively and safely contribute to clinical/field work activities. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Course Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

Graduates may be eligible to enrol in the Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy. Enrolment will be subject to a suitable WAM or high distinction in the Research subject NURS90059 individual assesssment.

The Melbourne Experience enables our graduates to become:

• Academically excellent:
  • have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
  • have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s)
  • reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
  • be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
  • be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies
• Knowledgeable across disciplines:
  • examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
  • expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
  • have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
  • have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment
• Leaders in communities:
  • initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces
  • have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of personal strengths and limitations
  • mentor future generations of learners
  • engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs
• Attuned to cultural diversity:
  • value different cultures
  • be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
  • have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community
  • respect indigenous knowledge, cultures and values
• Active global citizens:
  • accept social and civic responsibilities
  • be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
  • have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equity and ethics

The Master of Nursing Science will be recognised by the Australian Health Practitioners Registering Authority (APHRA) and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC).

At the completion of the Master of Nursing Science graduates are expected to have gained knowledge and skills in each of the following domains:

Critical Thinking and problem-solving skills

• generate curiosity as to the cause and effect of health and illness, and an ability to use clinical evidence and assessment to develop and implement nursing interventions;
• analyse the determinants of health for an individual and a population, and evaluate the impact of such determinants for particular individuals;
• identify the inter-relationship between biological, social and psychological factors in an individual's experience of health and illness;

Attitudes towards knowledge

• identify ethical principles including autonomy, confidentiality and justice as they apply to the nurse-patient interaction, the information obtained, and apply these in their own interactions with patients;
• value diversity of opinion within health care;
• capacity for information seeking, evaluation and retrieval;
• analyse the information required to solve health-related problems;
• evaluate the depth and breadth of knowledge within own nursing practice and recognise knowledge of other members of health care team to inform and support nursing activities;
• identify appropriate use of the information gathered, with respect for the privacy of the individual;
• demonstrate physical examination and clinical nursing skills and identify appropriate use of these skills to gather information and implement nursing care.

Intercultural sensitivity

• value diversity in health beliefs, lifestyles, ethnic and cultural background;
• demonstrate a non-judgmental approach to their interactions within the health care system, with other health professionals and patients;
• demonstrate the capacity to adjust nursing interventions to ensure safe and effective care for people of diverse backgrounds;

Communication skills

• identify personal communication skills that can be developed to enhance the quality of nurse-patient and inter-professional relationships;
• generate methods to provide information to patients in language which they can understand;
• develop a patient-centred approach to communication, with respect for human dignity and human rights;
• develop communication skills sufficient to describe a patient's presentation, symptom profile and physical signs to a colleague;
• demonstrate skills in health teaching and patient education that enhance patient and family self-management;

Planning and time management

• develop skills in conducting a health assessment and implementing nursing interventions under particular time constraints;
• Teamwork skills;
• evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of health care teams, analyse knowledge skills and attitudes that enhance such teams;
• analyse their own contribution to a team.

Applicants are assumed to have some grounding at a tertiary level in human anatomy before commencing the course. Students without such grounding can take the online subject Introductory Human Physiology to prepare for the course.