Bachelor of Nursing Informatics CU45

Program at a glance

Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Mode & Location: multi-modal, external
Courses/Units of Credit: 48 units of credit
Faculty: Faculty of Informatics & Communication
Entry: QTAC (more info). Applicants must have completed a Bachelor of Nursing degree or hold a current general nurse registration certificate which indicates their authority to practice as a registered nurse.
Accreditation: not applicable
Residential School: not applicable
Practicum/Work placement: not applicable
Exit awards: not applicable
Interim awards: not applicable
Contact: Program Coordinator - 07 4930 9839 or Program Administrator - 07 4930 9681, or email ic-program-ug1@cqu.edu.au
International students: this program is available to international students studying by distance education in their home country
CRICOS program codes: not applicable

Note: CQU is an academic institutional member of the International Medical Informatics Association (I.M.I.A.)

Program aim

This program has been developed to meet the needs of registered nurses who wish or need to make better use of available computer, information and telecommunication technologies to support their area of practice. The use of these technologies including electronic health records has the potential to improve the efficiency, safety and quality of care. The program provides registered nurses with a sound foundation for contemporary nursing practice and possible further study in the nursing informatics discipline.

The program is available to registered nurses who hold a certificate from a hospital based program in their own country, a diploma or degree in nursing from a college or university. All applicants must hold a current general nurse registration certificate which indicates their authority to practice as a registered nurse in their own country. International students will be expected to meet the requirements regarding English standards which enable them to cope with study of an Australian education program. Registered nurses entering this program are given 2 years of study exemption in recognition of their prior learning. Therefore no further credit transfers will be given.

Career options

depending on the specialisation studied, a graduate may obtain employment in many nursing speciality areas or the health informatics and healthcare software industry

Program structure

To obtain a Bachelor of Nursing Informatics, a student must complete a total of 8 courses as follows:

The available selection provides opportunities to apply informatics principles to any of the following: nursing, evidence based practice, health information management, statistics, information systems, multimedia, e-health, IT, systems services, health service management, system design and implementation.

Note: These areas are indicative only. It may be possible to customise a specialisation study area for individuals or a group of students at the discretion of the Program Coordinator).

Compulsory courses

Course Code Course Title
HLTH12003 Foundations of Health Information
HLTH11005 Nursing Informatics

Informatics/Communication courses

Course Code Course Title
Introductory Informatics
COIS11011 Foundations of Business Computing
COIT11166 Systems Analysis and Design
COIT12168 Analysis and Specification
COIS13013 Management Support Systems
Course Code Course Title
Multimedia
MMST11001 Introduction to Multimedia
MMST11002 Constructing Cyberspace
MMST12004 Multimedia Design
MMST12005 New Media Histories and Practices
Course Code Course Title
Statistics
STAT11048 Essential Statistics
STAT12032 Data Analysis
STAT12050 Experimental Design
STAT12049 Total Quality Management & Statistical Process Control
Course Code Course Title
Computer Systems
COIT11133 Programming A
COIT11134 Programming B
COIT13152 Operating Systems
COIT12170 Data Communication
Course Code Course Title
Management Support Systems
COIT11133 Programming A
COIS12041 Business Programming
COIS12031 Software Design & Programming
COIS13013 Management Support Systems
Course Code Course Title
Systems Development
COIT11133 Programming A
COIS12041 Business Programming
COIT11166 Systems Analysis and Design
COIT12168 Analysis and Specification
Course Code Course Title
Computer Networks
COIT11133 Programming A
ENCO11005 Computer Hardware Fundamentals
COIT12170 Data Communication
COIT13147 Networks
Course Code Course Title
Database Systems
COIT11133 Programming A
COIS12041 Business Programming
COIT11166 Systems Analysis and Design
COIS12036 Human Computer Interaction
Course Code Course Title
Focus on practical communication skills
COMM11007 Professional Writing
COMM12020 Communication in the Digital Age
COMM12033 Speech Communication
COMM12030 Desktop Publishing
Course Code Course Title
Focus on theoretical understanding of relevant communication practice
COMM11005 Introduction to Communication & Culture
COMM12020 Communication in the Digital Age
COMM12025 Organisational Communication
COMM12022 Technology, Communication and Culture

Nursing/Health/Management courses

Course Code Course Title
NURS11145 Indigenous and Cross Cultural Health Care
NURS12144 Legal Issues in Health Care
NURS12128 Drugs in Society
HLTH13018 Complementary Health Care
NURS13102 Introduction to Health Research (being offered in 2005 for the last time)

Sample part-time two year program structure for Registered Nurses with little or no computing knowledge and experience:

Course Code Course Title
Year 1 - Term 1 (T1)
COIS11011 Foundations of Business Computing
HLTH12003 Foundations of Health Information Science
Year 1 - Term 2 (T2)
COIT11166 Systems Analysis & Design
HLTH11005 Nursing Informatics
Year 2 - T1
COIT12168 Analysis and Specification
COIS13013 Management Support Systems
Year 2 - T2
  2 electives

Note: Students must check to see when and where a course is offered before enrolling. See the course availability section in this handbook for details.