Nursing

Welcome to Nursing

Learn how to care for a diverse range of patients in a variety of clinical settings. Get hands-on experience across acute medical and surgical nursing, mental health, aged care and community care. Develop evidenced-based, professional, legal and ethical decision-making skills.

Semester timetables

First-year students follow the standard Federation academic calendar. However, students in years 2 and 3 start their semesters four weeks earlier  (in late January for Semester 1 and late June for Semester 2) and follow a six-week teaching block followed by placement.

If you're jumping straight into 2nd year as an Enrolled Nurse, your classes start on 27 January 2026 (with a special Orientation planned for 21 January 2026).

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Course structure

Get an understanding of the sequence and content of your units by downloading your course structure. You’ll also be able to see where your placement blocks fit and how many hours are required.

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Inherent requirements

There are some attributes, skills and abilities that you must have in order to complete your degree, such as cognition, communication, strength and mobility. You'll also need reliable internet and a suitable device to take part in your studies. In some cases, this means we may not be able to adjust the learning environment.

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Attendance

There’s a 100% attendance requirement for on-campus labs (uniforms must be worn) and an 80% attendance requirement for online classes and tutorials. If you’ve chosen blended delivery, most of your training will be online but you’ll have to attend some on-campus study blocks.

 

Placement

Clinical placements give you a chance to apply your knowledge in real situations – which is the best way to prepare for the workforce. You must complete at least 800 hours throughout your degree (and some travel might be necessary).

You’ll use the InPlace platform to submit your placement preferences and find out where you’ve been placed.

Download the placement calendar. Pair this with the university important dates calendar to keep on top of everything.

Placement rosters
Some health agencies won’t provide a roster before your placement starts, but you’ll get one on your first day. If rosters are available early, you’ll get a copy sent to your student email.

Get paid while you’re on placement
To make life easier for students with mandatory placements, the Australian Government has introduced the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP). If you’re studying Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery, you might be eligible to receive a regular payment during each of your placement periods.
Learn more

View placement calendars

Mandatory documents

Before you go on placement, you’ll need to submit several documents (like a Police Check, Working with Children Check, immunisation status and hand hygiene certificate). Some applications can take 6–12 weeks.

You'll find all the information you need about mandatory documents here.

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Placement protocol

The Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria has created the Standardised Student Protocol to outline the roles and guidelines for education and clinical placement providers.

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Working with industry

We focus on getting you job-ready with a curriculum that matches industry needs. Thanks to our partnerships, every student gets the chance to do clinical placements.

View our list of partners      

Textbooks and equipment

Booklists are available through School Locker. Search for your semester and unit code to find and purchase what you need for each subject. Medical equipment is also available.

Go to School Locker      

Uniforms

You must wear an official Federation nursing uniform during placement and all on-campus clinical lab sessions. Get yours through Fedstore (online or on campus). We recommend you get at least two sets – unless you love doing laundry.

Go to FedStore      

Meet a Course Coordinator

"We warmly welcome you to an inspiring journey in nursing and are committed to supporting you every step of the way as you grow into a confident and compassionate Registered Nurse."

Dr Swapnali Gazula
Course Coordinator & Senior Lecturer