Whitireia New Zealand

Course Details

Bachelor of Nursing Pacific

Course Description

The Bachelor of Nursing Pacific is a three year, Level 7 programme, running full time from February until November. The programme differs from the other two nursing programmes in that it has been designed specifically for Pacific students with a particular focus on the health needs of Pacific and non-Pacific communities within the New Zealand context. ​ The programme is an integration of theory and clinical practice. There are eight papers in level one, six in level two and six in level three. The content includes Nursing Knowledge, Nursing Practice, Community, Mental Health and Acute, Pacific Health, Heritage, Nursing Praxis, Community Development, Lifespan Development, Social Determinants of Health, Therapeutic Communications, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Bioscience, Applied Bionursing, Reflective Practice, Public Health/Health Promotion and Leadership. Programme Outline Year 1 / Level 5: Has a health focus and students are supported to become student nurses by gaining knowledge of nursing theory and research, nursing practice, bio-science, te Tiriti o Waitangi, communications, social determinants of Health, Life Span Development and Pacific Heritage. Students are mainly taught in simulated settings and in class, with short periods of clinical practice during the year. Year 2 / Level 6: The student has become an independent learner and adds to the knowledge gained in Year 1. Block periods of 3-4 weeks clinical practice occur in a variety of settings within both the Nursing Practice Community paper and the Nursing Practice Mental Health paper. Year 3 / Level 7: Consolidates practice and theory knowledge for the student, in preparation for practice. In the first semester students focus on Nursing Practice in Acute settings, Bio-Nursing, Pacific Community Development and Public Health/Health Promotion. In the second semester, students have an extended period in clinical practice and prepare for state examinations and RN (registered nurse) practice.

Course Duration

NumberDuration
3year

Career outcomes

The Bachelor of Nursing Pacific is a qualification that gives the registered nurse opportunities to work in a wide variety of settings. This qualification is unique in that graduates are trained to work in both a pacific and non-pacific context. Nurses are present across the entire spectrum of health-service delivery and, with over 40,000 registered; they are the largest sector of the professional health workforce. The most common image of the nurse is in a hospital ward or general practice, but in reality nurses are found in a much wider range of health and disability services settings. There is a nurse at work with Pacific health providers, child-health services, residential-care facilities, mental-health services, community services, marae, independent-nurse clinics, public-health services, occupational health and safety, the defence forces, sexual-health services, ACC case management, prisons, policy development and implementation, health-service management, education and research – as well as in many other settings. \ Becoming a Registered Nurse Students who successfully complete the Bachelor of Nursing Pacific programme are required to sit the Nursing Council of New Zealand State Final examinations. When these examinations are passed, the student becomes a registered nurse. This qualification enables the graduate to work as a beginning nurse in all areas where registered nurses are employed. Further Study Options On becoming a registered nurse, most graduates apply for new graduate programmes, which are run by many of the District Health Boards throughout New Zealand. Many graduates will also go on to complete postgraduate studies in nursing specialities i.e. Mental Health Nursing, Hospice Palliative Care and Primary Health Care. Some graduates will travel overseas, where a Bachelor of Nursing Degree from New Zealand is internationally recognised. Related Careers: *Nurse *Nursing *Primary Health Care Nurse *Perioperative Nurse *Palliative Care Nurse *Well Child Services *Psychiatric Nursing




Bachelor of Nursing Pacific Whitireia New Zealand