As a Master of Advanced Nursing student, you will be driven by an ambition to specialise your nursing practice and develop your leadership skills.

This Master degree positions you for advanced practice roles and greater career advancement, which may include educational or management positions.

The day-to-day experience

The Master of Advanced Nursing offers a flexible course delivery with a focus on strong leadership skills and networking. You are in control of the way you learn with flexible options to study both on campus or online. Many subjects can also be delivered as intensives, ideal for those on shift work.

Students will be exposed to a range of nursing specialities, from neonatal to palliative care.

Learning mode

Flexible learning structures provide students with greater control over the way they learn throughout the Master of Advanced Nursing.

Students can choose specialty subjects best suited to their ambitions and future specialisation.

With the choice to complete the Master by coursework or minor thesis, students can gear their daily experience towards their strengths and outside study commitments. Pursuing a thesis will allow students the opportunity to evaluate a clinical issue arising from their own practice. This option also provides a pathway to a PhD. Those who follow a coursework structure are better prepared to become clinical leaders and secure senior leadership roles.

Opportunities

The University of Melbourne’s Master of Advanced Nursing is a highly respected qualification that is compliant with National Health Standards.

The degree is structured to allow you to develop your practical skills, with the goal of becoming an active nursing leader. Many students have used this Master as a stepping stone towards PhD study.

Clare Pratt

Clare Pratt, 27, originally from Ballina on the north coast of New South Wales, moved to Melbourne to study a Master of Nursing Science after stints living in Brisbane and overseas.

“When I finished school I had no idea what I wanted to do. I just wanted to get out of my home town and live in the city. So my undergraduate degree was very broad (Bachelor of Science/Arts). After graduating, I was still unsure so I went travelling for a while. When I came back I landed a job
in research (after volunteering for a while). The research was in public health and I became very interested in the health professions. While I enjoyed working in research, I decided I wanted a more hands-on type job.

“I decided to study nursing at UoM after a friend who was studying the course recommended it to me. The nursing course here is considered the best in the country and it almost always guarantees a graduate job. We also get to do placements at some of the best hospitals in Melbourne.”

Moving to Melbourne

Clare said the biggest challenge in relocating to Melbourne was moving away from the people she knew:

“Creating a new friend network took time but I got there eventually. There are plenty of places to meet new people if you put yourself out there. The best way to make new friends in a city is to throw yourself into situations e.g. join a club or class to meet likeminded people
(there are tons of different clubs at UoM). As a young person, hospitality jobs are really great places to meet people. Also housemates can be a great new source of friendships. My best mates in Melbourne are my housemates.

“It sounds like a cliché but in Melbourne there is always something on. Free festivals like the St Kilda Festival are a lot of fun. There is also a lot of art in Melbourne; in galleries, on the streets or people might be wearing it. Melbourne is a fantastic place to meet people from all over the
world and experience different cultures (especially the food!). All of these things make Melbourne a really enjoyable and interesting place to be.”

University Life

As well as the quality of teaching at the University, its proximity to hospitals is a huge plus for Clare:

“It's a particularly good location for health students as it is located right near four major metropolitan hospitals: the Royal Children’s Hopsital, the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Royal Women’s. This means as students we get access to
placements at these hospitals. We also perform research projects at these hospitals as part of our degree.

“My experience of the teaching staff at Melbourne has been positive. They are very knowledgeable in their field (often having done or are undergoing PhD studies of their own) and very enthusiastic about teaching. All my lecturers are very approachable.

“The best thing about studying at UoM are the other people in my cohort. We are a fairly tight knit group and are very supportive of each other. The clinical labs are also very cool as we have medical mannequins to practice on.

“The happiest moment I’ve had here was attending our end-of-year event. MUNSS (Melbourne University Nursing Student Society) organised a night out for us all to party at the end of last year. It was great for us all to celebrate making it through our first year of the course. It was a really
fun night, we all had a sense of achievement and there was plenty of dancing.”

Discovery

The job-preparedness of the Master of Nursing Science is of great appeal to Clare:

“I enjoy everything I'm learning in this course. I am glad to be studying a degree that is job focused and so interesting. I've got a lot more learning to do, a career in health means you have to constantly be learning and upgrading your skills.

“I am most proud of how much I have learnt over the past year. I feel like the buddy nurses we work with on placement are always impressed with how much we know as students.”

Career in Health

Challenging work and more study is on the horizon for Clare:

“I'm not sure where I will be in 10 years. My goal is to work for The Royal Flying Doctor Service or Doctors Without Borders. I hope I will have further qualifications, such as midwifery or even a nurse practitioner qualification.”

Personalise your experience

Master of Advanced Nursing

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Overview

Summer 2020 Intake