Universities creating tomorrow’s health leaders through experiential education

In a rapidly changing world that comes with many unforeseen challenges, the need for health workers increases more and more each day. Our population is growing and by 2030, there will be at least 300 million more people aged 65 years and above. Other demographic shifts, a rise in polluting compounds, and more unpredictable natural disasters are driving an alarming increase in the number and types of illnesses we have today. Add to that a pandemic, and humanity is in dire need for a stronger, faster and better care and management of infectious diseases than ever before.

More highly-qualified public health professionals will be key to us realising a healthier tomorrow. These are the people implementing educational programmes, recommending policies, administering services and conducting research in this science and art of preventing disease. They are just as crucial as nurses who, alongside doctors, primarily focus on caring and treating individuals who are sick or injured. 

The journey to become the health leaders the world needs starts at university. Here are four universities in Australia that will accelerate your progress into a 21st-century leader in public health nursing:

TORRENS UNIVERSITY

Torrens University is a private university in Australia where aspiring health professionals can turn their passions into a fulfilling career through hands-on, real-world experiences. Public Health and Nursing courses offered here are designed to prepare students for health care practice now and into the future. As health care evolves, a greater focus is placed on wellness, community and primary health care, and digital health.

Those seeking to make a difference in local, national and global health communities can get a headstart with Torrens University’s Public Health courses. These courses provide the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to implement research projects, create policies and execute campaigns. A variety of courses are offered to suit a range of career ambitions, including pathways into a master’s degree: the Graduate Certificate of Public Health and the Graduate Diploma of Public Health.

For those interested in Nursing, there are nursing courses and degrees that teach individuals what they need to know to join a profession that has been the backbone of health care for centuries, and continues to thrive and evolve. Torrens University’s Bachelor of Nursing students get to experience on-campus simulations before experiencing clinical placements in a variety of health care settings. These hands-on experiences build and consolidate on the knowledge and skills students have learnt, preparing them to practise as a nurse. Once they graduate, they will be eligible to apply for registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Agency (AHPRA) as a registered nurse.

Why is Torrens University the best choice? Through industry placements, students become employable professionals with sufficient work experience; through success coaching, students discover their strengths with qualified professionals; through online learning, students learn from wherever is most convenient; and finally, through smaller class sizes, students get direct personalised access to learning facilitators and lecturers. To learn more about what it’s like studying at Australia’s fastest-growing university boasting a credible, industry-immersive difference, click here.

THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND (UQ) 

The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions. The university ranks 27th in the world for Public Health (ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2020) for its impactful research and world class teaching programmes across public health, biostatistics, and epidemiology.

Apart from conducting research that improves the health and well-being of populations in a changing and inequitable world, UQ programmes develop students who graduate with the knowledge and networks they need to make an impact. Through the Master of Public Health programme, professionals from a broad range of backgrounds and disciplines will be taught to define, assess and resolve public health and nutrition problems.

From the molecular to the macro, from the laboratory bench to the beside, and from the biomedical to the behavioural sciences, students are connected to world-leading academic and research programmes at UQ. Collaborations across the school, such as with the Faculty of Medicine, expose students to teachings that have won more Australian awards than any other university. Learn more about UQ’s health education offerings here.

CURTIN UNIVERSITY

Curtin University’s reputable courses are tailored for individuals passionate to join the next generation of healthcare professionals who innovate, inspire and impact health on a global scale. 

Public health undergraduate programmes here include Health Sciences, Health Promotion, Nutrition and Food Science and many others. The option for a double degree is also available for those who are looking to gain two separate qualifications with a more diverse set of skills and knowledge that will expand career options.    

Through postgraduate degrees, students will gain industry skills today for tomorrow’s career opportunities. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree, a graduate-entry master (GEM) course is a fast-track way to gain entry-level qualification. The GEM programme offers learners career-specific training at a postgraduate level, to further build on existing undergraduate skills.

At Curtin University, you’ll be taught by award-winning faculty members. Many have won teaching awards including a University Innovative Teaching Practice Award. Eight have won the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in recent years. To learn more about Western Australia’s most preferred university, click here.  

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

Flinders University is listed amongst the top 2% of universities worldwide, and number one in South Australia with over 500 undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees and more than 25,000 students. In the Good Universities Guide 2020, the university has a five-star ranking for Health Services and Support for Learner Engagement.

Public Health students will be exposed to unique and relevant topics such as social determinants of health; epidemiology and biostatistics; health economics; and critical practice in Indigenous health. “In my studies at Flinders, one of the most fundamental skills that I learnt was critical thinking. The academic staff encouraged us to analyse scenarios in different perspectives and from a range of viewpoints. I learnt to think more broadly and apply outcomes from previous cases with practical knowledge and considered theory: this is already a significant attribute for me professionally, and an asset for my employers,” says Dr Amalia Dwi Susanti, a Master of Public Health graduate.

Bachelor of Nursing students have the option to study at a rural campus in the Riverland or a metropolitan campus at Bedford Park. This top-ranked programme in South Australia is taught by award-winning lecturers in state-of-the-art facilities with team and problem-based learning. “The professional experience placements are fantastic. I did four weeks full-time on a ward in a hospital. That was by itself worth everything else I had done in the degree so far, and we do three more of them,” says Patrick Guerin, a Bachelor Of Nursing (Graduate Entry) student.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International

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