Australia’s healthcare sector is in a period of transformation as it experiences technological disruption, the pressures of an ageing population and ongoing post-COVID-19 recovery.
“The healthcare system is so complex nowadays; we need leaders to innovate and advocate for their specialties,” says registered nurse Audrey Balingit.
“We need nurse leaders who are ready to push and change things for the better. We also need to be on top of digital disruption. When I started my career, everything was on paper. Now, it’s all shifting to technological systems.”
Nurses are in many ways at the forefront of this transformation. They’re experiencing increasing demand for personalised, accurate and real-time health data and delivery of remote healthcare and need to continually upskill to stay relevant.
“When you combine our ageing population with ongoing nursing shortages, increasingly complex health issues and the drive for digital health integration – all of this is driving demand for more advanced nursing roles,” says Dr Carmen Axisa, senior lecturer and postgraduate nursing course director in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at UTS.
“One of the major problems with nursing retention is that many nurses are unaware of the potential career pathways that are available to enable them to advance their careers within nursing.”
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With the right qualifications, there are opportunities for career progression into higher-level, complex roles, Axisa notes. These include roles such as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS), clincial nurse educator (CNE), nurse unit manager (NUM) and clinical nurse consultant (CNC).
“To ensure there are sufficient nurses in the healthcare workforce with these advanced practice skills, the government needs to also increase the number of available scholarships and Commonwealth Supported Places,” she says.
“It’s important to remove barriers to upskilling – that would make a clear difference.”
Online study enables nurses to take charge of their careers
To progress her own nursing career, Audrey Balingit enrolled in a master of advanced nursing degree through UTS Online. After researching her study options, she chose UTS Online because she was attracted to the unique way the degree is taught.
The master of advanced nursing at UTS Online offers specialisations in acute care, critical care, and chronic and complex care.
Under the approach of UTS Online, students study one subject at a time over six sessions each year, rather than the traditional approach of three or four subjects across two semesters a year. Students can also start with a graduate certificate in areas such as advanced nursing or acute care nursing, then turn that into a master of advanced nursing later if they so choose.
“I thought completing one subject at a time would be much easier for me to juggle with my work,” Balingit says.
“I had a variable schedule, so it was perfect to do everything at my own pace, and I knew exactly where to find the study resources. Everything was in one place. I wasn’t constantly flipping through lecture notes or worrying about asking the right questions of the tutor.”
The master of advanced nursing at UTS Online offers specialisations in acute care, critical care, and chronic and complex care. But students can also choose not to specialise, which Balingit says has worked in her favour as she pursues opportunities in healthcare management and leadership roles.
“The broad coverage of what I studied has been really helpful, because I’m opening my progression up to those new paths.”
Industry links for best practice
Industry collaboration is a hallmark of the program, Axisa says. Healthcare leaders, specialist clinicians and learning designers all collaborate with academics to develop subjects that reflect industry best practice.
“Everything is interactive, and students engage in online discussions with their peers and their teachers,” Axisa says. “As a teacher, it’s a real joy to read comments from engaged students who reflect on their own professional experiences. It gives you a deeper understanding of what they are experiencing in the workforce, which then informs your teaching. So, it’s great for the teachers as well.”
Students receive regular, ongoing feedback from their teachers.
“I remember I had a great video call with [my lecturer],” Balingit recalls. “He gave me such good feedback to help with my assessments and offered to stay in touch about my further studies if I was interested. I really appreciated that.”
Ultimately, the aim of the UTS Online master of advanced nursing is to graduate nursing professionals who will be proactive about innovation and help shape healthcare policy using the best available evidence, Axisa says.
“We’re encouraging our graduates to be thought leaders in the industry, so they can act as catalysts for positive change in their workplaces.”
Learn more about the Master of Advanced Nursing at UTS Online.
