MAJOR INCREASE IN STUDENTS STUDYING NURSING DIPOMA ONLINE

GOLD Coast Institute of TAFE (GCIT) has experienced a huge increase in the number of nursing students choosing to study online in 2014 with enrolments tripling over the last few years.

GCIT offers the online delivery method to cater for students who cannot attend onsite training for financial, family or geographical reasons.

One of the many students to benefit from the nursing Diploma being offered online is Coffs Harbour student, Amy Dummigan. Amy said studying her nursing Diploma online has given her the opportunities she otherwise would not have had.

“I have a severely disabled daughter so I am her full-time carer. I genuinely would not have been able to do a nursing Diploma if it wasn’t for GCIT offering it online,” she said.

“While I didn’t have a background in nursing, being a full-time carer has given me an insight into what is involved. I saw this course and an opportunity for stable employment because we will always need healthcare workers and nurses.

“As it turns out, the nursing Diploma has led to me securing work. I did an aged care placement and they asked me to stay on afterwards. When I finish the course, I will continue working there but as an enrolled nurse. I’m really enjoying the course and it has opened so many doors for me.”

GCIT Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Devine said the rising popularity in online education has driven GCIT to significantly progress their online educational practices.

“The growing nation-wide recognition of online education has inspired GCIT to develop our teaching methods, tools, systems, and content to give our online learning students the greatest advantage,” he said.

“Our online courses allow students in regional areas to stay in their own communities, balance work and life whilst completing the course with our user-friendly operating system.”

Through the online learning facilities, all students have the ability to view course content, chat with other students, view assessment information and submit assignments.

Online students are required to complete 400 hours of of clinical work placement in their local area as well as three blocks residential school in the GCIT Health labs throughout their Diploma.

GCIT recently invested $85,000 into the refurbishment of the health labs which are now complete with 38 electric beds, 10 electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, four vital signs monitors, three IV trolleys, one hoist and two life-size electronically controlled mannequins.

The online Diploma of Nursing is nationally accredited and takes a minimum of 18 months to complete with graduating students eligible to articulate into the Bachelor of Nursing at various universities across Australia.

To enquire about studying nursing online please call (07) 55818 806 or visit gcit.edu.au.