Nursing students a bright bunch

Nursing students Jacqueline Loose and Natalie Taylor-Rose settle in at UQ Ipswich during Orientation Week.

Sarah Harvey

HIGH demand for nursing and midwifery courses at the University of Queensland Ipswich campus has pushed up entry scores to the highest level in the state.

Over the past two years, the UQ School of Nursing and Midwifery Overall Position scores across all programs rose between two and three points.

The hardest to enter dual degree in nursing and midwifery now has an OP cut-off of 8, followed by the Bachelor of Nursing OP9 cut-off.

The Ipswich campus welcomed more than 200 new students into undergraduate programs this week, including 17-year-old Natalie Taylor-Rose and 18-year-old Jacqueline Loose.

Ms Loose transferred in to the dual degree nursing and midwifery program after spending a year studying an unrelated course.

"I wanted to get into an area that I was interested in and felt passionate about," Ms Loose said.

"I chose the dual degree because I didn't want to work in aged care. I really like babies and want to work in that field.

"My grade point average was high enough to get into the dual degree."

Ms Taylor-Rose studied a university subject while completing Year 12 at West Moreton Anglican College last year, and said that, combined with her OP10, earned her a spot in the Bachelor of Nursing program.

"The reason I chose nursing was because I really wanted to do something that I could come home from and say, 'That was tough, but I feel like I really helped someone'," Ms Taylor-Rose said.

"My first preference was the dual degree, and I'm hoping to transfer into it as soon as I can."

Head of School Professor Catherine Turner said the demand for the program was pleasing.

"I feel this achievement is a direct indication of the quality and strength of our programs, teaching and clinical school model," Prof Turner said.

Both first-year students praised the structure of their programs, which place a strong focus on early clinical placement.