School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine

Why are our graduates in high demand? ACU nursing, midwifery and paramedicine graduates bring extra empathy and awareness to workplaces. Our mission of impact with empathy grounds our increasingly technology-driven health care environment with an essential humanity, while still allowing for evidence-based innovations and progression.

A world of opportunity

Enhance your cultural awareness and sensitivity to the diverse care needs of Australians and global populations by taking up the opportunity to study community engagement units and clinical placement/professional practice experience abroad.

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Find your course

When you pursue a career in nursing, midwifery or paramedicine, you'll treat, comfort and help people at their most vulnerable, supporting individuals and their carers and building healthier communities. Choose from our wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees.

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Facilities and services

Put your theoretical learning into practice in our fully functional simulation wards and ambulance hubs. You’ll work with high-quality equipment and in small classes, ensuring you receive personalised support from staff and your peer-group.

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Discover our Continuity of Care Experience

Community engagement

We collaborate with 3000 community and health care partners on research, student placements and implementing better health practices. Our network goes beyond Australia and students have the opportunity to put their skills to work overseas, supporting locals to build healthy communities.

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Our research

Our researchers are leaders in their fields, in areas including wound and acute care, cardiovascular disease, acute stroke, transition to practice, health care simulation, paramedicine, midwifery and mental health. We pride ourselves on our strong research partnerships with health care facilities across Australia.
Public health and administration

Shape the future

We develop future health care leaders. If you’re interested in shaping the future of health care our professional education programs will help you implement new and creative approaches to health education, or you may be interested in the governance of service delivery or in leading the strategic development of organisations.

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Staff profiles

Staff profile Karen Nightingale

Professor Karen Nightingale

National Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine

Professor Karen Nightingale is the National Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

As one of the largest Schools within the University she has oversight of approximately 10,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students across three disciplines and 6 campuses. Professor Nightingale is therefore well placed to be abreast of a range of academic and other issues affecting both students and staff.

Professor Nightingale has experience in teaching international and local students in undergraduate and postgraduate courses and has supervised research students in master’s degrees. Her specialist expertise is in Nursing Education, Curriculum Development, Student Nurses Clinical Placements and Student Teaching and Learning. And her clinical background encompasses both mental health and general nursing in both the acute care and community sector.

Professor Nightingale commenced at ACU in February 2010 as the Deputy Head of School - School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine. She came to ACU with over 20 years’ experience in higher education having worked in four other large Victorian universities in senior leadership roles including Director of Teaching & Learning and Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs. She therefore brings a wealth and breadth of knowledge and experience in tertiary education to ACU, including university policies, procedures and processes.

Professor Nightingale is the chair of or a member of a range of School, Faculty and University committees and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing.

Staff profile

Professor Kim Foster

Eileen O'Connor Chair of Mental Health Research

Kim is currently Professor and Eileen O’Connor Chair of Mental Health Research in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine. Between 2016 and 2022 she was Professor of Mental Health Nursing and Clinical Chair in the jointly funded Mental Health Nursing Research Unit at NorthWestern Mental Health/Royal Melbourne Hospital and ACU, where her team conducted nurse-led health services research. Kim is widely published in mental health and has two key funded research program areas: the wellbeing and resilience of the nursing and mental health workforce; and interventions to support children and families where a family member has mental illness.

Meet our school staff

Find out more about the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine staff, read their profiles and see their publication history.

Meet the team

Contact the School

Get in touch with the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine and see where our offices are based on campuses across Australia.

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News and events

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Other centres

Learn about our health research institutes, our learning academies and our collaborative centres, including the Nursing Research Institute.

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Study overseas

Learn more about overseas study opportunities such as faculty-led study tours, intensive study periods at our Rome campus, or exchanges with other universities.

See the world

Alumni rebate

Are you a current or former domestic ACU student wanting to enrol in a postgraduate health program? You may be eligible for a 10% discount.

Get a rebate

Fees

Discover how much your course will cost, learn about options for financing your studies and find out which scholarships you may be eligible for.

Finance your studies

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