Four years ago Dubbo resident Pauline Smith had never thought she would complete the training she began nearly 20 years earlier and become a registered nurse.

This week Pauline is one of the original pilot group students, taking part in the final residential school in Australia's first Bachelor of Nursing degree offered by distance education at Charles Sturt University's Dubbo Campus.

"This is not something I would have been able to do if it wasn't offered by distance education because I still need to work full time," Pauline said.

"I really enjoy working as an enrolled nurse in a Dubbo private hospital in the operating theatres, but to complete the nursing degree has become a real personal achievement.

"It has been a lot harder than I expected and a big sacrifice for my family too but it has been worth it and the fellowship with the other students has been very enjoyable."

The course began as a pilot program in 1997 with an initial National Priority (Reserve) Fund Grant from DEETYA with priority given to students from Western NSW.

That year there were 30 students - four years later there are 470 students enrolled in the distance education course from all over Australia, including Perth, Darwin and North Queensland.

Course coordinator Jenni Brackenreg said they have been overwhelmed by the response from applicants.

"In February this year there were over 500 applications for 60 places with a second intake each year now taking place in July," she said.

"Students study the same subjects in the distance education course as they do in the on-campus course so there is the added flexibility to move between modes, if their needs change," Ms Brackenreg said.

Former Dubbo resident Alison Macgregor joined the course after 18 years as an enrolled nurse because she wanted to explore new career options.

"I lived in Dubbo when I began the course but we have since moved to Gulgong, Bourke and now Tumbarumba but the flexibility of distance education has meant I have been able to continue my studies, regardless of where I was.

"There are sacrifices involved and it hasn't always been easy for all of the students to make all the residential schools and clinical placements that are part of the course, but you don't get anywhere without some sacrifice.

"And as a result of doing the course, we are all looking at a much broader range of career options, that were not open to us before," Alison said.

Other courses of this kind are starting to emerge, but this CSU nursing degree was the first distance education nursing degree in NSW to be accredited by an Australian Nurses Registration Board.

"It really is very exciting to be part of a such an innovative project that in some way is contributing to filling the shortage of health professionals in regional Australia, with 74 per cent of the students enrolled in this course coming from regional areas," Ms Brackenreg said.

Students in the first fourth year class of CSU's Bachelor of Nursing by distance education come from regional centres including Dubbo, Bourke, Gilgandra, Salt Ash, Forbes, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Lightning Ridge, Broken Hill and Wilcannia.