C11200v1 Graduate Certificate in Child and Family Health Nursing

Overview

This course is offered as a joint initiative between the Faculty and Tresillian Family Care Centres and replaces the previous education program offered by Tresillian. Applicants do not need to be employees of Tresillian.

Child and family health is a primary health care nursing service where the nurse works in partnership with parents as they learn the skills of parenting and caring for the infant and growing child. The community health role of the child and family health nurse includes health teaching with parents, health promotion in the community, group work and counselling for parents and care givers.

The course is of interest to registered nurses and/or midwives who wish to practice in the clinical specialty of child and family health nursing, working with families with infants and children to five years of age. It includes 160 hours of clinical experience where students undertake placements in community child and family health services and at Tresillian Family Care Centres.

Course aims

The course develops knowledge and skills in child and family health nursing for beginning practitioners in the clinical nursing specialty.

Career options

Career options include positions in primary health community early childhood health services, secondary level services in family care centres for mothers and babies, and tertiary services such as those offered by Tresillian or Karitane.

Articulation

Additional admission requirements

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in nursing or midwifery or an equivalent tertiary qualification. Registered nurses who do not have an undergraduate degree or diploma but who have recent relevant work experience may also be considered eligible. Such applicants must present evidence of a capacity to undertake tertiary study.

Applicants are also expected to have had at least one year of full-time professional employment as a registered nurse or midwife.

Course duration and attendance

The Graduate Certificate in Child and Family Health Nursing is offered on a one-year, part-time basis.

Course structure

Students must complete a total of 24 credit points, comprising four specified nursing subjects.

The course is offered as a mix of face-to-face teaching sessions and web-based learning through UTSOnline. There are 10 face-to-face teaching sessions in total over the duration of the year requiring attendance on campus. These are presented as four workshops of two or three days each. The remainder of the learning is in web-supported distance mode.

Industrial training/professional practice

Students are required to undertake a clinical practicum to consolidate their learning and introduce them to child and family health nursing practice. The clinical experience is undertaken as follows:

Semester 1: 40 hours in a Tresillian Family Care Centre and 40 hours (as five eight-hour days) in early childhood health centres

Semester 2: 80 hours (as a two-week block) in early childhood health services.

Where possible, the student is placed in child and family health services in their own locality. Tresillian placements are in Tresillian Family Care units at Belmore, Willoughby or Penrith.

Course completion requirements

Other information

Further information is available from the Faculty Student Office on: