C11201v1 Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing

Overview

This course provides registered nurses with the knowledge and skills for a specialist role as an advanced acute care nurse. The course helps students to critically evaluate their practice and incorporate research findings and technologies as appropriate. Students study topics that reflect health phenomena that are common across acute care illnesses requiring medical and/or surgical intervention, as well as the principles of managing patients who become acutely ill and unstable.

Students learn to recognise and support the unique characteristics of the acute care patient population and are able to practise safely and competently as acute care nurses. The knowledge, skills and expertise gained enable students to enhance the quality of care for patients and their families. Students also develop skills to actively contribute to the professional development of others and use research in order to make informed decisions about nursing practice.

Career options

Career options include specialty acute care nursing in a wide range of clinical settings.

Admission requirements

Applicants should be registered nurses with an Australian bachelor's degree in nursing or an equivalent tertiary qualification. Registered nurses who do not have an undergraduate diploma or degree but do have recent relevant work experience and can demonstrate the capacity to undertake tertiary study may also be considered eligible.

Applicants are expected to have concurrent employment in or access to the area of specialty and at least one year's full-time professional employment in nursing is desirable.

Applicants must complete the employment question in their Universities Admission Centre (UAC) application, and include details about current employment and related work experience that is greater than one year.

Course duration and attendance

This course is offered on a one-year, part-time basis.

Subjects are offered via on-campus study days, workshops in a high-fidelity simulation laboratory and online learning. Part-time study is usually undertaken at the rate of two subjects per semester. The normal attendance per subject is four full days on campus spread over the semester.

Course structure

Students are required to complete a total of 24 credit points of study, comprising four specified nursing subjects.

There are structured work-based learning opportunities for students who are employees of Northern Sydney Central Coast Health, Concord Hospital or St George Hospital. These students may undertake a Clinical Accreditation Program (CAP) with their employer. This is at no cost to participants. Students who successfully complete the CAP are awarded an exemption from the Specialty Clinical Practice subject.

Course completion requirements

Articulation with UTS courses

Other information

Further information is available from: