Specialist Certificate in Critical Care Nursing

The Specialist Certificate in Critical Care Nursing provides students with a sound understanding of current theoretical knowledge and scientific advances that underpin care the care and management of people requiring specialist level nursing care in critical care settings, including emergency and intensive care.Students will gain essential knowledge required to understand core concepts relating to acute illnesses, diseases and trauma in critical care services, as well as gain skills in critiquing evidence‐based guidelines for the care management of patients and their families in these critical care settings.The course is offered wholly online, part‐time over six months.

Course structure

The first subject in the course is NURS90076 Applied Pathophysiology. After completing NURS90076 Applied Pathophysiology, students undertake NURS90122 Foundations in Critical Care Nursing.

This course has two intakes per year, at the start of the year and in the middle of the year.

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have:

• Completed a Bachelor or Nursing (or equivalent qualification, i.e. Master of Nursing Science entry to practice); and
• Documented evidence of clinical experience in area of nursing practice within the preceding five years from the time of application; and
• Current unrestricted registration as a Division 1 Registered Nurse with AHPRA or equivalent registration with an international health practitioner regulation agency.
• Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• Prior academic performance; and
• Area of speciality practice and clinical experience.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook. Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Intended learning outcomes

The Specialist Certificate in Critical Care Nursing provides students with the theoretical knowledge and an understanding of the scientific advances specific to critical care nursing, including emergency and intensive care by:

• Understand the importance of concise and timely assessments of patients including identifying potential clinical deterioration or deviation from expected outcomes
• Anticipates and identifies appropriate treatment and management strategies for a range of differentiated patients in emergency or intensive care, including interpretation and communication of patient assessment findings
• Knowledge to understand theoretical and scientific knowledge to guide patient assessment and evaluation, including pathophysiology, mechanism of injury, and pharmacotherapeutics
• Consider and understand the role of the inter-disciplinary healthcare team to guide care management, including coordinating patient admission and discharge for patients with a variety of clinical needs
• Consider and understand the importance of patient and family-centred care management that considers patients and families cultural and religious needs