Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Medical)
Care for patients with complex health conditions. This medical specialisation delves into a range of acute and chronic conditions patients present with in medical facilities.
About the Course
The Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing is designed to expand your knowledge and skills in clinical nursing and practice.
ACU offers a generic Clinical Nursing course as well as the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing with nine specialisations: correctional health, gerontological nursing, medical, renal, surgical, neuroscience, cardiac care, intensive care and perioperative. By undertaking a specialisation, you will develop your holistic care skills in specialty practice, including person- and family-centred health promotion. Specific knowledge in the areas of bioscience, pharmacology, and lifespan development, relevant to your chosen specialty, will also be explored and applied to your clinical nursing practice.
The medical specialisation explores acute and chronic medical conditions across multiple biological systems with modules covering integral anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and the significance of polypharmacy in an ageing population. Foci include common respiratory conditions, the significance of infection control and the implications of hospital acquired infections.
This course also offers specialisations in the following areas:
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Correctional Health)
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Gerontological Nursing)
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Renal)
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Surgical)
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Neuroscience)
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Cardiac Care)
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Intensive Care)
- Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Perioperative)
Visit ACU Postgraduate Programs for Nurses, for more information.
Course Entry Requirements
To be eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing, an applicant must:
a) have completed a Bachelor of Nursing degree or equivalent;
AND
b) hold current registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
International Students must also comply with English Language Proficiency requirements as outlined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
- International English Language Testing System - Academic (IELTS): Overall score: 6.5 with an individual score of 6.0 in all tests
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): 58 with a minimum of 50 in all four communicative skills
- Test of English as a Foreign Language - Academic (TOEFL): Internet based total of 79 with a minimum of 21 in writing, 18 in speaking, 13 in reading and 12 in listening
- ACU English Language Test: B (65-74%)
- Cambridge Advanced English (CAE): Overall CAE of 176 with a minimum individual score of 169 in all test areas.
Course Structure
Recommended study pattern
Students are required to follow the pattern of subject enrolment set out in the relevant Course Enrolment Guide, unless otherwise approved by the Course Coordinator. In all aspects of progress through the course, students will be advised by the Course Coordinator.
To qualify for the degree, a student must complete 4 subjects from Schedule of Unit Offerings comprising of:
- 2 subjects from Specified Clinical Nursing Units; and
- 2 subject from Specialisation units.
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Medical):
Specified Clinical Nursing Units
- NRSG524 Advanced Pathophysiology for Specialty Nursing Practice (10cp)
- NRSG525 Evdence-based, Person-centred Family Care in Specialty Nursing Practice (10cp)
Specialisation unts:
- NRSG530 Medical: Chronic Health, Frailty and Harm Minimisation (10cp)
- NRSG531 Medical: Person-centred Care for Medical Patients with Complex Conditions (10cp)
Award requirements
To qualify for the degree, a student must complete 40 cp from the schedule of subject offerings.
The Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Medical) aims to enhance the practice of health care professionals by expanding the breadth and depth of their knowledge and skills.
Graduates of the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Medical) should have:
- LO1: Demonstrate specialised clinical nursing knowledge and skills that are required in specialist clinical settings.
- LO2: Integrate principles of clinical decision making in relation to care planning, implementation, assessment and evaluation for effective care delivery within the specialty health care setting which reflects cultural safety practices and person centred care.
- LO3: Apply specialist evidence-based clinical knowledge and skills to analyse, generate, communicate and evaluate solutions to complex clinical issues within the specialty health care setting.
