International student program

The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing is an 18-unit program offered by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. The program is only available to nurses registered in countries other than Australia.

Admission requirements

Applicants must normally hold an approved degree or equivalent qualification and must be registered nurses in a country other than Australia.

In addition applicants must provide a supporting statement nominating their area of clinical preference for university sourced observational professional experience placement.

However, the Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

The course will not lead to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Course aims

The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing aims to:

  • facilitate development of specialised knowledge, skills attributes for application in a range of acute care nursing environments

Learning outcomes 

On completion of this course students will be able to:

  • critically analyse the concepts and theory around recognition, response and management of the acute, complex and/or critically-ill deteriorating patient in a range of acute care settings
  • identify and enact relevant international, national, state and territory strategic health care goals in acute care nursing environments
  • apply concepts and theories around recognition, response and management of the acute, complex and/or critically-ill deteriorating patient in a simulated acute care setting

Program of study

To qualify for the Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing a student must complete 18 units as specified below with a grade of Pass or NGP or better in each topic.

The award of a grade of Fail (F) in the same topic on more than one occasion or in 9 units or more, or failure to complete the course within four consecutive semesters may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purposes of the University''s Policy on Student Progress.

Except with permission of the Faculty Board:

  • no topic may be attempted more than twice
  • a student may not include a topic which repeats work previously undertaken.

Core - Year 1 topics

4.5 units comprising:

NURS8740  Foundations for Responding to Clinical Deterioration Across the Lifespan (4.5 units)

Option - Year 1 topics *

Plus 13.5 units selected from:

NURS8744  Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease (4.5 units)
NURS8746  Managing High Acuity Surgical Care (4.5 units)
NURS8747  Managing High Acuity Medical Care (4.5 units)
NURS8748  Acute Care Observational PEP (4.5 units)
NURS8828  Contemporary Issues in Paediatric Nursing (4.5 units)
NURS8742  Critical Care Nursing Theory (4.5 units)
NURS8760  Acute Mental Health Nursing Theory (4.5 units)
NURS8751  Principles of Emergency Nursing (4.5 units

Not all topics will be available in any given year or semester.

* Other option topics may be selected with the permission of the Course Coordinator, excluding PEP topics.