The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing (High Dependency) is an 18-unit program offered by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Admission requirements

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

In addition, applicants must have a minimum of one year post-registration experience and must provide a supporting statement from their employer stating their willingness to facilitate the extended clinical practice components of the course within their workplace and/or provide evidence that an affiliated health agency will facilitate the clinical practice in a supernumerary capacity.

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

Course aims

The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing (High Dependency) aims to:

  • facilitate development of specialised knowledge, skills attributes for application in high dependency nursing environment

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 high dependency nursing setting
  • apply concepts and theories around recognition, response and manag
    ement of the acute, complex and/or critically-ill deteriorating patient in a high dependency nursing setting
  • demonstrate knowledge and skills required to care for adults in high acuity medical nursing, and surgical nursing environments

Program of study

To qualify for the Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing (High Dependency) 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

18 units comprising:

NURS8740  Foundations for Responding to Clinical Deterioration Across the Lifespan (4.5 units)
NURS8741  Professional Experience in Resuscitation Across the Lifespan (PEP) (4.5 units)
NURS8746  Managing High Acuity Surgical Care (4.5 units)
NURS8747  Managing High Acuity Medical Care (4.5 units)

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