The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing (Mental Health) 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.

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

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.

Course aims

The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing (Mental Health) aims to:

  • facilitate development of specialised knowledge, skills attributes for application in acute mental health nursing environment

Learning outcomes 

On completion of this course students will be able to:

  • critically analyse contemporary concepts and theories for mental health care with individuals, families and communities
  • apply evidence based therapeutic interventions and modalities of care to mental health nursing practice
  • identify and analyse how a range of social, political and economic issues in the wider health care system affect the health of specific populations and their access to mental health care
  • analyse how policy development and strategies for mental health care delivery influence access to health care and intersectoral collaboration

Program of study

To qualify for the Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing (Mental Health) 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

13.5 units comprising:

NURS8760  Acute Mental Health Nursing Theory (4.5 units)
NURS8720  Primary Health Care Constructs and Contexts (4.5 units)
NURS8761   Acute Mental Health Nursing Practice (PEP) (4.5 units)

Option - Year 1 topics*

Plus 4.5 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)
NURS8828  Contemporary Issues in Paediatric Nursing (4.5 units)
NURS8742  Critical Care Nursing Theory (4.5 units)
NURS8740  Foundations for Responding to Clinical Deterioration Across the Lifespan (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.