Postgraduate Nurse Programs

Applications for the 2023 program have now closed.

The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing is designed to assist nurses in developing higher-order clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills, specialised clinical proficiency and exceptional communication skills required to care for the complex acutely unwell patient in their clinical practice area.

Acute care nurses utilise current evidence to analyse and critique care delivery, and apply new knowledge based on evidence to clinical practice, to positively impact patient outcomes and our communities.

The Acute Care postgraduate qualification provides nurses with the opportunity to extend their current level of clinical competence, clinical reflection, professional and therapeutic communication; while maintaining professional integrity and ethical standards of care, to comprehensively assess and manage care of patients and their families within a multidisciplinary team.

The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing will be clinically supported by the RMH Nursing Education Unit in the following clinical areas:

• Acute Medical Unit (AMU)
• General Medicine (5SE)
• Respiratory Care Unit and Medical Unit (5SW)
• Infectious Diseases ward (9E)
• Emergency General Surgery (3S)
• Colorectal Hepatobiliary Surgery (3SW)
• General Medicine and Gastroenterology (5N)
• Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) & Plastics (7SE)
• Orthopaedics (7SW)
• Vascular, Ophthalmology, Urology, BOE (9W)

Sample course structure

Find out more at La Trobe Master of Nursing.

The Graduate Certificate of Nursing Practice (GCNP) - Cardiac Care is designed to prepare nurses to meet contemporary challenges in cardiac nursing and interventional cardiology within the specialist field of critical care nursing and to progressively build on knowledge and skills required to comprehensively care for critically ill patients.

The GCNP is conducted with our affiliate university, Deakin University.

The Cardiac Care course is site-based (subject to COVID-19 educational delivery restrictions) and offered online through Cloud. Applicants must be currently employed or application successful when applying for this course.

The GCNP (Cardiac Care) is a 4 credit point, part-time, clinical coursework program. It consists of four subjects completed over 12 months.

Sample course structure

Trimester 1

• HAI010 Academic Integrity (0 credit points)
• HNN751 Advanced Physiology and Patient Assessment*
• HNN752 Core Principles of Care for the Critically Ill Patient*

Trimester 2

• HNN765 Cardiac Care Nursing 1*
• HNN775 Cardiac Care Nursing 2*

Find out more at GCNP - Cardiac Care on the Deakin University.

The RMH Cardiothoracic ward is a 30 bed ward compromised of 12 high dependency unit (HDU) beds and 18 stepdown beds. The knowledge and skills you acquire from the course will enable you to deliver specialised nursing care for postoperative patients who have had heart and lung surgery, in both the ward and the HDU environment.

The ward has a positive and vibrant team culture and a reputation for delivering nurse-led, high acuity care. This makes it an excellent and challenging learning environment.

The Graduate Certificate of Nursing Practice (GCNP) - Cardiac Care is designed to prepare nurses to meet contemporary challenges in cardiothoracic nursing and interventional cardiology within the specialist field of critical care nursing and to progressively build on knowledge and skills required to comprehensively care for critically ill patients.

The GCNP is conducted with our affiliate university, Deakin University.

The GCNP (Cardiac Care) is a four credit point, part-time, clinical coursework program. It consists of four subjects completed over a 12 months.

Course structure - Level 1

Trimester 1

• HAI010 Academic Integrity (0 credit points)
• HNN751 Advanced Physiology and Patient Assessment*
• HNN752 Core Principles of Care for the Critically Ill Patient*

Trimester 2

• HNN765 Cardiac Care Nursing 1*
• HNN775 Cardiac Care Nursing 2*

Find out more at GCNP - Cardiac Care on the Deakin University.

The RMH Cardiac Catheter Laboratories caters for patients undergoing planned (elective) and emergency cardiac procedures with a 24/7 on call service. Procedures include coronary angiogram, pacing, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), complex congenital structural intervention and a world leader in treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

The Graduate Certificate of Nursing Practice (GCNP) - Cardiac Care is designed to prepare nurses to meet contemporary challenges in cardiac nursing and interventional cardiology within the specialist field of critical care nursing and to progressively build on knowledge and skills required to comprehensively care for critically ill patients.

The GCNP is conducted with our affiliate, Deakin University.

The Cardiac Care course is site based (subject to COVID-19 educational delivery restrictions) and offered online through Cloud. Applicants must be currently employed or application successful when applying for this course.

The GCNP (Cardiac Care) is a four credit point, part-time, clinical coursework program. It consists of four subjects completed over a 12 months.

Sample course structure

Trimester 1

• HAI010 Academic Integrity (0 credit points)
• HNN751 Advanced Physiology and Patient Assessment*
• HNN752 Core Principles of Care for the Critically Ill Patient*

Trimester 2

• HNN765 Cardiac Care Nursing* 
• HNN775 Cardiac Care Nursing 2*

Find out more at GCNP - Cardiac Care visit the Deakin University.

Now accepting 2023 mid-year applications (internal staff only).

The Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing (Emergency) (GCCNEM) is only open to internal applicants at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital Emergency Department is a busy and unique workplace whose team provides a high level of acute care in a multidisciplinary setting. We are a Level 1 Adult Trauma and tertiary referral centre, with over 90,000 presentations annually. The service provides assessment, investigations and treatment of all patients who present and is part of a designated Major Trauma Service and has a high acuity case mix with an emphasis on trauma, infectious diseases, chest pain evaluation, neurosurgery and psychiatry.

A department centred on research, teaching and staff development, our staff have valuable opportunities to participate in postgraduate training, clinical programs and mentoring and professional development.

As a highly sought after program we have an ongoing commitment to internal professional development and as such we do not have any external positions available.

You can apply if you are a registered nurse external to the RMH with at least 1 year acute experience and would like to apply for a Grade 2 position into the RMH ED.

The GCNP (Emergency) is conducted with our affiliate university, the University of Melbourne (UoM). It is a 50 credit point, part time, clinical coursework program completed over 12 months.

The GCCNEM is designed to assist students to develop the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to understand the practice of providing care to individuals experiencing emergency care. The program is delivered through a variety of teaching modalities including lectures, tutorials, clinical simulation and online study.

Course details

• Enrolment into a Graduate Certificate through the University of Melbourne is required.
• The Nursing Education Department including experienced, passionate and dedicated Clinical Nurse Educators will support students in this transition into Critical Care Nursing (Emergency)
• Applicants must have minimum of 1 year ED experience to apply
• Open to internal applicants only
• Course commencement date: 26 June 2023
• No Commonwealth supported places available
• Domestic student fees are $11,024
• Applicants can apply for the RMH Postgraduate Nursing Scholarship program

Sample course structure

Year 1 - Total 50 Points

Find out more about GCNP (Emergency) offered through UoM.

As partners in the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), the Haematology/BMT ward care for patients with blood cancer and other blood disorders. The Graduate Certificate in Cancer Nursing is offered with our affiliate University the University of Melbourne. It is a 50 credit point, part time, clinical coursework program completed over 12 months.

You will develop a sound understanding of the theory and scientific advances that underpin the comprehensive care and management of people affected by cancer. You will apply this knowledge to clinical practice, demonstrating the ability to competently care for patients with complex care requirements using evidence-based and scientific approaches.

Course structure

Find out more at Graduate Certificate in Cancer Nursing offered on the University of Melbourne.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital Intensive Care Unit is a state-of-the-art 42-bed capacity ICU and a part of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) precinct caring for patients with:

• Haematological emergencies
• Obstetric emergencies
• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Respiratory failure
• Renal failure
• Sepsis and multi organ failure
• Infectious diseases

The Graduate Certificate of Nursing Practice (GCNP) - Intensive Care course is designed to prepare nurses to meet contemporary challenges in intensive care nursing within the specialist field of critical care nursing, and to progressively build on knowledge and skills required to comprehensively care for critically ill patients.

The GCNP is conducted with our affiliate university, Deakin University.

The Intensive Care course is site based (subject to COVID-19 educational delivery restrictions) and offered online through Cloud. Applicants must be currently employed or application successful when applying for this course.

Course details

The GCNP (Intensive Care) is a four credit point, part-time, clinical coursework program. It consists of four subjects completed over a 12 months.

• Enrolment into a Master of Nursing Practice through Deakin University is required, with exit points at Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma levels
• Program length is 12 months
• The Nursing Education Department including experienced, passionate and dedicated Clinical Nurse Educators will support students in this transition into Intensive Care Nursing
• Applicants must have minimum of 1 year ICU nursing experience to apply
• Course commencement date: 10 July 2023
• International student fees are equal to domestic student fees in 2023- $ 12,200 (full fee paying)
• No Commonwealth supported places available
• Applicants can apply for the RMH Postgraduate Nursing Scholarship program

Course structure - Level 1

Trimester 1

• HAI010 Academic Integrity (0 credit points)
• HNN751 Advanced Physiology and Patient Assessment*
• HNN752 Core Principles of Care for the Critically Ill Patient*

Trimester 2

• HNN765 Intensive Care Nursing 1*
• HNN775 Intensive Care Nursing 2*

Find out more at GCNP - Intensive Care Nursing on the Deakin University.

ICU Open Night - 21 March 2023

Want to learn more about RMH Intensive Care Unit?

Come and meet our ICU team to find out more about our 2023 mid-year RISE and Postgraduate programs and other education courses.

Tuesday 21 March 2023, 5.30pm to 7.30pm

Book now

The RMH Department of Neurology and Stroke is an internationally recognised centre for world-class patient care. Collectively the Neurology ward (8B) and the Neurosurgery ward (4S) provide care for patients with a range of complex conditions including the following:

• Neuro-oncology (gliomas, pituitary tumours)
• Neurotrauma (major head and spinal trauma and surgery)
• Subarachnoid haemorrhage
• Ischaemic stroke (surgical and medical management)
• Epilepsy
• Hyperacute stroke (including 24 hour stroke service)

The Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (GCCN) is conducted with our affiliate, the Australian Catholic University (ACU). This course is designed to prepare nurses for specialty practice at an advanced practice level. A variety of teaching modalities are used in delivering education including lectures, tutorials, clinical simulation, online learning and worksheets. The GCCN (Neuroscience) is a 40 credit point, part-time, clinical coursework program. It consists of four subjects completed over 12 months.

Sample course structure

Find out more at GCCN - Neurosciences on the ACU.

The RMH Perioperative services consist of 16 theatres and 25 recovery bays, a day procedure unit (DOSA) and Planned Surgery and Pre-Admission Clinic. The RMH Perioperative service caters for all major types of adult surgery.

The Graduate Certificate of Nursing Practice (GCNP) - Perioperative course is designed to prepare nurses to meet the complex challenges within the speciality practice area of perioperative nursing and to progressively build on knowledge and skills to explore the specific roles within perioperative nursing practice.

The course responds to the demands of industry and partnership/collaborating hospitals by preparing nurses with sophisticated perioperative specialty skills and knowledge. The GCNP is conducted with our affiliate university, Deakin University.

The Perioperative course is site based (subject to COVID-19 educational delivery restrictions) and offered online through Cloud. Applicants must be currently employed or application successful when applying for this course.

Sample course structure

Trimester 1

• HAI010 Academic Integrity (0 credit points)
• HNN755 Core Principles of Perianaesthesia Nursing Care*
• HNN740 Core Principles of Intraoperative Nursing Care*

Trimester 2

• HNN742 Principles of Complex Perianaesthesia Nursing Care*
• HNN743 Principles of Complex Intraoperative Nursing Care*

Note recent changes to the Deakin Perioperative course include options for the following specialisations:

• Certificate in Perioperative Nursing
• Certificate in Perioperative Nursing (Perianaesthesia*)
• Certificate in Perioperative Nursing (Intraoperative)*

Find out more at GCNP (Perioperative) on the Deakin University.

The GCN (Renal) course is a 50 credit point, part-time, clinical course-work program. It consists of four subjects completed over 12 months.

Sample course structure

Selection of either CNA772 or CNA782 requires further direction provided by Renal Education team.

Find out more about the Graduate Certificate in Nursing (Renal) at the University of Tasmania.