Postgraduate Coursework
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing
2020
As a Registered Nurse, you need the skills and knowledge to provide specialised care to individuals, families and communities from diverse ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
During the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing you will focus on a clinical nursing speciality, which can also be your research focus if you choose this path.
Key clinical nursing specialities you can choose to study include:
- acute care
- cancer
- chronic conditions
- emergency
- intensive care
- mental health
- orthopaedics
- paediatrics
- perioperative
- renal.
In the increasingly complex and challenging world of health care, this course provides an opportunity to enhance your existing clinical knowledge and build capacity to move into further study and research. The course focuses on development of knowledge and skills in clinical practice and intellectual engagement through critical analysis and reflection relevant to nursing practice and education.
You will be an informed leader on health care issues emphasising cross cultural practice while building on your research, ethical, political and reflective skills. All applicants must select a preferred clinical speciality from the list of options available.
Career opportunities
Graduating from this course prepares you for senior roles in the nursing and health care field or further studies.
Professional recognition
Each State and Territory in Australia has requirements for students undertaking courses involving clinical placements outside their employment to provide documented evidence of relevant health and security checks, e.g. completed immunisation requirements, criminal record checks and/or working with children clearances and/or fitness to practice requirements.
Students must have met the above requirements that are mandatory in their State or Territory before they can undertake those units that include clinical placements outside their employment. Students who have not met these mandatory requirements and not been cleared by the clinical sector to undertake clinical experience will not be able to undertake clinical practice experience and will not therefore be able to complete the requirements of the course.
Credit transfers & pathways
Pathways for Higher Education to Higher Education
For information about credit transfer available to students with complete or incomplete study at this or other Institutions refer to Pathways for Higher Education to Higher Education
For further information on credit transfer and how to apply visit ASK CDU
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This course is accredited by the University in accordance with the Higher Education Standards.
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Australian qualification framework
This course is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8.
Contact details
For further information about the course, enrolment procedures, closing dates and other administrative issues please contact Student Central on:
Course structure
This course consists of three core units and a specialist elective. Both the content and the assessment strategies used in the course ensure that you are able to develop clinical experience and professional practice. The emphasis of the program is cross-cultural clinical practice, building competence, increasing specialty knowledge, applying culturally appropriate clinical skills in the clinical setting.
A candidate must successfully complete units totalling 40 credit points as detailed below.
| Unit type |
Credit Points |
Specific requirements |
| Core Units (3 units) |
30 |
Compulsory Core units totalling 30 credit points as detailed below.
HEA542 Informing Practice with Evidence (recoded from HEA402 2016) |
|
Specialist Elective Unit |
10 |
Specialist Elective unit totalling 10 credit points selected from the list of available units below. Students specialising in Paediatric Nursing MUST complete HEA551 Child and Family Knowledge and Practice 1 (recoded from HEA441 2016) ALL other students must complete HEA561 Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho/Social Context (recoded from HEA408 2016)
|
|
40 |
Total Credit Points |
Students who commenced in or after 2013
The grade of "PC" cannot be counted towards a Graduate Certificate AQF Level 8 course award.
Students should refer to the current Grading Policy and Common Course Rules for further information.
Course Changes - 2017
HEA561 has been removed from Core to a Specialist Elective.
HEA551 Child and Family Knowledge and Practice 1 has been added as a Specialist Elective for paediatric nursing.
Unit Code Changes - 2016
| Previous Unit Code | New Unit Code (2016) | Unit Title |
| HEA402 | HEA542 | Informing Practice with Evidence |
| HEA408 | HEA561 | Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho/Social Context |
| HEA420 | HEA563 | Clinical Specialisation 1 |
| HEA440 | HEA564 | Clinical Specialisation 2 |
Clinical Nursing specialty streams available in 2015 include:
Acute Care
Cancer
Chronic Conditions
Emergency
Intensive Care
Mental Health
Orthopaedics
Paediatrics
Perioperative
Renal
Clinical Nursing specialty streams available in 2014 include:
Chronic Disease
Perioperative
Renal
Study plan
Students Commencing in Semester 1
The Recommended Study Plan provided below is suitable for students commencing in semester 1 and enrolling in a standard full time load.
| Legend: | CO = Core Unit | SE = Specialist Elective |
FULL TIME STUDY
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | ||
| Year 1 | |||
| HEA542 Informing Practice with Evidence (recoded from HEA402) | CO | ||
|
HEA561 Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho/Social Context (recoded from HEA408) |
SE | ||
| HEA563 Clinical Specialisation 1 (recoded from HEA420) | CO | ||
| HEA564 Clinical Specialisation 2 (recoded from HEA440) | CO | ||
The Recommended Study Plan provided below is suitable for students commencing in semester 1 and enrolling in a part time load.
| Legend: | CO = Core Unit | SE = Specialist Elective |
PART-TIME STUDY
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | ||
| Year 1 | |||
|
HEA561 Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho/Social Context (recoded from HEA408) |
SE | HEA542 Informing Practice with Evidence (recoded from HEA402) | CO |
| HEA563 Clinical Specialisation 1 (recoded from HEA420) | CO | HEA564 Clinical Specialisation 2 (recoded from HEA440) | CO |
* Note 1 Specialist Elective: students enrolling in the Paediatric specialisation must select (SE) HEA551 Child and Family Health Knowledge and Practice 1. All other students must select HEA561 Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho Social Context.
Students Commencing in Semester 2
The Recommended Study Plans provided below are suitable for students commencing in semester 2 and enrolling in a standard full-time or part-time load.
| Legend: | CO = Core Unit | SE = Specialist Elective |
FULL-TIME - Higher Education Relief Package
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | ||
| Year 1 | |||
| HEA542 Informing Practice with Evidence (recoded from HEA402) | CO | ||
| HEA561 Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho/Social Context (recoded from HEA408) | SE | ||
| HEA563 Clinical Specialisation 1 ^ (recoded from HEA420) | CO | ||
| HEA564 Clinical Specialisation 2 ^ (recoded from HEA440) | CO | ||
* Note 1 Specialist Elective: students enrolling in semester 2 under the Higher Education Relief Package are unable to undertake the Paediatric specialisation as HEA551 Child and Family Health Knowledge and Practice 1 is only available in semester 1. Students must select HEA561 Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho Social Context.
| Legend: | CO = Core Unit | SE = Specialist Elective |
PART-TIME - Standard Plan
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | ||
| Year 1 | |||
| HEA542 Informing Practice with Evidence (recoded from HEA402) | CO | ||
| HEA563 Clinical Specialisation 1 ^ (recoded from HEA420) | CO | ||
| Year 2 | |||
|
HEA561 Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho/Social Context (recoded from HEA408) |
SE | ||
| HEA564 Clinical Specialisation 2 ^ (recoded from HEA440) | CO | ||
* Note 1 Specialist Elective: students enrolling in the Paediatric specialisation must select (SE) HEA551 Child and Family Health Knowledge and Practice 1. All other students must select HEA561 Health Assessment in a Bio/Psycho Social Context.
^ Note 2 Students Commencing in Semester 2: students commencing in semester 2 must select HEA563 Clinical Specialisation 1 in their first semester. Students enrolling in the first semester of the following year must select HEA564 Clinical Specialisation 2.
Course fees
Both Commonwealth supported (CS) and full fee (FF) places are available for this course. If you would like to apply for a CS place use the SATAC code 1GC007 or UAC code 821012. If you would like to apply for a FF place you will need to use the SATAC code 1GC507 or UAC code 871012.
Charles Darwin University is offering this Graduate Certificate as part of the suite of university short courses subsidised by the Commonwealth Government.
The discounted fees only apply to new student course enrolments in Semester 2, 2020. To be eligible you must study full time and complete all 4 units by December 2020. Future enrolments (2021) will be charged at the standard rate, without a discount.
The indicative discounted fee for this course is AUD $1,250.00.
Commonwealth supported places
Commonwealth Supported places are available in this course to students who meet one of the following residency requirements:
(a) Australian Citizenship; or
(b) a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident visa holder who will be resident within Australia for the duration of the unit.
2021: Information about fees and charges can be found at Fees and Payments.
Non-Commonwealth supported places
Full fee paying places are available in this course.
2021: Information about fees and charges can be found at Fees and Payments.