Graduate Diploma in Nursing

Degree Level Postgraduate

Years

Australian students

Start Date
February

Campus
City East

Duration
1 year(s) full-time

Program Code
IGNG

SATAC Code
4GD035 (Internal)

Study as
Full-time or part-time

Fees
Commonwealth Supported

Entry requirements
Applicants are required to:
- hold a Bachelor degree in Nursing or equivalent from a recognised higher education institution; OR
- have completed hospital based training as a Registered Nurse; OR
- have successfully completed the nested Graduate Certificate in Nursing offered by UniSA, or an equivalent qualification from another Australian university.
In addition, applicants must:
- hold a Current Practising Certificate as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia; AND
- have completed a minimum of one year of clinical experience as a Registered Nurse.
View full entry requirements Hide full entry requirements

Aim

The program provides Registered Nurses with qualifications in their professional field of practice, develops knowledge and skills, and extends professional expertise.

Content & Structure

The program consists of 36 units of study offered over one year full-time or part-time equivalent. Students undertake 18 units of negotiated studies, 13.5 units of core courses, and a 4.5 unit course from the Options available.

Courses available as negotiated studies integrate knowledge related to the biosciences, social and behavioural sciences, technology, health policy and advanced clinical decision-making, and innovative and scholarly practice. Core courses allow students to identify policy and practice issues in nursing, and explore health team collaboration in their field of study. Emphasis is also placed on understanding research methods and how they relate to practice and processes within the health care sector. Students will have the benefit of integrating research findings into their practice. Option courses provide students with the skills to be lifelong learners and to be able to extend their competence and knowledge through critical analysis and reflection.

What courses you'll study

Course name	Area and cat no.	Units	Reference
Core Courses (13.5 units)
Collaborative Approaches to Health	HLTH 5136	9
Applying Research to Nursing and Midwifery Practice	NURS 5124	4.5
Negotiated Studies (18 units) chosen from the specialisation courses listed below:			Note(s): 1
Cardiovascular Nursing Courses			Note(s): 4
Acute Cardiac Care	NURS 5125	9
Heart Failure Management	NURS 5126	9
Primary and Secondary Prevention in Cardiovascular Health	NURS 5128	9
Critical Care Nursing Courses			Note(s): 4
Critical Care Nursing 1	NURS 5117	9
Critical Care Nursing 2	NURS 5118	9
Health and Ageing Courses
Frameworks for Practice in the Care of Older People	NURS 5129	4.5
Healthy Ageing	NURS 5130	4.5
Ageing with Chronic and Complex Conditions	NURS 5131	4.5
Leadership and Management Practices in the Aged Care Sector	NURS 5132	4.5
Immunisation Courses			Note(s): 4
Immunisation	NURS 5081	9
Directed Study A	NURS 5121	9
Leadership and Management Courses
Leadership and Management in Health 1	NURS 5111	4.5
Leadership and Management in Health 2	NURS 5119	9
Directed Study	HLTH 5140	4.5
Nurse Education Courses			Note(s): 4
Adult Learning for Nurse Education	NURS 5134	9
Facilitating Practice-Based Learning in the Health Environment	HLTH 5137	4.5
Nursing Curricula Development	NURS 5120	4.5
Research Methodologies Courses
Literature Review	HLTH 5128	4.5
Research Proposal	HLTH 5127	4.5
Introductory Statistics	HLTH 5129	4.5
Qualitative Methods	HLTH 5124	4.5
Introductory Epidemiology	HLTH 5131	4.5
PLUS one 4.5 unit Optional Course chosen from the following:			Note(s): 3
Accounting for Management M	ACCT 5011	4.5
Complex Health Problems in Rural Settings	HLTH 5152	4.5
Health Economics	BUSS 5185	4.5
Health Ethics	HLTH 5002	4.5
Issues in Indigenous Health	HLTH 5121	4.5
Pharmacology for Health Professionals	PHAR 5041	4.5
Project 1A	NURS 5069	4.5

Rules & notes

Rules

1. Credit for previous studies or in recognition of prior learning may be granted in accordance with University policy. Maximum credit allowed is normally one-third of the total units of the program.

2. Students who have completed the nested Graduate Certificate in Nursing at the University of South Australia will be awarded a total of 18 units of credit in the Graduate Diploma of Nursing.

3. Students holding a post-registration hospital specialist certificate of between 6 and 12 months in length may be granted credit for a maximum of half of the total units of the program (18 units) towards the Graduate Diploma in Nursing, provided that the qualification has been completed no more than 10 years prior to an individual student's application. Examples of certificates include Advanced Medical/Surgical Nursing; Anaesthetics and Recovery; Coronary Care; Emergency; Intensive Care; Medical Imaging; Nephrology; and Perioperative.

Notes

1. Students undertaking Negotiated Studies will, with the approval of the Program Director, be able to select 18 units of study from any of the specialty areas offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, noting that not all specialty areas will be offered every year and may also be subject to demand.

2. Core courses (13.5 units) comprise Collaborative Approaches to Health (9 units) and Applying Research to Nursing and Midwifery (4.5 units).

3. Not all courses will be offered in each half of the year and may be subject to demand. Other optional courses may be negotiated, but must be approved by the Program Director in advance of enrolment.

4. Students seeking to study courses from this specialisation are required to provide evidence of employment or access to a clinical setting relevant to the area.

5. Students required to complete a practical component should be physically healthy and ensure that immunisation requirements of the proposed venue(s) are adhered to before commencing the course.

6. The Graduate Diploma in Nursing may not be offered every year and may also be subject to demand.