Australian College of Nursing
Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
Gain in-depth understanding of critical care nursing and the role a specialist nurse plays in caring for critically ill people.
Course overview
Studying critical care nursing at ACN will provide you with the opportunity to explore concepts related to best practice nursing and person-centred delivery of care in critical care environment. Our course is written by specialist nurses and student learning is supported by a team of clinical experts, working in education and clinical settings.
The Graduate certificate in Critical Care Nursing is approved by TEQSA at AQF level 8 and is aligned to Australian Critical Care College of Nursing practice standards. On completion of the course, the students are able to achieve graduate outcomes which will inform their professional practice as well as their nationally and internationally recognised post graduate qualifications.
Key facts
What you will study
To complete the Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing, a student must fulfil four units of study.
Core units
- Advanced Applied Pathophysiology in Clinical Practice
- Principles of Critical Care Nursing
- Advancing Professional Practice
Specialty elective
Choose one elective from the following:
- Cardiac Nursing
- Emergency Nursing
- Intensive Care Nursing
Entry requirements
Admission to a graduate certificate course is based on academic merit and selection. In addition, applicants must satisfy any prerequisites or additional requirements specified for particular courses, including ACN’s general eligibility criteria.
All applicants seeking admission are required to:
- Hold a Bachelor of Nursing or registered nurse equivalent qualification.
- Hold current registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or the equivalent registering authority in your country of origin.
- Meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia English language skills registration standard (nursing and midwifery) - please refer to the AHPRA website to download the standard.
- Have a minimum of one year of postgraduate experience.
- Be currently employed in the clinical area of specialisation.
For some GC units of study, consideration may be given to applicants who are not registered nurses on an individual basis.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
This course is designed for registered nurses wishing to further their education in the practice of critical care nursing. It enables students to:
- Develop a sound theoretical base for specialist nursing practice in a dynamic, complex and demanding critical care environment.
- Apply a specialist level of clinical skills and abilities to optimise person-centred care delivery for critically ill people.
- Analyse complex clinical problems using critical thinking and evolved reasoning informed by national and international best practice guidelines.
- Discuss legal, ethical and cultural concepts related to providing holistic healthcare in a safe and cohesive critical care environment.
- Evaluate critical care leadership and mentoring processes that enable the dissemination of knowledge, the enhancement of skills and participation in collaborative research and lifelong learning.
- Critically analyse own role in fostering reflective practice and effective communication for continuous improvement of standards and quality in critical care.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Estimated total 2025 member price (10% discount): $9,949.5 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Estimated total 2025 non-member price: $11,055 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Being a part of the ACN community allows nurses to be the best they can be and strengthen the voice of nursing through a range of invaluable benefits, including 10% off graduate certificates.
Estimated fees are based on four units of study.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied.
- Choice of courses.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
