Australian College of Nursing
Graduate Certificate in Paediatric Nursing Studies
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
Designed to meet the educational needs of nurses working within the diverse contexts of contemporary paediatric healthcare.
Course overview
The Graduate Certificate in Paediatric Nursing Studies is designed to meet the educational needs of registered nurses working in the specialty of paediatrics. It has three specialty streams: General Paediatrics, Paediatric Emergency Nursing and Paediatric Intensive Care Nursing.
The course aims to cultivate excellence in the provision of nursing care to sick infants, children and young people within a family-focused framework. Through the exploration and integration of theoretical knowledge and clinical nursing, graduates are prepared for practice as specialist paediatric nurses within multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
Students share core units but also have specialty units within their own stream. The course is articulated in programs offered by other universities (at their discretion) and may equate to RPL.
Key facts
What you will study
To complete the Graduate Certificate in Paediatric Nursing Studies, students will need to choose one stream comprising four units.
The aim of the general paediatric stream is to challenge and extend the knowledge base, skills and attitudes of those working as generalist paediatric nurses in a variety of contexts.
Core units
- Foundations of Paediatric Nursing
- Principles of Acute Paediatric Nursing
Elective 1
Choose one elective from the following:
- Advancing Professional Practice
- Immunisation for Registered Nurses
- Paediatric Pain - Assessment and Management
- Principles of Intellectual and Developmental Disability Nursing
- Principles of Palliative Care Nursing
- Therapeutic Communication
- Understanding Data in Health Care
Elective 2
Choose one elective from the following:
- Immunisation for Registered Nurses
- Infant and Child Nutrition and Feeding
- Advancing Professional Practice
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, individual consideration may be given to applicants who are not registered nurses.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
Completion of this course will enable the student to:
- Demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes required of the paediatric nurse within their specialty context and benchmark against appropriate professional standards.
- Analyse complex clinical problems using critical thinking/clinical reasoning skills, multiple modes of inquiry and a collaborative approach.
- Critically evaluate nursing practice against research & current literature to support the provision of evidence-based paediatric nursing care.
- Utilise communication skills to establish effective interpersonal relationships with children, their families and the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
- Model the skills and abilities that provide a foundation for future leadership, including reflective practice, knowledge sharing and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Estimated total 2025 member price (10% discount): $9,612 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Estimated total 2025 non-member price: $10,680 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Being a part of the ACN community allows nurses to be the best they can be and strengthens the voice of nursing through various invaluable benefits, including 10% off graduate certificates.
Estimated fees are based on four units of study.
A student’s annual fee may vary per:
- 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.
