Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing

What you will study

To earn the Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing, you must successfully complete units totalling 100 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 25 credit points. 

Core units

• WOCP Specialty Clinical Practice 1
• Nursing Bioscience for Acute Conditions
• Clinical Practice 2
• Nursing Bioscience for Complex Care

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

To be eligible for this course, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Hold a bachelor's degree and registration as a comprehensive or general nurse in Division One with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
• A minimum of 12 months of experience in an area of practice.
• Employment in clinical area with a minimum of 8 hours per week in an acute setting as a registered nurse.

Applicants must provide a letter of support from their employer confirming their employment and proof of current professional registration.

English language requirements

Curtin requires applicants to demonstrate English language proficiency. You can meet this requirement by providing evidence of one of the following:

• An IELTS Academic overall band score of 7.0, with a minimum score of 7.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
• An alternative English language test accepted by Curtin, provided you achieve the required equivalent scores.
• An eligible previous qualification or another form of English language evidence accepted by Curtin.

Contact the university or visit its website for more information.

Recognition of Prior Learning

You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

• Analyse critically, and evaluate advanced concepts of acute care nursing practice; integrate knowledge and understanding to demonstrate competency at a level in accordance with the RN Standards for Practice
• Critically analyse, reflect on and synthesise the environmental, physical and psychosocial aspects of the individual for effective clinical decision making; recognise own abilities and level of professional competence
• Investigate, analyse and synthesise complex evidence and scientific literature to inform decision making in acute care practice
• Integrate communication skills within a legal and ethical framework related to acute care clinical issues; interpret and transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to the health care team
• Effectively anticipate, plan for and use technology applications relevant to acute care practice
• Integrate autonomous, expert judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a lifelong learner in acute care practice; participate in research and critically appraise research findings and incorporate evidence based knowledge into clinical practice
• Critically appraise, evaluate and incorporate national and global health issues and strategic health care directions into acute care practice
• Incorporate culturally aware and respectful acute care to multicultural groups and indigenous communities
• Incorporate advanced theoretical and specialist knowledge and judgment, including advanced leadership and autonomy into acute care practice; work professionally in acute care practice demonstrating judgement, leadership and independence as a nurse in acute care; act as an experienced positive role model to peers and other members of the healthcare team

Fees and CSP

Indicative annual fee in 2026: $2,400 (Commonwealth Supported Place).

Indicative annual fee in 2026: $14,665 (Full-fee paying place)

Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.

A student’s annual fee may vary by:

• The number of units studied.
• Choice of units.
• 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.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.

Your student contribution amount is:

• Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
• Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
• Reviewed and adjusted each year.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.

FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.