Deakin University
Graduate Certificate of Intensive Care Nursing
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
Acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to care for critically ill patients at an advanced level.
Course overview
The Graduate Certificate of Intensive Care Nursing prepares you to practise effectively at an advanced practice level in critical care settings. As a graduate, you will demonstrate ethical, safe, high-quality, expert clinical decision-making abilities within an interdisciplinary team and psychomotor skills commensurate with specialised theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice and person or client-centred care.
As a student in the Graduate Certificate of Intensive Care Nursing, you can expect to participate in a range of teaching and learning activities each week. You will attend online synchronous study days and complete asynchronous guided learning modules. There are also additional self-directed study commitments to complete both university and clinical assessment tasks.
Graduates are prepared to handle the contemporary challenges intensive care nurses may face in a course that responds to industry trends and demands. You will learn how to make a difference through roles in areas such as practice, education, leadership and research.
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
$592 (CSP)
June, 2026
What you will study
To complete the Graduate Certificate of Intensive Care Nursing, students must attain four credit points of core units.
Core units
- Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (zero credit points)
- Core Principles of Critical Care Nursing (two credit points)
- Intensive Care Nursing (two credit points)
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
To be considered for admission to this degree, you will need to meet all the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Nursing degree or equivalent.
- Registration as a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia with no conditions or restrictions.
- Evidence of secure, ongoing employment of at least 24 hours per week in a collaborating hospital within Australia, working in a relevant speciality practice area with appropriate clinical supervision.
English language proficiency requirements
To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:
- Bachelor's degree from a recognised English-speaking country.
- IELTS overall score of 6.5 (with no band score less than 6.0) or equivalent.
- Other evidence of English language proficiency.
Recognition of Prior Learning
The University aims to provide students with as much credit as possible for approved prior study or informal learning which exceeds the normal entrance requirements for the course and is within the constraints of the course regulations. Students are required to complete a minimum of one-third of the course at Deakin University, or four credit points, whichever is the greater. In the case of certificates, including graduate certificates, a minimum of two credit points within the course must be completed at Deakin.
You can also refer to the recognition of prior learning (RPL) system which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree and how to apply for credit.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
The Graduate Certificate of Intensive Care Nursing will allow you to meet that demand in a variety of roles across advanced practice, leadership, management and education including:
- ICU nurse
- Associate or Unit Manager
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Clinical Nurse Educator
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate safe psychomotor skills and clinical practice commensurate with emergency nursing theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice and person-centred care.
- Demonstrate communication skills to develop and implement plans of care to ensure the delivery of quality, safe nursing care to patients in the emergency care setting.
- Evaluate information using digital technologies to effectively disseminate relevant emergency care information to patients and/or the multidisciplinary team.
- Identify and evaluate complex data from multiple sources to inform clinical decision making in the emergency care setting.
- Apply specialised nursing knowledge and skills to routine and complex problems in the emergency care setting to optimise patient outcomes.
- Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, reflection, and personal autonomy as an emergency nurse.
- Establish and maintain inclusive, collaborative professional relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary team.
- Display accountability for, and sound professional judgement in behaviours that uphold ethical principles of practice within diverse social, cultural, and environmental contexts.
Fees and CSP
Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $2,369 (Commonwealth Supported Place).
Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $14,700 (domestic full-fee paying place).
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of four credit points (normally four units) per year.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- 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 unit you're enrolled in.
- Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.
