Nurses and midwives represent the largest clinical workforce, with over 450,000 registered professionals nationwide. Despite this robust figure, this in-demand career continues to experience steady growth, with Labour Market Insights predicting a 13.9 per cent increase in job opportunities by 2026.
For experienced registered nurses looking to step into advanced roles within the healthcare industry, postgraduate qualifications may help to get them there. We explore what’s possible with a postgraduate nursing course and how GlobalHealth Education can guide your postgraduate journey. Select a course below and enquire to chat with a GlobalHealth Education Student Enrolment Advisor to explore postgraduate nursing courses available online.
The key benefits of studying a postgraduate nursing course
Hoping to expand your professional capabilities and gain a postgraduate nursing qualification? These are some of the benefits that await registered nurses who advance their studies with a postgraduate degree.
Career advancement. Whether you’re hoping to move into a new nursing specialisation or attain a promotion in your current area of nursing work, a postgraduate qualification will make it easier to take the step.
Expanded scope of practice. Postgraduate studies can be undertaken in various specialisations or to broaden foundational nursing skills. Regardless of the course, postgraduate study will help you expand your scope of practice.
Personal and professional growth. Earning a postgraduate qualification is a personal and professional accomplishment and allows you to build networks. Furthermore, continual advancement and learning are essential for providing the best quality care as a nurse.
Adapting to the changing healthcare landscape. Healthcare is constantly evolving. Changes in technology, treatments and best practice mean nurses' education needs to be relevant and up-to-date. Postgraduate studies can help you prepare for the future of nursing.
Improved salary potential. A postgraduate qualification can allow a nurse to pursue advanced roles like that of a mental health nurse, a nurse educator and a nurse manager, with the potential to earn more. These are the possible roles nurses can step into, along with their nursing salaries.
- nurse unit manager: $125,000 per year.
- nurse consultant: $120,000 per year.
- clinical nurse: $105,000 per year.
- director of nursing: $155,000 per year.
- nurse practitioner: $140,000 per year.
Nursing courses and levels of postgraduate study
Postgraduate nursing courses are offered at various levels and lengths of study. Depending on your professional goals, areas of interest and career aspirations, specific courses may suit you best. These are the most common levels of postgraduate study in nursing, along with their expected outcomes.
Graduate Certificate in Nursing
Build on foundational nursing knowledge with a graduate certificate, which typically takes eight months of part-time study to complete. There are different types of graduate certificate courses nurses can study, depending on the area that interests them most or helps them reach their career goals. Victoria University Online’s Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing, for example, will help you develop a deeper understanding of the area of mental health. And it can even help in progressing you towards credentialing with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN).
Graduate Diploma of Nursing
A graduate diploma is generally completed within 16 months, with flexible online study options and specialised units. James Cook University offers a Graduate Diploma of Nursing with majors including Education, Leadership and Management and Advanced Practice.
Master of Nursing
A Master of Nursing can take around 24 months of part-time study to complete, offering an advanced nursing education. Specialist courses — like UTS Online's Master of Advanced Nursing Majoring in Chronic and Complex Care — give nurses a deeper understanding of chronic and complex care, priming them for careers within this area.
Types of postgraduate nursing courses
Online postgraduate study enables you to build hands-on skills and grow your theoretical knowledge while you work. You will learn technical skills as well as interpersonal management soft skills that are in growing demand in the nursing industry.
Majors include:
- Leadership and management: This focus area enables you to develop the skills required to become a healthcare leader and build your understanding of health systems holistically to achieve better person-centred care. You may also gain people and business management skills to lead in nursing and broader healthcare settings. Depending on the program, topics may include business and financial management, leadership in health and social care organisations, change in the health system and people management.
- Education: Build your skills and knowledge to become an effective educator in clinical or non-clinical environments. Learn the foundational principles of education in contemporary healthcare settings and how to teach in practice settings.
- Acute care: A program that focuses on acute care enables you to gain skills in comprehensive physical assessment and diagnostic reasoning, quality and safety in medicines, plus managing clinical deterioration and responding to nursing-sensitive indicators in acute care settings.
- Quality and safety: Skills in quality and safety are integral in improving person-centred care. These skills are in high demand and are a focus of the National Safety and Quality Health Services (NSQHS) Standards. This topic focuses on implementing innovative systems and services, enabling nurses to gain advanced skills to improve overall safety and quality for consumers regardless of the healthcare setting.
- Advanced practice: This major builds advanced skills to deliver patient care across healthcare settings and specialisations within the areas of advanced health assessment, diagnostic reasoning and use of medicines in practice.
Specialisations include:
- Mental health nursing: A specialisation in mental health nursing equips professionals with the skills and knowledge to offer professional support and respond to challenges as credentialed mental health nurses.
- Critical care: Postgraduate studies in critical care teach you how to manage fast-paced environments, understand core critical care concepts and evaluate complex patient data and develop the skills to care for people with life-threatening conditions, injuries and complications.
- Chronic disease and ageing: This specialisation focuses on the physical, mental and psychological factors that are associated with chronic diseases and aging. This area of study looks at the role of nurses and advocates for early detection, evidence-based care and evaluation of care programs for patients.
How GlobalHealth Education empowers your nursing career
GlobalHealth Education is dedicated to supporting and guiding nursing professionals on their educational journey. Through partnering with Australian universities, GlobalHealth Education offers students a straightforward and supportive way to enrol and study postgraduate nursing courses. As a prospective student, these are some of the benefits you’ll experience when you plan your postgraduate nursing education with us.
- Personalised enrolment guidance for aspiring nurses. From the moment you reach out to us when you select a course to enquire about, GlobalHealth Education’s Student Enrolment Advisors will be with you. Our team takes a unique approach to each student and will work with you to identify your goals, areas of interest and career aspirations, guiding you towards the best nursing course for you.
- Ongoing support throughout your studies. GlobalHealth Education understands that enrolment is only the first step in your study journey. Our dedicated Student Success Advisors will be with you throughout your studies and are here to ensure you have the resources and support you need to excel. This means you can confidently embark on your nursing study knowing that a team is by your side to provide guidance and assist with any study-related questions.
- Helpful comparison tool. Making an informed decision about the best postgraduate nursing course for you is convenient with GlobalHealth Education. Easily explore course details and the different study options via GlobalHealth Education’s partner universities. Having the course options in one place will enable you to choose the nursing course that aligns with your goals and preferences.
Helping you navigate postgraduate education
An advanced nursing career is achievable, with online study giving you big advantages to fast-track your professional journey. Enquire about a course to get in contact with GlobalHealth Education’s Student Enrolment Advisors to discuss possible nursing courses you can study online and to gain the support you’ll need to achieve your goals.