University of Sydney
Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
Designed for registered nurses working in the intensive care environment who are looking to advance their professional practice capabilities or become a clinical leader.
Course overview
The course aims to provide nurses with a great theoretical underpinning of clinical practice skills to deliver comprehensive care and advice to critically ill patients and their families, as well as work across complex medical environments that demand rapid, advanced and challenging decision making.
Key facts
What you will study
To earn the Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing, students must complete 24 credit points of core units of study, each worth six credit points.
Core units of study
- Assessment and Clinical Judgement
- Foundations of Clinical Practice
- Intensive Care Nursing Practice
- Complexity of Critical Illness and Injury
Entry requirements
Admission to the course requires one of the following:
- Hold a pre-registration nursing degree from the University of Sydney or equivalent.
- A minimum of five years of experience as a registered nurse.
In addition, you must:
- Be a registered nurse in Australia.
- A minimum of one year's experience as a Registered Nurse.
- Working in an intensive care nursing environment, nurses must provide a statement of support from their supervisor or manager in order to undertake the required clinical assessments.
English language requirements
You can meet the English language requirements if you complete one of the following English language tests within two years of the course commencement date:
- IELTS score: A minimum result of 7.0 overall and a minimum result of 7.0 in each band.
- TOEFL - IBT score: A minimum result of 96 overall, including a minimum result of 23 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 25 in Writing.
- Pearson's Test of English: A minimum result of 72 overall and a minimum result of 72 in each band.
Contact the university or visit their website for more details.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Related study may be credited towards your degree. This may also include relevant work experience for some postgraduate courses. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
As a Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing student:
- You will learn to work across complex environments that often demand rapid, sophisticated and challenging decisions as you help patients and their families understand their illness and deliver high-quality care.
- You will be led by leading researchers as you build upon your individual clinical experience.
- You will learn to provide sophisticated care and advice to critically ill patients and their families.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Total indicative amount to complete this course in 2026: $13,150 (domestic full-fee paying place)
The total indicative amount is calculated based on a part-time study load of 24 credit points or four units.
A student’s fee may vary depending on:
- 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.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students.
