The latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW 2017) stated that in 2015: 8.7% of babies were born pre-term, and of these, 81% were born between 32 and 36 completed weeks.

Neonatal care is required by babies born prematurely and those born at term who are high risk, have congenital anomalies, and/or require surgery.

Neonatal nurses and midwives require advanced skills and knowledge to provide evidence-based care to these vulnerable newborns and their families.

Studying neonatal care with ACN will provide you with the advanced knowledge and skills to provide and coordinate evidence-based care for the neonate and their family. The aim is to encourage the professional and ethical understanding of clinical practice development to improve patient outcomes. Our course is written by specialist nurses, for nurses and midwives. Our students are supported by a team of clinical experts working within the speciality. Our electives allow students to explore further a specific area of interest, such as neonatal intensive care or neonatal special care.

This course aims to improve neonatal clinical practice by enhancing the professional and ethical understanding, knowledge, and skill of neonatal nurses and midwives to provide evidence-based care better and optimize the healthy growth and developmental outcomes of neonates and their families. The course is founded on the principles of cultural safety and developmentally supportive, family-centred care. The course responds to industry requirements for highly skilled neonatal clinicians capable of providing best practice in collaboration with other interprofessional teams and incorporates the Australian Standards for Neonatal Nurses, 4th Ed. (ACNN, 2019). Graduates may use their advanced knowledge in advanced practice roles or pursue further tertiary education.

A Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Care is an investment in your future. It will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to ensure better outcomes for your patients and progress your career, leading to opportunities in education, management, rural, remote nursing, midwifery, and specialist nursing or midwifery roles.