University of Technology Sydney

Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing

This course is aimed at students who wish to further develop their knowledge, skills and career in acute care nursing. Practitioners attracted to this course hold an approved Registration as a Nurse and work in a variety of acute care settings. These settings include hospital clinical areas such as high dependency units (step down from intensive care units), or acute care units/wards e.g. (medical surgical wards, cardiology, neurology stroke units, transplant units and other acute care nursing specialty areas). Students completing the course gain knowledge and industry experience during the course and can also articulate into the Masters of Advanced Nursing.

This Graduate Certificate has been strategically co-designed by specialist content and learning design experts to develop graduates critical thinking skills and ability to evaluate and apply the best available evidence to their practice. The teaching team of advanced practice clinicians and educators challenge students to explore and critique key nurse sensitive indicators in the acute care setting as well as best practice relating to the early detection and management of deteriorating patients. Throughout the course, students share and reflect upon personal perspectives and experiences to develop the requisite skills to apply new knowledge relating to the principles, standards, frameworks and evidence that underpin contemporary acute care nursing practice.

The Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing is targeted at Registered Nurses working in, or have ambitions to work in, an acute care health setting. These nurses are seeking to develop their capability in safe and effective, evidence-based advanced nursing care for patients with acute (i.e. rapid onset of severe illness or trauma) conditions who require urgent and/or intensive management.