Melbourne School of Health SciencesNursing

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The Postgraduate Certificate in Nursing Practice (PCNP) provides you with the opportunity to extend your nursing knowledge and skills in an area of specialty nursing practice.

Enrolment in the PCNP is dependent on meeting the registration and clinical experience requirements outlined in the Admission requirements section. You must also be employed in your specialty area and have the support of your employer to facilitate completion of specialty clinical competencies.

Admission requirements

Please refer to our Admission requirements page.

Duration

The PCNP is a part-time, clinical coursework program of one year's duration.

Objectives

As a graduate of the PCNP you will have:

• a sound understanding of the scientific knowledge and research based evidence that underpins skill development specific to a specialty area of nursing practice
• the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to understand the practice of providing care to individuals experiencing specific disturbances to health and well-being that require specialty nursing interventions
• critical inquiry skills relevant to a chosen specialty area of nursing practice
• the ability to communicate an understanding of the theoretical basis for practice both verbally and in a written form
• problem solving skills appropriate for delivery and evaluation of patient care as a specialty practice nurse
• life long learning skills that facilitate knowledge and skill development as a specialty practice nurse and the ability to undertake ongoing professional development in preparation for more advanced levels of specialty practice
• demonstrated clinical competencies in a workplace, assessed by clinical experts, at a beginning competency level as benchmarked against Australian specialty practice competencies

Course structure

Course structures for the specialty areas are outlined below. Please note that Paediatric Critical Care is not offered as a certificate course.

Acute & Critical Care (Anaesthetics, Critical Care, Emergency, Perioperative, Rural Critical Care)

Cancer & Palliative Care

Mental Health

Paediatrics