Melbourne School of Health SciencesNursing

The Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing (PDN) provides you with the opportunity to extend your understanding of the relationship between the theory and practice of nursing in a specific area of specialty nursing.

You will develop a depth and complexity of knowledge that enhances your specialty nursing practice in a variety of contexts and nursing roles. There is an emphasis on academic preparation for leadership in specialty nursing, specialty nursing education and patient education.

This course does not include clinical components.

Admission requirements

Please refer to our Admission requirements page.

Duration

The PDN is a flexible, mixed-mode (on campus and online) coursework program of 1 year's duration full-time, or 2 years part-time.  

Objectives

As a graduate of the PDN you will have:

• proficiency in areas of professional scholarship
• an understanding of the professional issues impacting upon specialty nursing and the wider nursing profession
• a beginning understanding of the international context and sensitivities of the specialty area
• a capacity to engage where appropriate with issues in contemporary society that impact on and are impacted by specialty nursing practice
• an appreciation of the ways in which evidence based practice guides specialty practice, and how specialty knowledge equips you to offer leadership in the specialty area
• an appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of research as it relates to the development of evidence based practice
• a capacity to transfer knowledge and understanding of specialty nursing in oral and written presentations to a wide range of professional and non-professional audiences
• the ability to communicate an understanding of the theoretical basis for practice both verbally and in a written form

Course structure

The PDN is comprised of 100 credit points of coursework subjects. You will complete a mandated evidence-based subject and a range of theory coursework subjects contributing to either a generic or specialisation award.

Course structures for the specialty areas are outlined below. If you enrol in a specialty diploma you may take up to 37.5 credit points of approved subjects offered in other disciplines. If you enrol in the generic program you may take up to 25 credit points of approved subjects offered in other disciplines. Please see the list of possible electives.  

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

Paediatric Critical Care

Cancer and Palliative Care

Mental Health

Paediatrics