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Transform your passion for patient care into a world of new and unlimited possibilities, with a Graduate Certificate in Acute and Critical Care Nursing. Western is ranked number one in Australia for Nursing. We can show you how to be a leader in your field. And change lives for the better.
Study options
FULL TIME
6 months
PART TIME
1 year
Start times
Spring
July
(2022)
Autumn
March
(2023)
The choice for nursing
You have a driving ambition to be there for patients when they need you most. It’s in your nature. And it’s what makes you the perfect candidate for Western’s Graduate Certificate in Acute and Critical Care Nursing.
As the top ranked Nursing School in Australia and fourth in the world for Nursing by the Centre for World University Rankings, this innovative postgraduate program is for you. It’s a chance to take your career as a Registered Nurse to a whole new level. It develops your clinical judgement. Gives you the skills and theoretical knowledge to deliver quality patient care in a range of acute settings.
Learn from the best
Western Sydney University has been ranked the number one Nursing School in Australia by Centre for World University Rankings - CWUR, and in the Top 50 in the world, QS World University Ranking.
Program structure
Our program structure is outlined in our handbook. Here you can view all of the subjects you will be studying.
We are all confronted with the challenge of leadership, regardless of nursing speciality, role or status. Encompassed within leadership is knowledge of self, relevant theories, skills and political awareness which are developed through higher education. By developing leadership skills and knowledge we can influence better outcomes for our patients/clients and create more positive working environments. In the unit, Leadership in Clinical Practice, nursing leadership arising from expert clinical practice is explored as a general notion rather than as one arising from within any particular clinical speciality. Content includes theories, concepts and styles of leadership, the development of leadership potential, motivation, coaching, and mentorship, concepts of power, authority and empowerment and discussion of contemporary leadership issues. Assignments provide students with the opportunity to apply new knowledge about leadership to their practice, whether they be in management, education or clinical roles.
Components of skilled nursing practice in acute and critical care settings include clinical reasoning, accountability and patient advocacy. In this unit students will identify a complex case study from their current practice world as the basis for their assessment. This unit utilises clinical simulation and a case study approach to enable students to develop their clinical expertise in their individual workplace. Students will be required to participate in clinical simulation workshops which will be utilised to develop and enhance clinical nursing skills in acute or critical care settings.
Increasingly clinical leaders, practitioners and health service managers are being held accountable for improving the quality and safety of patient care and for developing a culture of quality improvement within their teams. In this unit students learn about quality, patient safety and governance frameworks and strategies that they can employ within healthcare to improve system performance, patient safety and patient outcomes. The main approaches used to address quality of care and patient safety are examined and their applications critiqued. Students will explore leadership issues for developing systematic, coherent quality improvement frameworks and quality initiatives that can be applied within their own sphere of practice.
Vascular access devices (VADs) are utilised in health care settings across the world. Nurses, junior medical officers and paramedics are typically at the forefront of having to gain peripheral venous access. Many important aspects of vascular access are taught in isolation which are typically brief and provide surface learning rather than good theoretical understanding that underpin sound clinical skill and safe practice required for inserting and managing VADs. This unit focuses on developing knowledge, competency and skills to safely insert peripheral VADs and manage most acute and chronic devices through access to online material, facilitated simulated workshops and practical application in the workplace with a nominated clinical mentor approved by the school.
Fees and delivery
Fees: Varies depending on subjects selected. View available subjects in our handbook.
For further information, please visit: Student Contribution Bands
Delivery: On campus
This program is only available to domestic students.
Unfortunately, student visa holders are not eligible to study this degree.
Start your unlimited journey today.
Your career
Graduates of this program can look forward to enhanced professional status and career opportunities in their chosen fields, including:
- Acute care hospitals
- Community health
- Paediatric health
- Mental health care services
- Disability services
- Rehabilitation services
- Aged care services
Your career
Acute Care Nurse
Working within the nursing speciality of acute care, you will provide intensive short-term care for patients, such as recovery from surgery or for an urgent medical condition. Acute care is challenging and, as a frontline care position, you'll encounter diverse situations every day.
Aged Care Nurse
Aged Care Nurses provide nursing care to elderly patients in hospitals, aged care facilities and in the community.
Disabled Carers
Disabled Carers provide general household assistance, emotional support, care and companionship for aged and disabled persons in their own homes.
Nursing Unit Manager
Nursing Unit Managers are responsible for units of hospitals, aged care and community health care facilities, supervising nursing staff and financial resources to enable the provision of safe and cost-effective care.
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Apply now and start your unlimited journey.
*The tuition fees quoted above are the fees for the normal full-time study load of the program (80 credit points) per annum. International students will be subject to a variable fee regime; i.e. enrolled students will be required to pay fees during their program based on the approved fee for each calendar year. Fee changes (if any) will occur at 1 January each calendar year. Students who extend their program past the normal finish date of the program will be required to pay additional fees based on the prevailing fee level. Western Sydney University is a multi-campus institution. The University reserves the right to alter the location of its programs between campuses and other locations as necessary. Students should be aware of the possibility of change of location for the whole or part of programs for which they enrol and should plan for the need to travel between Western Sydney campuses.
