If you would like to advance your nursing practice and take on a role that involves higher levels of responsibility and leadership, the Graduate Diploma in Nursing would be the perfect choice to progress your career. This is an advanced level Diploma course that is suitable for graduates of any Bachelor of Nursing or equivalent degree. The course structure and content is designed to enable them to extend their nursing knowledge and skills in a specialist setting.

Having completed this course, senior nurses will find that they can avail of many rewarding career opportunities, as thousands of new jobs are expected to open in this sector over the next few years.

The course will cover topics such as the following: Advanced nursing knowledge, Clinical Leadership and Management in Nursing and Specialisations, Research in Nursing, Evidence Based Practice in Nursing and Specialisations, and Professional Issues and Policies in Nursing and Specialisations.

Course learning outcomes

Phase 1 of the course aims to:

• Offer educational opportunities which are specific to the advancing role of the registered nurse, facilitating their professional growth and development;
• Enhance undergraduate education and previous experience through expansion of knowledge, and an increased perception in complex relationships affecting nursing;
• Improve analytical ability and skills when assessing the health needs of patients;
• Add on further knowledge and skills in research and evidence-based practice in nursing;
• Develop additional skills to investigate, challenge and improve current practice in nursing and;
• Increase students’ acceptance of responsibility and initiative for defining and attaining the knowledge required for expertise in the practice setting.

Phase 2 of the course aims to:

Enable students to acquire advanced skills, knowledge and insights beyond their undergraduate and graduate certificate studies.

This course can be completed in 1 year if undertaken full time.

Units of Study

Phase 1

Exit with Graduate Certificate in Nursing

Phase 2

The Graduate Certificate in Nursing is a nested course as indicated above. Students can choose to exit midway through the course and graduate with a Graduate Certificate in Nursing. This will consist of four units of study over one study period full time or, for non CRICOS students, two study periods part time.

Those who have already completed a Graduate Certificate in Nursing could check to see if they are eligible for advanced standing. This is subject to credit transfer and recognition of prior learning procedures.

The Graduate Diploma in Nursing at IHM is offered on-campus at Sydney.

Students who have successfully completed the Graduate Diploma in Nursing may be eligible for referral to a bridging program. NMBA will approve their application based on the correctness and completeness of all the information furnished. All the required Registration Standards such as English language and recency of practice must be met.

On successful completion of the Bridging program and registration with the AHPRA, they can then practice advanced nursing in a variety of healthcare settings in Australia.

Students who are registered nurses, either in Australia or overseas, are eligible to enter postgraduate courses.

They should be able to demonstrate that they have the capability to complete the course they wish to enter. They can do this by proving proficiency in English language. This can be indicated either by writing a short essay or by proffering evidence of acceptable scores in formal English language testing credentials.

The candidate should ideally have some work experience in the chosen area of nursing.

Please note that all applications will be accessed on a case by case basis by the course coordinator in keeping with the Student Selection and Admission Policy and Procedures for Course delivered to Overseas Students.

We encourage candidates with lower scores also to apply.

To apply for this course, just scroll down and submit an enquiry. Our representative will get back to you and provide guidance.