Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing
Course code: GC-CCN
January, June
AUD $14,000 (2026 indicative first year fee). Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) are not available
January, June
AUD $14,496 (2026 indicative first year fee)
IELTS 6.5: with no band less than 6.0
Course structure
Overview
What you will learn
The Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing equips students with a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical frameworks and practical, evidence-based research skills that are required for nurses to work in critical care environments.
This course focuses on developing critical care nursing knowledge in clinical practice, empowering students with the skills to care for patients with complex medical needs.
As a student of this course, you will:
Explore core pathophysiological concepts and scientific principles
Students will gain valuable practical experience in pathology and understand more about the causes, mechanisms, and effects of a range of diseases. You'll explore patient care in pathology, learn to conduct diagnostic testing, analyse and explain assessment data, and confidently use cutting-edge technologies that detect, diagnose, and treat disease.
Develop your understanding of intervention, assessment, and patient management strategies
Students will learn key nursing interventions in critical care and gain essential knowledge of advanced life support techniques. You'll also enhance your understanding of important principles related to patient assessment and care management to effectively monitor, evaluate, and care for patients and their families.
Be guided to confidently put theory into practice
You'll be guided by clinical experts throughout your training, giving you the confidence and know-how to incorporate both research-backed theory and high-level practical skills when delivering critical care in a clinical environment.
Upon completion of the Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing, you will be able to:
- Apply advanced knowledge of the scientific and research-based evidence that underpins critical care nursing with the competency standards for specialist critical care nurses
- Assess, review and analyse patient health data to identify and explain the rationale for solutions to complex problems in critical care
- Employ effective specialised technical skills in the delivery of specialist critical care
- Communicate effectively with other members of the interprofessional healthcare team and people who are acutely or critically ill to facilitate effective individualised plans for care
- Apply skills to critically appraise critical care nursing practice and integrate relevant research evidence into effective individualised plans for people who are acutely and critically ill
- Apply knowledge of human pathophysiology across the continuum of care to safely and effectively provide critical care that addresses actual and potential disease and treatment-related health needs
- Plan and deliver specialist critical care that meets the specific supportive care needs and experiences of people affected by acute illness or trauma
- Initiate, plan, implement and evaluate an individualised, patient-centred, coordinated care plan in collaboration with the interprofessional healthcare team
- Act to promote teamwork, wellbeing and collaboration with the interprofessional team and to achieve desired patient outcomes team.
Course structure
The Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing is a 50 credit-point clinical coursework program designed to be undertaken part-time over 12 months, delivered in a mixed-mode and through work-integrated learning in supervised clinical practice at your employing hospital.
You must complete two compulsory subjects and two subjects in a specialisation.
Students will commence the course with a pre-requisite subject:
Applied Pathophysiology [Mode - Online; Credit Points - 12.5 points]
On successful completion of Applied Pathophysiology, students will undertake:
Foundations of Critical Care Nursing [Mode - Online; Credit Points - 12.5 points]
Students will then pick one of the following specialisations:
Intensive Care
Intensive Care Nursing [Mode - Online; Credit Points - 12.5 points]
Intensive Care Nursing Practice [Mode - Off-Campus - Credit Points - 12.5 points]
Or,
Integrated Critical Care
Critical Care Nursing [Mode - Online; Credit Points - 12.5 points]
Critical Care Nursing Practice [Mode - Off-campus; Credit Points - 12.5 points]
Workload
The estimated hours required for each subject is between 15-19 hours per week. This varies for each student, depending on your task management and planning, familiarity with the material, reading style and speed.
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this certificate.
Students must successfully complete thethe following subjects before progressing to the other core subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Applied Pathophysiology · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides a foundation for understanding the pathologic basis of disease across the lifespan. It equips learners with the knowledge and skills required to explain assessment data and prioritise patient care in a specialty area of practice based on scientific principles. Core pathophysiological concepts covered will include: cellular responses to stress; adaptation, injury and death; acute and chronic inflammation; tissue renewal and repair; infection; neoplasia; haemodynamic, genetic and immune system disorders and genetic predisposition to disease. Using a case study based approach, learners will be provided with opportunities to apply their knowledge
|
| Foundations of Critical Care Nursing · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides the theoretical foundation for entry into specialty critical care nursing including emergency and intensive care. Students will gain essential knowledge to plan, monitor and evaluate nursing interventions, including how to recognise and respond to clinical deterioration and medical emergencies. Students will integrate essential knowledge explored in this subject and its pre-requisite, Applied Pathophysiology, with principles of patient assessment, scientific advances in treatment and management strategies including pharmacotherapeutics. Patient and family perspectives of acute illness and disease will be considered in the development and implementation of nursing interventions and inter-disciplinary care planning. |
Intergrated Critical Care
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Critical Care Nursing · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides the theoretical knowledge for specialty practice in critical care. Students will extend their knowledge from Applied Pathophysiology and Foundations in Critical Care Nursing to understand acute and complex illnesses and disease in patients who are critically ill requiring complex care management. Students will gain essential knowledge to assess, plan, manage and evaluate interventions. Patient and family perspectives of illness will be considered in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary care planning. |
| Critical Care Nursing Practice · 12.5 pts |
This subject will be a combination of both of advanced theoretical principles and clinical application of learning to critical care nursing in practice. Students will demonstrate the ability to undertake and support comprehensive patient assessment, monitoring, evaluation and care planning in specialty nursing practice. Upon successful completion of the subject, students will incorporate and apply scientific knowledge, evidence-based treatment and nursing interventions to support a patient-centred approach and inform their clinical decision making in practice. |
Intensive Care
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Intensive Care Nursing Practice · 12.5 pts |
In this subject, students will clinically apply the theoretical principles from this subject and subjects, Applied Pathophysiology, Foundations of Critical Care Nursing and Intensive Care Nursing. Students will demonstrate the ability to undertake and support comprehensive patient assessment, monitoring and evaluation and care planning in specialty nursing practice. Students will learn to incorporate and apply scientific knowledge and evidence-based treatment and nursing interventions to support a patient-centred approach to inform their clinical decision making in practice. |
| Intensive Care Nursing · 12.5 pts |
This subject is designed to provide the theoretical knowledge for specialty practice in intensive care. Students will extend their knowledge from Applied Pathophysiology and Foundations in Critical Care Nursing to understand acute and complex illnesses and disease in patients who are critically ill requiring high-technology care management. Students will gain essential knowledge to assess, plan, manage and evaluate interventions. Patient and family perspectives of illness will be considered in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary care planning. |
Intensive Care (Winter Intake 12 Month Duration)
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Intensive Care Nursing Practice 1 · 6.25 pts |
In this subject, students will clinically apply the theoretical principles from this subject and subjects, Applied Pathophysiology, Foundations of Critical Care Nursing and Critical Care Nursing. Students will demonstrate the ability to undertake and support comprehensive patient assessment, monitoring and evaluation and care planning in specialty nursing practice. Students will learn to incorporate and apply scientific knowledge and evidence-based treatment and nursing interventions to support a patient-centred approach to inform their clinical decision making in practice. |
| Intensive Care Nursing Practice 2 · 6.25 pts |
Please refer to Intensive Care Nursing Practice 1 |
| Intensive Care Nursing · 12.5 pts |
This subject is designed to provide the theoretical knowledge for specialty practice in intensive care. Students will extend their knowledge from Applied Pathophysiology and Foundations in Critical Care Nursing to understand acute and complex illnesses and disease in patients who are critically ill requiring high-technology care management. Students will gain essential knowledge to assess, plan, manage and evaluate interventions. Patient and family perspectives of illness will be considered in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary care planning. |