Advancing Practice. Clinical Impact

This program is offered to continuing students only.

This program is designed to meet the educational needs of nurses working with clients with mental health problems in both the inpatient and community settings. The program consists of six courses:

• four specialty courses (two in acute mental health nursing, one in primary mental health nursing);
• a choice of one of two electives (either therapeutic advances in acute mental health nursing or community mental health nursing); and
• two core courses generic to all Graduate Diploma programs in the Discipline.

SPECIALTY CORE COURSES

Acute Mental Health Care I
Units: 4 units
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course explores the theory and practice of the nurse-client relationship as the foundation of mental health nursing. It will also examine fundamental models, theories and nursing strategies which form the basis of those areas of the physical, psychological and social sciences which inform contemporary acute inpatient mental health nursing practice. Students will complete 300 hours related clinical practice.

Acute Mental Health Care II
Units: 4 units
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course will build on the student's previous learning in Acute Mental Health Care I in that it links theory with practice. The focus will be on the acquisition of clinical skills through field based training in the acute inpatient practice setting. Students will complete 300 hours related clinical practice.

Primary Mental Health Care
Units: 4 units
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course will focus on the implications of the National Mental Health Reforms in the context of both inpatient and community settings. It will examine the epidemiology of mental illness as well as early intervention techniques and mental health promotion and prevention. Various therapeutic approaches will be identified, emphasising the principles of rehabilitation and recovery, community development and case management.

SPECIALTY ELECTIVE COURSES

Therapeutic Advances in Acute Mental Health
Units: 4 units
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course will enable strong links to be made with theory and practice, utilising field based experiential learning within the area of advanced practice as the primary mode. The nurse will focus on the beginning development of their own therapeutic system drawing on models and theories from the humanistic cognitive and behavioural therapies.

Community Mental Health Nursing
Units: 4 units
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course will focus on the process and principles of community mental health nursing. It will consist of field based learning supported by flexible learning options. Topics covered will include caseload surveillance, case management, multidisciplinary team work, community development, psychosocial rehabilitation, risk assessment and consumer self empowerment strategies, such as relapse prevention and crisis management.

CORE COURSES

Developing Advanced Practice in Health Systems I
Units: 4 units
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course examines contemporary issues related to advanced nursing practice and considers the supports and constraints within which nurses practice. Topics include ethics of care, leadership, advocacy, evidence based practice, health service management, professional standards, health informatics and multicultural health care.

Developing Advanced Practice in Health Systems II
Units: 4 units
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course examines the evaluation of clinical practice through clinical audit. Students progress through a series of readings and activities that introduce clinical audit and then progressively work through the processes involved in the development, conduct and reporting of an audit of clinical practice.

Focused Reading in Clinical Nursing (for students granted advanced standing)
Units: 4 units
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course examines contemporary clinical nursing practice through a
critical review of the literature with a focus on acute care nursing
practice. Students are required to follow a protocol to ensure
scientific rigour and minimise potential bias.

• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Acute Care Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Anaesthetic and Recovery Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Burns Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Cardiac Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Community Health and Primary Care)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Emergency Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Gerontological Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Infection Control Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Sciene (Intensive Care Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Oncology Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Orthopaedic Nursing)
• Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Perioperative Nursing)

Applicants must

1. be registered, or be eligible for registration, as a nurse in Australia or New Zealand, and
2. hold a degree of Bachelor of Nursing or equivalent; or, have at least two years experience as a registered nurse in the field of the specialisation to be undertaken.

Rotation through a variety of mental health nursing areas is a requisite of the course. Please consult the course coordinator for further information.

• School of Nursing