Climbing the career ladder with postgraduate study

Postgraduate Study

Gaining a postgraduate qualification can lead to major personal and professional benefits.

This month, the University of Adelaide will hold a Postgraduate Information Night aimed at providing details about postgraduate study opportunities - in both coursework and research programs.

"The difference between choosing a coursework or research program relates to an individual student's career interests," said the University's Dean of Postgraduate Coursework, Professor Iain Reid.

"Postgraduate coursework is generally viewed as more vocationally based and may assist the student to further their career by enhancing their knowledge and skills, or equipping them to pursue a career change. Postgraduate coursework is also often required by those seeking professional accreditation in a particular career.

"Many students choose coursework to extend their marketability to employers, because they know that having more than just a Bachelor's degree can make them highly attractive to potential employers.

"Short coursework programs are very useful for those who are currently employed or who have family commitments. In many cases, an employer will decide to sponsor a staff member's further study because they know it will result in additional skills in the workplace," Professor Reid said.

Nurse Iain Everett is one of the many students to gain a postgraduate qualification at the University of Adelaide to help his career.

This year, he graduated from the Master of Nurse Practitioner program through the School of Nursing. His Masters degree - accredited by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - is essential to Mr Everett's role, enabling him to practise as an Emergency Nurse Practitioner in a hospital emergency department. He is currently a candidate for such a position at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's Emergency Department.

"I had previously completed a Master of Public Health at the University of Adelaide and was very pleased with the process and the outcome, so Adelaide was the obvious choice for my next Masters degree," Mr Everett said.

"The support I received from staff made it very worthwhile - it enhanced my learning and enabled me to better understand the role of the Nurse Practitioner. The courses within the program were appropriate and challenged my thinking and understanding of nursing in this context."

Mr Everett said obtaining the Masters degree was "a major milestone in my career".

"In many ways this is the pinnacle of my clinical career. The role provides me with the opportunity to practise in an area that I love, through the expertise I have gained in this area over many years," he said.

"An Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) has the ability to manage all aspects of their patients' needs with autonomy in collaboration with other health professionals. We aim to provide a high quality of nursing care, which in turn helps the patient to feel satisfied with the level of care they're receiving.

"As an ENP, you need to understand your role in relation to the legislative and ethical frameworks of practice, as well as being prepared with the right understanding of pharmacology, assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based management of the conditions that fall within your defined scope of practice in a typical emergency department.

"All of these areas were covered in my Masters program and I'm very grateful to the friendly, approachable staff and the educational expertise they offered," Mr Everett said.

The University of Adelaide's Postgraduate Information Night will be held on Thursday 28 July, from 5.00pm-7.30pm. To register, visit: adelaide.edu.au/pgnight

Story by David Ellis