Graduate Certificate or Diploma of Aged Care Nursing overview
Graduate certificates and diplomas take six months to one year of full-time study respectively. Part-time options are also available at one year for certificates and two years for diplomas. They’re offered by Flinders University and similar institutions to students wishing to undergo units in:
- Health science research methods
- Palliative care for indigenous populations
- Healthy ageing
- Palliative clinical management
- Best practice in dementia care
- Understanding cancer
- Many more
The number of units students are able to undergo depends upon the length of their program; graduate diplomas naturally have more room for electives. Regardless of course, however, students will have the opportunity to learn in a clinical context rather than just the classroom.
Employment options
Nursing graduates, in general, have high employment prospects as described here. Organisations like Alzheimer's Queensland or Arcare both need skilled aged care nurses in order to successfully cater to their residents. Similar organisations can be found across the country. Graduates can also register with NIMAC to receive updates on networking and employment opportunities.
Scholarships and funding
There are several good scholarship opportunities available to aged care nursing students.
- Australian College of Nursing Government Scholarships: These are valued between $1,000 and $30,000 depending on which scholarship is chosen, as it’s offered to a variety of nursing sectors. Aged care nursing students ought to apply for ACNS (Aged Care Nursing Scholarships).
- $69,500 Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships from ANU are available across disciplines, including aged care nursing. Their general nature means they’re open to more applicants and are thus more highly competitive.
- $65,000 General Sir John Monash Scholarships. These are for students planning to study overseas and are open to any discipline.
Two of these options are general scholarships, of which far more are available here.
Prerequisites and selection process
These programs can normally be accessed by students from a health-related discipline, but some like the Flinders University program accept any discipline. Conversely, others still require students to be a registered nurse to enter, so students are advised to check the admission requirements of their chosen institution carefully. To improve the chances of success during the selection process, a GPA of at least 5/7 (65%) is recommended but not required in most cases. In others, this will be the mandatory minimum.