Australian College of Nursing (ACN)
Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Care
Graduate Certificate
Key details
About this course
The aim of this course is to improve neonatal clinical practice by enhancing the professional and ethical understanding, knowledge and skill of neonatal nurses and midwives, so that they are better able to provide evidence-based care, and optimise the health, growth and developmental outcomes of neonates and their families. The course is founded on the principles of cultural safety, and developmentally supportive, family centred care. The course responds to industry requirements for highly skilled neonatal clinicians capable of providing best practice in collaboration with other members of interprofessional teams and incorporates the Australian Standards for Neonatal Nurses, 4th Ed. (ACNN, 2019). Graduates may use their advanced knowledge in advanced practice roles or to pursue further tertiary education.
Entry requirements
Admission to GC courses is based on academic merit and selection. In addition, applicants must satisfy any prerequisites or additional requirements specified for particular courses, including ACN's general eligibility criteria.
All applicants seeking admission are required to:
- hold a Bachelor of Nursing or registered nurse* equivalent qualification
- hold current registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA); or the equivalent registering authority in your country of origin
- meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia English language skills registration standard (nursing and midwifery) - please refer to the AHPRA website to download the standard
- have a minimum of one year of postgraduate experience; and
- be currently employed in the clinical area of specialisation*
- Graduate Certificate in Child and Family Health
- Graduate Certificate in Stomal Therapy Nursing
- Graduate Certificate in Dermatology Nursing
Study locations
Deakin
What you will learn
On the completion of the Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Care, students will be better able to:
- demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to provide family-centred, developmentally supportive care in the neonatal specialty context and benchmark against appropriate professional standards
- discuss the legal, ethical, social and cultural issues affecting neonates and their families
- evaluate neonatal practice against research and current literature, to identify potential areas of practice development, and support the provision of contemporary evidence based neonatal care
- develop clinical decision making and leadership skills through research, inquiry and interprofessional collaboration to enhance practice
- reflect on the advanced knowledge and skills required to maintain therapeutic relationships with neonates, their families and the interprofessional health care team
Career pathways
A Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Care is an investment in your future and will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to ensure better outcomes for your patients and progress your career, leading to opportunities in education, management, rural, remote nursing and midwifery as well as specialist nursing or midwifery roles.
Course structure
The Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Care is a one year course, consisting of four 10-week terms.
Students will need to choose 1 stream - Neonatal Intensive Care or Neonatal Special Care. Students will need to complete 4 units, either 3 core and 1 specialty elective (Intensive Care stream) or 4 core units (Special Care stream). One unit is studied per term.
Approximate hours of study are 12 - 15 hours per week.
For more details please visit the course website.
Graduate outcomes
Related opportunities
Supplement your studies and kickstart your career; take your skills for a test drive with industry experience this Summer.