Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care

Graduate Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care is designed for registered nurses who are looking to extend their palliative care capabilities to become future palliative care experts in their field.

Key details

Degree Type

Graduate Certificate

Duration

1 year part-time

Study Mode

Online

Intake Months

Jan, Jul

About this course

The Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care is designed for registered nurses who are looking to extend their palliative care capabilities to become future palliative care experts in their field.

The course aims to prepare students for advanced practice as registered nurses with skills in palliative care clinical performance capabilities, critical decision-making and leadership skills.

Entry requirements

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 Nurses & Midwives Board of Australia (NMBA); 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*

*For some GC units of study, consideration may be given for applicants who are not registered nurses on an individual basis.

*The below courses contain a compulsory clinical placement component and do not require applicants to be 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

Online

What you will learn

Learning outcomes

At successful completion of the course students should be able to:

demonstrate the advanced knowledge, skills and attitudes required in the assessment and management of palliative care patients
develop advanced communication skills in order to maintain positive therapeutic relationships with patients, significant others, and the multidisciplinary team
model leadership behaviours within the speciality of palliative care nursing, providing mentorship, education and positive contribution to the multidisciplinary team
critically analyse contemporary literature and industry endorsed practice guidelines to provide the foundation for evidence based palliative care nursing practice
evaluate the impact of personal and professional values on palliative care nursing, and reflect on the cultural and ethical issues related to caring for patients at the end of life.

Career pathways

A Graduate Certificate in Palliative 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 clinical education, management and specialist nursing roles.

Course structure

The Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care is a one year course, consisting of four 10-week terms.

Students will need to complete 4 core units. 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

Graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes for Nursing courses at Australian College of Nursing (ACN).

83.2%

Overall satisfaction

79.7%

Skill scale

67.6%

Teaching scale

89%

Employed full-time

$87.2k

Average salary

Data source