Graduate Certificate, Clinical Nursing Specialisation:
Emergency, Critical Care or Peri-operative Nursing

AIMS:

The primary aim of the course is to prepare the Division 1 Registered Nurse (RN) to function as a competent nurse in the specialty areas of Critical Care, Emergency, or Peri-operative.

The Course aims to:

• Analyse and refine a theory base, which will enable participants to practice at beginning level in their selected nursing specialty.
• Develop specific skills in assessment relevant to their selected nursing specialty
• Utilise the major principles underpinning their nursing specialty to plan, implement and evaluate nursing practice.
• Enhance awareness of societal, professional, legal and ethical frameworks for specialty practice

DATE OF COMMENCEMENT

February 2009

LENGTH OF COURSE

• Academic: 2 semesters
• Clinical: 52 weeks employed in the relevant specialty department
• Study days are conducted throughout the year 
• Students are employed on a 12 month contract with a minimum of 4 days per week to a maximum of full time at their substantive grade.

AWARD

Graduate Certificate in Critical Care, Emergency, or Peri-operative

VENUES

• Academic component: 
  Critical Care & Emergency conducted at RMIT Bundoora campus 
   
  Peri-Operative through Deakin University 
   
  The theoretical component of the course will utilize nursing, medical and allied health staff who are both clinical and educational experts within the relevant specialties.
   
• Clinical Component:
  The Critical Care Department, Emergency Department, or General Operating Theatres of The Northern Hospital, Epping.

CLINICAL ROTATIONS (depending upon specialty)

• Intensive Care
• High Dependency
• Coronary Care
• Emergency Department
• Anaesthetic Department
• General Operating Theatre
• Cardiac Surgery
• Cardiac Investigations

FORMAL ASSESSMENT (depending upon specialty) in clinical area

• Basic and Advanced Life Support skills
• Mechanical and noninvasive Ventilation Skills
• Patient assessment skills (paediatric and adult)
• IV Cannulation and ABG sampling skills
• Clinical presentations
• Performance appraisals
• Triage assessment skills
• Anaesthetics
• Scrub / scout
• Recovery

ADMISSION CRITERIA

The applicant:

1. Must have a current Practicing certificate that states that they are entered on the Nurses Board of Victoria register as a Division 1 registered Nurse;
2. Must have had a minimum of twelve (12) months acute medical / surgical experience upon application (optional)
3. Will preferably have had recent clinical experience relevant to the specialty applied for
4. Must provide documented evidence of continuing education relevant to the acute care area

Inquiries to:

mary.blandas@nh.org.au Education Centre Secretary
stacey.williamson@nh.org.au Emergency Course co-ordinator
fotini.moutis@nh.org.au Critical Care Clinical Nurse Educator
natasha.smith@nh.org.au Peri-operative Clinical Nurse Educator

ADMISSION PROCESS

Acceptance for employment at clinical venue required prior to application to the university.  Contact the course co-ordinator for the specialty of your choice.

• Fulfil interview criteria for course commencement, obtainable from RMIT or Deakin student admission office;
• Complete RMIT or Deakin application form;
• Type written letter of application;
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Certified copy of Academic Transcript and / or Hospital examination results;
• Certified copy of Current Practicing certificate;
• Record of continuing education inservice attendance;
• Names, addresses and business telephone numbers of three (3) professional referees.

PRECEPTORSHIP MODEL

Students employed at The Northern Hospital in specialty departments are allocated to an experienced nurse who acts as a mentor / instructor.

ANNUAL LEAVE

Annual leave is accrued at 6 weeks per annum for full time staff and 5 weeks per annum for part time staff. Students are allocated up to four (4) weeks leave in two (2) week blocks during the course - negotiated with the Nurse Unit Manager. The remaining leave is paid out or transferred upon completion of the course.

NIGHT DUTY

Night duty requirements differ depending upon the specialty department; four (4) to eight (8) weeks may be allocated at the end of each semester or upon completion of semester 2.

FEES

As set by the Universities

STUDY LEAVE

Applications for paid study leave are made by The Northern Hospital (TNH) on behalf of its students; students must provide TNH with confirmation of enrolment at RMIT or LaTrobe. A small portion of the study component is in the student's own time.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Northern Hospital (TNH) is a 414-inpatient bed public hospital located in Epping, 25km north of the city. The Hospital was opened in February, 1998, and provides a wide range of medical, surgical, outpatient and emergency services.

CRITICAL CARE DEPARTMENT (CCD)

Students employed at this venue will conduct their clinical studies in the Critical Care Department (CCU) which incorporates:

- 10 ICU/HDU beds
- 4 CCU beds
- 4 Telemetry beds

All ICU/HDU beds are equipped with bedside personal computers with internet & intranet access.  As part of the local community, The Northern Hospital's CCD caters for all patients, of all age groups, with varying levels of acuity.

The Critical Care Nursing course provides clinical and theoretical experience, which is transferable to:

- High Dependency Units
- Coronary Care Units
- Emergency Departments
- Anaesthetics
- Cardiac Catheter Laboratories
- Recovery Rooms

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

TNH Emergency Department is one of the busiest in the state. The department has 39 cubicles, including 2 full resuscitation rooms, 11 monitored cubicles, an isolation room, treatment rooms and separate paediatric cubicles, fast track area and treatment room. TNH emergency department provides 24 hour nursing triage.  Designated adult and paediatric waiting areas allow for appropriate separation of patients.  TNH has an operational helipad allowing us to provide emergency treatment and stabilisation of patients prior to transfer to trauma or specialist services. An 8 bed short stay unit assists in the management of patients whose expected length of stay is 24 hours.  A new after hours GP service has been built adjacent to the Emergency Department.  Nurses employed in the Emergency Department rotate through the following areas:

• Triage
• Resuscitation rooms
• Acute and sub-acute observational areas
• paediatric

The emergency nursing course provides clinical and theoretical experiences, which are transferable to:

• Emergency Departments
• High Dependency Units
• Coronary Care Units
• Critical Care Departments
• Anaesthetics
• Recovery Room
• General Wards and Departments
• Community Health settings
• Rural settings
• Flying Doctor service

PERI-OPERATIVE, GENERAL OPERATING THEATRES (GOT)

TNH has six (6) operating theatres that provide a 24 hour, 7 day a week service.  TNH provides cover for ten specialty services including major trauma. Normal operation is:

• six theatres 8.00 - 18.00
• two theatres 18.00 - 22.00
• one theatre overnight, 1-2 theatres on weekends

Peri-operative students are employed at TNH within the General Operating Theatres at 4 days per week on a 68 hour fortnight. Students complete a comprehensive 4 week orientation program in the department and are further supported by experienced preceptors and a Clinical Nurse Educator. Students rotate through all specialties and participate in all areas of the peri-operative phase, Anaesthetics, scrubbing and scouting and recovery room. GOT also provides an out of hours service for endoscopic procedures such as Gastroscopy, Colonoscopy and ERCP.