Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Nursing
2026 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2026 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Nursing |
| Course Credit Points | 4 |
| Deakin course code | H567 |
| Course version | 3 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health |
| Course Information | For students who commenced from 2023 onwards |
| Campus | This course is only offered Online |
| Duration | 1 year part-time study |
| Course Map - enrolment planning tool | This course map is for new students commencing from Semester 1 2026 Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8 |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Pathways
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Fees and charges
Course overview
Critical care nurses work in some of the most complex health environments across emergency departments, ICUs and other high dependency units. As a registered nurse, Deakin’s Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Nursing will build on your existing knowledge and skills, preparing you to provide high-quality care to the critically ill across a range of settings.
Our School of Nursing and Midwifery is ranked #14 in the world*. It is one of Australia’s best and most established schools with cutting-edge nursing research recognised as well above world standard. Our strong industry connections mean you will be guided by experts in critical care nursing as you explore the current and emerging trends, concepts, knowledge and evidence that provides the policy and practice framework of critical care nursing.
Are you ready to build on you existing knowledge and skills and take the next step in your nursing career?
Deakin’s Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Nursing prepares you to take the next step in your nursing career. Our graduates are able to demonstrate ethical, safe, high-quality and expert clinical decision-making abilities within an interdisciplinary team.
Your specialised theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice and person-centred care will allow you to practise effectively across a range of settings, ensuring you are well placed to meet the industry demand for nurses with speciality skills.
Deakin’s strong industry connections ensure a high level of collaboration and support during your clinical practice. This means that while you study you can immerse yourself in your specialty practice area with one of our numerous metropolitan, rural and regional health partners across Australia.
Our innovative online program delivers a rich, interactive and empowering learning experience designed for postgraduate nursing students. Live-streaming seminars and class discussions will encourage critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Australia’s top-rated tech support and access to our expert teaching staff means you can learn at your own pace, when and where it suits you, without compromising quality or support.
This course enables you to:
- analyse and provide advanced patient care in response to complex data from patient and technologically derived sources
- perform focused, systematic and methodical patient assessments
- develop an advanced understanding of normal physiology, and the pathophysiology of illness and injury of critically ill patients
- collaboratively assess and provide advanced management of specific patient groups: paediatrics, trauma, gynaecological, obstetric, oncology, older persons and those presenting with cardiovascular, renal, neurological and respiratory dysfunction
- develop greater decision-making autonomy, critical thinking and leadership skills, advanced clinical judgement, and enhanced professionalism.
Graduates are prepared to handle the contemporary challenges critical care nurses may face with a course that responds to industry trends and demands. You will learn how to make a difference through roles in areas such as practice, education, leadership and research.^
* 2025 ShanghaiRankings Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
^ Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) 2018.
Indicative student workload
As a student in the Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Nursing you can expect to participate in a range of teaching and learning activities each week. You will attend online synchronous study days and complete asynchronous guided learning modules. There are also additional self-directed study commitments to complete for both university and clinical assessment tasks.
Professional recognition
Nurses employed under the Victorian public hospital award receive a higher duties allowance for postgraduate qualifications relevant to their practice.
Career opportunities
With job growth of 12.2% projected for registered nurses by 2028#, there is an industry demand for nurses with sophisticated specialty skills. Our Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Nursing allows you to meet that demand in a variety of roles across advanced practice, leadership, management and education in regional, rural or metropolitan hospitals including:
- critical care nurse
- associate or unit manager
- clinical nurse specialist
- clinical nurse educator
# Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections
Pathways
Clinical practice
To undertake this course you must independently secure employment of at least 24 hours per week in a critical care setting within a collaborating hospital in Australia.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Demonstrate safe psychomotor skills and clinical practice commensurate with critical care nursing theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice and person-centred care. |
| Communication | Demonstrate communication skills to develop and implement plans of care to ensure the delivery of quality, safe nursing care to patients in the critical care setting. |
| Digital literacy | Evaluate information using digital technologies to effectively disseminate relevant critical care information to patients and/or the multidisciplinary team. |
| Critical thinking | Identify and evaluate complex data from multiple sources to inform clinical decision making in the critical care setting. |
| Problem solving | Apply specialised nursing knowledge and skills to routine and complex problems in the critical care setting to optimise patient outcomes. |
| Self-management | Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, reflection, and personal autonomy as a critical care nurse. |
| Teamwork | Establish and maintain inclusive, collaborative professional relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary team. |
| Global citizenship | Display accountability for, and sound professional judgement in behaviours that uphold ethical principles of practice within diverse social, cultural, and environmental contexts. |
Course rules
To complete the Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Nursing you must pass 4 credit points. This includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- 4 credit points of core units.
Both the theoretical and clinical components of the assessment for each unit must be passed in order to successfully gain an overall pass in this course. Compulsory clinical hurdles form part of the assessment of this course.
Most units are equal to one credit point. Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Course structure
Core units
Semester 1
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points) |
| HNN791 | Core Principles of Critical Care Nursing (2 credit points) |
Semester 2
| HNN792 | Critical Care Nursing (2 credit points) |
Course duration
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing clinical requirements.
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.