Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2023 course information
Award granted	Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing
Course Map	This course map is for new students commencing from Semester 1 2023. This course map is for new students commencing from Semester 2 2023. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
Campus	This course is only offered Online
Online	Yes
Duration	Note: This course is only available part-time.
Deakin course code	H666
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
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

Nurses working in emergency departments are presented with the most varied, complex and often critically ill patients. The advanced specialist skills required to assess and prioritise patients presenting to emergency departments are in demand now more than ever in one of the highest growth areas of the health sector*. Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing prepares you to meet that demand.

Ranked 20th in the world^, our School of Nursing and Midwifery is one of the largest and best in Australia. By studying your Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing at Deakin, you will be guided through industry-informed coursework by experts in emergency care nursing and have access to the School’s extensive cutting-edge research, which is recognised as well above world standard#.

Are you ready for the fast-pace and unique challenges of emergency nursing?

If you want to take the next step in your nursing career, our Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing will prepare you to practise effectively at an advanced practice level in emergency care settings. As a graduate you will demonstrate ethical, safe, high-quality, expert clinical decision-making abilities within an interdisciplinary team, and psychomotor skills commensurate with specialised theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice and person-centred care.

As a student of Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing you will be challenged to advance your professional judgement by exploring the current and emerging trends, concepts, knowledge and evidence that provides the policy and practice framework around speciality emergency care.

Second year elective units allow you to pursue your specific areas of interest and career goals. You can choose from complementary areas of practice to your specialisation, or undertake studies preparing you for roles in education, leadership or management. You will also have the opportunity to select a unit from anywhere across the university, further expanding your skill set.

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 speciality medical 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 nurses. 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 will enable you to:

assess, prioritise, and manage ill and injured patients of all ages
cover the principles and concepts of patient assessment, triage, and risk assessment and management in a complex and dynamic practice setting
practise critical thinking and reflection regarding current health environment issues and specialty nursing practice
Assess and manage the care of specific patient groups: paediatrics, major and minor trauma, mental health gynaecological, obstetric, oncology, and older persons
develop greater decision-making autonomy, critical thinking and leadership skills, advanced clinical judgement and professional behaviours required for safe patient care, effective teamwork, and career advancement.

You will be challenged to become a leader in evidence-based practice, and a change agent to improve the quality of nursing care and patient outcomes in emergency departments.

Graduates are prepared to handle the contemporary challenges emergency nurses may face with a course that responds to industry trends and demands, and expectations from professional bodies. You will learn how to make a difference through roles in areas such as practice, education, leadership and research.

*2021 Employment Outlook - for the five years to November 2026, Australian Government National Skills Commission.
^2022 ShanghaiRankings Ranking of Academic Subjects.
#Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) 2018.

Indicative student workload

As an online student in the Faculty of Health you will be expected to spend 11-13 hours every week studying, interacting online and completing assessment tasks for each unit in your course. Refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information.

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 13.9% projected for registered nurses and 23.1%. for nurse managers by 2026,* there is an industry demand for nurses with sophisticated specialty skills. Our Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing allows you to meet that demand in a variety of roles across advanced practice, leadership, management and education in regional, rural or metropolitan emergency departments.

Alternative exits

Graduate Certificate of Emergency Nursing (H566)

Clinical practice

To undertake this course you must independently secure employment of at least 24 hours per week in an emergency care setting within a collaborating hospital in Australia.

Articulated courses

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Demonstrate advanced clinical practice commensurate with emergency care nursing theoretical knowledge, evidence-based practice and person-centred care.
Communication	Demonstrate advanced communication skills to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe nursing care to patients in the emergency care setting.
Digital literacy	Evaluate information using digital technologies to effectively disseminate relevant emergency care information to patients and/or the multidisciplinary team.
Critical thinking	Identify, analyse and evaluate complex data from multiple sources to inform clinical decision making in the emergency care setting.
Problem solving	Apply advanced nursing knowledge to complex problems in the emergency care setting to optimise patient outcomes.
Self-management	Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, reflection, and personal autonomy as an emergency nurse.
Teamwork	Establish and maintain inclusive, collaborative professional relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary team.
Global citizenship	Demonstrate 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 requirements of the Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing, students must attain 8 credit points, comprising of 6 credit points of core (compulsory) units, plus 2 credit points of electives, of which 1 must be from the course electives, the remaining 1 can be from any level 7 electives from anywhere in the university.

The core emergency nursing specialisation units are completed in year one of the course and are semester-based delivery.

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.

Note: Failure of a compulsory clinical component in a unit will normally lead to exclusion.

All commencing Faculty of Health course work students are required to complete HAI010 Academic Integrity in their first trimester of study (0 credit point compulsory unit).