Graduate Diploma of Intraoperative 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 Intraoperative Nursing
Course Map	This course map is for new students commencing from Semester 1 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
Duration	2 year part-time study Note: this course is only available part time
Deakin course code	H668
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

Each year, 2.8 million hospitalisations in Australia result in surgical interventions.* With a skills shortage in the intraoperative specialty area, Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Intraoperative Nursing will equip you with the knowledge and skills to join this growth area and help meet the growing demand for intraoperative nurses.

Ranked 20th in the world,^ our School of Nursing and Midwifery is one of Australia’s largest and most established schools. You will be learning from the best with the School’s cutting-edge research recognised as well above world standard.#

Do you want to join the multidisciplinary team supporting and caring for patients during surgery?

If you want to take the next step in your nursing career, Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Intraoperative Nursing develops specialty knowledge of the core principles and concepts of intraoperative nursing and collaborative management, with a specific focus on the global, national, and local quality and safety standards.

You will feel empowered to step up as a leader in evidence-based intraoperative care, helping to drive change to improve the quality of nursing care and patient outcomes, playing a key role in advocating for your patients.

Our strong industry connections mean you will be guided by experts in perioperative nursing as you explore the current and emerging trends, concepts, knowledge and evidence that provides the policy and practice framework in which the care of surgical patients takes place. Links to industry also ensures a high level of collaboration and support during your clinical practice. This means that while you study you can immerse yourself in your speciality practice area with one of our numerous metropolitan, rural and regional health partners across Australia.

This course develops your skills in:

how to critically analyse and apply evidence-based practice to implement risk management strategies in the intraoperative context
the concepts and principles of intraoperative techniques in assessment and management of elective and emergency patients undergoing complex and specialty surgical procedures
understanding the role specialist intraoperative nurses play in managing surgical and/or procedural patients across infection prevention, surgical safety and environmental planning and preparation; surgical wound closure and management; and medico-legal requirements
managing complex and special populations to identify risks and inform decisions that deliver safe, high-quality nursing care to promote optimal patient outcomes
how to apply the core principles of intraoperative practice across a range of surgical specialities
what role you will play in comprehensively managing patients through their surgical journey
advancing your professional judgement, leadership and professionalism through reflection on, experiential learning in, and knowledge acquisition of, the contemporary healthcare practice environment.

Elective units available from your first year enable you to pursue specific areas of interest aligned to your career goals. You can choose from complementary areas of nursing practice to intraoperative nursing or undertake units that will further prepare 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.

Our innovative online program delivers a rich, interactive and empowering learning experience that is designed for postgraduate nursing students. Live-streaming seminars and class discussions 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.

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. Intraoperative nurses are in strong demand as they are an integral part of the multidisciplinary teams that support patients through their surgical experience.

*Australia’s hospitals at a glance 2022 - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Australian Government (2022)
^2022 ShanghaiRankings Ranking of Academic Subjects.
#Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) 2018.
~2021 Employment Outlook – for the five years to November 2026, Australian Government National Skills Commission.

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 Intraoperative Nursing will allow you to meet that demand in a variety of roles across advanced practice, leadership, management and education including:

instrument nurse
circulating nurse.

*2021 Employment Outlook – for the five years to November 2026, Australian Government National Skills Commission

Participation requirements

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Alternative exits

Graduate Certificate of Intraoperative Nursing (H568)

Clinical practice

To undertake this course you must independently secure employment of at least 24 hours per week in an intraoperative 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 and your study load. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website or our handy Fee estimator to help estimate your tuition fees.

Course Learning Outcomes

Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Demonstrate advanced clinical practice commensurate with intraoperative 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 intraoperative care setting.
Digital literacy	Evaluate information using digital technologies to effectively disseminate relevant intraoperative 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 intraoperative care setting.
Problem solving	Apply advanced nursing knowledge to complex problems in the intraoperative care setting to optimise patient outcomes.
Self-management	Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, reflection and personal autonomy as an intraoperative care 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 Graduate Diploma of Intraoperative Nursing students must attain 8 credit points, comprising of 4 core units, plus 4 credit points of electives, of which 3 credit points must be from the course electives, and the remaining 1 can be from any level 7 electives from anywhere in the university.

The intraoperative nursing specialisation units (HNN740 Core Principles of Intraoperative Nursing Care and HNN743 Principles of Complex Intraoperative Nursing Care) 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. Recognition of the importance of clinical assessments is calculated in the overall student workload.

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).

Note: Students wishing to complete a thesis at the masters level, must complete HNN730 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning and HNN749 Patient and Risk Management during their Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in order to gain the Intraoperative Nursing Specialisation at the masters level.