Graduate Diploma of Perianaesthesia 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 Perianaesthesia 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 years part-time study Note: this course is only available part time
Deakin course code	H669
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

Every year, 2.8 million hospitalisations in Australia result in surgical interventions*. Integral to these interventions are the perianaesthesia nurses providing care and support before, during and after the administration of anaesthesia. The advanced specialist skills required for this pivotal role in a multidisciplinary perioperative team are in high demand, in one of the strongest growth areas of the health sector~. Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Perianaesthesia prepares you to meet that demand.

Ranked 20th in the world^, our School of Nursing and Midwifery is one of Australia’s largest and most established schools. You’ll be learning from the best with the School’s cutting-edge research recognised as well above world standard#. Our strong industry connections mean you will be guided by experts in critical care and perioperative nursing as you explore the current and emerging trends, concepts, knowledge and evidence that provides the policy and practice framework in which perianaesthesia nursing takes place.

Are you ready to play a pivotal role in a multidisciplinary perioperative team by advancing your skills in perianaesthesia nursing?

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

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 nursing practice area with one of our numerous metropolitan, rural and regional health partners across Australia.

This course enables you to:

critically assess and apply the concepts and principles of anaesthetic management and postoperative care
develop an advanced understanding of pharmacological therapies, including anaesthetic agents, adjunct therapies and pain management therapies
perform patient assessment and monitoring of neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory and haemodynamic states
manage complex and special populations to identify risk and inform decisions that deliver safe, high- quality nursing care to promote optimal patient outcomes
assess and manage anaesthetic requirements for complex patients and emergency presentations
demonstrate skills in advanced monitoring and postoperative anaesthesia care following complex and specialty surgery
develop greater decision-making autonomy, critical thinking and leadership skills, advanced clinical judgement, and enhanced professionalism.

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 practice to perianaesthesia, or undertake studies preparing you for roles in education, leadership or management. You’ll 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. Perianaesthesia 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 Perianaesthesia Nursing will allow you to meet that demand in a variety of roles across advanced practice, leadership and management.

~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 Perianaesthesia Nursing (H569)

Clinical practice

To undertake this course you must independently secure employment of at least 24 hours per week in a perianaesthesia 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 perianaesthesia 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 perianaesthesia care setting.
Digital literacy	Evaluate information using digital technologies to effectively disseminate relevant perianaesthesia 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 perianaesthesia care setting.
Problem solving	Apply advanced nursing knowledge to complex problems in the perianaesthesia care setting to optimise patient outcomes.
Self-management	Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, reflection and personal autonomy as a perianaesthesia 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 Perianaesthesia Nursing students must attain 8 credit points, comprising of 4 core units, pluse 4 credit points of electives, of which 3 must be from the course electives, the remaining 1 can be from any level 7 electives from anywhere in the university.

The perianaesthesia nursing specialisation units (HNN755 Core Principles of Perianaesthesia Nursing Care and HNN742 Principles of Complex Perianaesthesia 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 Perianaesthesia Nursing Specialisation at the masters level.