Graduate Diploma of Perioperative 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 Perioperative 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
Online	Yes
Duration	Note: this course is only available part-time
Deakin course code	H672
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 perioperative nurses providing care and support in pre-operative, intraoperative and post-operative environments. 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 Perioperative Nursing 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. You will 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 perioperative nursing takes place.

Are you ready to play a pivotal role in a multidisciplinary perioperative team?

If you want to take the next step in your nursing career, our Graduate Diploma of Perioperative Nursing prepares you to practise effectively at an advanced practice level. As a graduate you will demonstrate ethical, safe, high-quality and 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 manage elective and emergency patients undergoing complex and specialty surgical procedures, including anaesthetic management
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
play a pivotal role in the multidisciplinary team management of surgical and/or procedural patients across: infection prevention, surgical safety and environmental planning and preparation; surgical wound closure and management; and medico-legal requirements
demonstrate skills in advanced monitoring and postoperative anaesthesia care following complex and specialty surgery
apply the core principles of perioperative practice across a range of surgical specialities
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.

Second year elective units allow you to pursue specific areas of interest aligned to your career goals. You can choose from complementary areas of health practice, 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.

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. Perioperative 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).
^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, particularly in regional and rural areas. Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Perioperative Nursing will allow you to meet that demand in a variety of roles across advanced practice, leadership and management, including:

anaesthetic nurse
circulating nurse
instrument nurse
nurse educator
perioperative nursing management positions
post anaesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse
pre-admission and day surgery nurses.

^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 Perioperative Nursing (H572)

Clinical Practice

To undertake this course you must independently secure employment of at least 24 hours per week in a perioperative 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 perioperative 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 perioperative care setting.
Digital literacy	Evaluate information using digital technologies to effectively disseminate relevant perioperative 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 perioperative care setting.
Problem solving	Apply advanced nursing knowledge to complex problems in the perioperative care setting to optimise patient outcomes.
Self-management	Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, reflection, and personal autonomy as a perioperative 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 Perioperative Nursing, students must attain 8 credit points, comprising of 6 core (compulsory) units and 2 credit points of electives, of which 1 must be from the course electives, the remaining can be from any level 7 elective from anywhere across the University.

The core perioperative nursing specialisation units are completed in year 1 of the course and are semester-based delivery.

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).

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.