2025 ICU Postgraduate Nursing Program with Graduate Certificate

This course aims to prepare registered nurses to work as Specialist Nurses in Intensive Care. The course provides opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and skills by integrating theory and intensive care nursing practice in order to engage in clinical decision making.

St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney (SVHS) offers students the opportunity to undertake a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Intensive Care) in conjunction with the SVH ICU Postgraduate Nursing Program over a 12 or 18 month period. The SVH ICU Postgraduate Nursing Program incorporates two units of study that articulate with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) postgraduate programs. 

• Intensive Care Nursing 1
• Intensive Care Nursing 2 

Intensive Care Nursing 1 (ICN1)

Intensive Care Nursing 2 (ICN2)

Clinical Practice (CP - Hospital Based Curriculum)

The aim of this unit is to bridge the theory to knowledge gap by integrating theory and Intensive Care nursing practice, in order to improve the application of clinical reasoning.  The unit focuses on enabling students to utilise a multi-conceptual approach competently when caring for the patient.  Students will be required to reflect upon practice and to critically evaluate nursing interventions in terms of evidence-based practice. Content includes;

• Structured Clinical Rotations: students may gain clinical experience in the following areas: General Intensive Care Unit; Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit; Emergency Department; Aneasthetics; and Acute Coronary Care.
• Educational and Clinical Support: Emphasis is placed on adult learning principles, which encourage individuals to take responsibility and accountability for personal and professional development.  All clinical areas have Clinical Nurse Educators to provide guidance and support.  The Nurse Educator’s responsibility is in teaching participants effective learning strategies such as independent and/or self-directed learning.  This type of learning contributes to personal and professional growth, promotes lifelong learning and enables the individual to pursue excellence in patient care.
• Clinical Study Days: 112 hours have been allocated as Study Days for clinically focused learning.  Content of these Study Days is designed to complement the theoretical content of tertiary programs.  Teaching and Learning strategies may include lectures and tutorials, clinical visits, literature appraisal, discussions, assessments, self-directed learning opportunities and presentations.
• Clinical Assessments: Student progress throughout the Clinical Practice Units will be assessed on an individual basis utilising a variety of assessment methods and tools.  Assessments will include specialty clinical competencies; standardised learning contracts for clinical rotations, professional performance reviews, and written assessments such as clinical incident analyses, and a procedure development portfolio
• Clinical Leadership/management: Upon completion of the course requirements, experience may be gained in team leadership and clinical governance within the Intensive Care Unit.    

Course duration

The SVH ICU Postgraduate Nursing Program commences February and concludes December of each year; Affiliated ACU subjects (NRSG524 and NRSG525) must be completed either concurrently with the SVH ICU Postgraduate Nursing Program within 12 months or within 18 months from the commencement of the ICU Postgraduate Nursing Program.

• Clinical Practice (Semester 1 & 2) runs concurrently with Intensive Care Nursing units over 10 months with lectures conducted during 2 eight-hour study days per month. All lectures are delivered in a face-to-face format 

Affiliation with Australian Catholic University (ACU)

1. Complete ACU subjects six months prior to commencing the SVH Postgraduate Intensive Care Nursing Program
2. Complete ACU subjects in the six months after completing the SVH Postgraduate Intensive Care Nursing Program
3. Complete ACU subjects concurrently with the SVH Postgraduate Intensive Care Nursing Program over a 12-month period
   

Nomenclature of Award

On successful completion of the St Vincent’s Hospital ICU Postgraduate Nursing Course (incorporating three units and rotations), a SVH Certificate of Clinical Competence in Intensive Care Nursing Practice is awarded by St Vincent’s Hospital. Upon completion of affiliated ACU subjects a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Intensive Care) is awarded to you by ACU.

Admission Requirements

The selection of SVH Postgraduate Intensive Care Nursing Program students is based on academic and employment suitability. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Currently registered as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Australian Health Professionals Regulation Agency.
• Currently employed on a minimum 32-hour basis within the intensive care unit of St Vincent’s Hospital or St Vincent’s Private Hospital.
• Have a minimum of 6 months Intensive Care nursing experience (excluding Registered Nurse Transition Program or Pathways to Practice rotations) by the course commencement date.
• Have a satisfactory appraisal and managerial support to complete the postgraduate course from their current nurse unit manager in the last 3 months.
• St Vincent’s Public ICU applicants have completed the following training requirements by course commencement date: all SVH mandatory training, SVHS ICU Competencies Progression Book – Advanced beginner level 1B and Cytotoxic level 1 accreditation.
• St Vincent’s Private ICU applicants have completed the following training by course commencement date: SVPH mandatory training, all stage 1, 2 & 3 ICU Competencies, ALS accreditation and cytotoxic workshop (desirable).

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