Postgraduate Interventional Cardiology Nursing Course 2025

This course aims to prepare Registered Nurses to work as specialist nurses in the Interventional Cardiology specialty area. The course provides opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and skills by integrating theory and interventional cardiology nursing practice in order to engage in clinical decision making.

St Vincent’s Hospital (SVH) Sydney offers two focused post graduate units of study that articulate with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) postgraduate programs:

• SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Unit 1
• SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Unit 2

Features of the Course

The features of the SVH Postgraduate Interventional Cardiology Nursing Course are:

• Structured Clinical Rotations: students will gain a minimum of 1520 hours clinical experience.

  Students may gain clinical experience in the following areas: Interventional Cardiology; Coronary Care Unit; Cardiology; Intensive Care Unit; Theatres; Anaesthetics & Recovery; and other cardiac-related services.

• Educational and Clinical Support: Emphasis is placed on adult learning principles, which encourage individuals to take accountability and responsibility for personal and professional development. 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.
• Assessments: Student progress throughout the SVH Clinical Units is assessed on an individual basis utilising a variety of assessment methods and tools. Assessments include specialty clinical competencies; standardised learning contracts for clinical rotations, presentations and written assessments.
• Study Days: 10 study days are allocated for clinically focused learning across both units. 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, workshops, self-directed learning opportunities and presentations.

SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Unit 1

The aim of this unit is to prepare students to provide holistic care in the Interventional Cardiology nursing. Students will examine and apply knowledge and skills for safe, competent, person and family centred care relevant to cardiothoracic, cardiology, interventional cardiology and heart lung transplant nursing. The unit focuses on enabling students to perform a comprehensive health assessment and prioritise, implement and evaluate appropriate nursing care.

This unit is conducted in the first semester and includes five (5) study days (40 hours).

It is preferable that students wishing to enrol in the subject should have completed or be concurrently enrolled in NRSG524 Advanced Pathophysiology for Specialty Nursing Practice, offered online by ACU.

SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Unit 2

This unit builds on and extends the knowledge and understanding acquired in previous units. The aim is to prepare students to develop further their skills in providing holistic care, including person and family-centred health promotion in cardiothoracic, cardiology, interventional cardiology and heart lung transplant care. The focus of this unit is on enhancing skills to work within the collaborative team on planning care for people and families experiencing complex health problems. The students’ ability to articulate the evidence base for clinical decisions will be facilitated.

This unit is conducted in the second semester and includes five (5) study days (40 hours).

It is preferable that students wishing to enrol in the subject should have completed SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Unit 1 and NRSG524 Advanced Pathophysiology for Specialty Nursing Practice, AND be concurrently enrolled in NRSG525 Evidence-based, Person-centred Family Care in Specialty Nursing Practice, offered online by ACU.

Course Duration

The SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Units 1 and 2 and structured clinical rotations commence in February and conclude in December; units are undertaken sequentially throughout the year. All lectures are delivered in a face to face format.

Affiliation with Australian Catholic University (ACU)

To complete a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing offered by ACU (requiring 40 credit points), students must undertake a total of four (4) units:

• Two online theory units though ACU; and NRSG524 Advanced Pathophysiology for Specialty Nursing Practice and NRSG525 Evidence-based, Person-centred Family Care in Specialty Nursing Practice (10 credit points per unit); and
• Two St Vincent’s Hospital units; SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Unit 1 and SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Unit 2, which attract 10 credit points per unit.

  Nomenclature of Award

  On successful completion of the one year St Vincent’s Hospital Interventional Cardiology Nursing Course (incorporating two units and rotations), a SVH Certificate of Clinical Nursing Practice is awarded by St Vincent’s Hospital.

Student Selection Criteria

• The selection of SVH Postgraduate Interventional Cardiology Nursing Course students is based on academic and employment suitability, following online application and successful interview at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney.

• Essential criteria

  To be eligible for enrolment in this course, Registered Nurses must:

• have an undergraduate degree in nursing or equivalent qualification
• be currently registered as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Australian Health Professionals Regulation Agency
• have a minimum of 6 months Interventional Cardiology nursing experience (excluding Transition Program Rotations) at the course commencement date
• hold current Advanced Life Support accreditation (at course commencement date).

All applicants are required to be employed by St Vincent’s Health Australia and have a positive appraisal from their current, preferable, or previous employer. As positions are limited, nurses are encouraged to seek permanent employment prior to applying.

Desirable criteria

• Full-time employment within the Heart Lung Stream of St Vincent’s Public Hospital. Part-time employees may apply if clinical experience hours can be met; applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Cost

SVH Cardiothoracic and Heart Lung Transplant Specialty Nursing Units 1 and 2 are fee-free for St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney students when undertaken concurrently within the St Vincent’s Hospital Postgraduate Cardiothoracic and Heart Lung Transplant Nursing Course. 

SVH Interventional Cardiology Specialty Nursing Units 1 and 2 attract a cost of $500 per unit of study for staff external to St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney e.g. Mater Hospital, St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

Fees do apply for NRSG524 Advanced Pathophysiology for Specialty Nursing Practice and NRSG525 Evidence-based, Person-centred Family Care in Specialty Nursing Practice. ACU offer a Faculty of Health Sciences Postgraduate Alumni Rebate - a 10% rebate on course fees is offered to previous ACU graduates. Students may also be eligible for HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP, student loan initiatives from the Australian Government www.studyassist.gov.au/financial-and-study-support

Fee-reduced Commonwealth Supported Places are also available in the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Cardiac) at ACU. 

Applications

Applications for the SVH Interventional Cardiology Nursing Course are accepted twice per year, closing: 

• Monday 10h June 2024 at midnight for early entry to ACU Online unit NRSG524 in ACU Online Term 3 2023, 18-month Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing pathway; or 
• Monday 21st October 2024 at midnight for 12-month Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing pathway.

Applicants are required to complete an online application form via https://forms.office.com/r/LaX8mG9uZG

Applications for enrolment in the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing online subjects offered by ACU Online (NRSG524 and NRSG525) close in mid-January (Term 1 commencement), April (Term 2), July (Term 3) and October (Term 4) each year. Applications for direct ACU enrolment with a fee-reduced Commonwealth Supported Place are to be made via direct VIP link provided to successful SVH Interventional Cardiology Specialty Nursing Course applicants.

Scholarships

With thanks to our generous benefactors through the St Vincent’s Curran Foundation, the St Vincent’s Hospital Nursing Directorate is able to offer a defined number of scholarships to students of St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. The aim is to reduce the financial burden of study to enable our nurses to undertake tertiary based Post-Graduate study that relates to clinical specialties at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. 

For further information, please contact the Nurse Manager of Education on: 02 8382 2322 

Scholarships are also available through various other organisations, such as the NSW Department of Health and the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association. 

For further enquiries please contact:

Lyndell Brodie | Nurse Educator

T 02 8382 2599 | M 0404 647 720
E Lyndell.Brodie@svha.org.au