Graduate Certificate in Health (Intensive Care Nursing)

Learn to provide assessment and ongoing management for patients in an intensive care setting. You’ll learn to provide safe and quality nursing care to patients at their most vulnerable.

Apply knowledge of interpersonal skills, communication skills, and the use of various medical devices and equipment that are used in the ICU, such as ventilators, monitors, catheters, feeding tubes, and infusion pumps.

Develop an in-depth understanding of the major body systems and use this to support health assessments in a clinical setting.

Gain the skills and knowledge to manage patients who need specialist care in an intensive care setting such as management of patients of dialysis, monitoring the vital signs, blood tests, and other indicators of the patient’s condition.

Applicants must have successfully completed a three-year (minimum) Bachelor-level qualification in Nursing. You cannot enter based on Diploma-level studies.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate current and satisfactory registration with AHPRA as a Registered Nurse and be working a minimum of 19 hours per week in current and ongoing employment in an intensive or critical care setting.

Upon application, a current resume and letter of agreement from your hospital will be required.

The Graduate Certificate in Health (Intensive Care Nursing) provides a pathway into further studies at the Graduate Diploma or Masters level. Graduates receive credit for one unit (30 cpts) to continue into the Graduate Diploma of Health (Advanced Nursing). There is a further study pathway into the Master of Health (Advanced Nursing) which is focused on leadership skills.

Completion of the Master of Health provides a pathway into Doctoral studies with Federation University.

As a Commonwealth Supported Place student, you may be eligible to defer payment of your student contribution through the HECS-HELP loan scheme. Please visit our HECS-HELP webpage for further information.

You may need to pay some other fees such as the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).

Share your advanced nursing knowledge to support the wider nursing team. You’ll provide direct patient care in acute settings, while also finding opportunities to improve clinical practice.

Help other nurses gain the skills and knowledge to provide the best possible intensive care to their patients. You’ll be able to apply your leadership and communication skills in this role.

Supervise and manage a nursing team. In this role you’ll work closely with a variety of healthcare professionals in order to optimise patient care.

Train and mentor ward staff on how to manage patients who have been discharged from the ICU or who are at risk of deterioration. An ICU liaison nurse also runs courses and workshops on topics such as tracheostomy care, management of deteriorating patients, and critical care skills. They also provide information and emotional support to the families of patients who have been in the ICU or who are critically ill.