Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Practice

Description

The Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Practice (PDNP) provides you with the opportunity to extend your nursing knowledge in an area of specialty nursing and to develop a level of clinical competence consistent with proficient specialty practice. You will develop a depth and complexity of knowledge that enhances your specialty nursing practice in a variety of contexts and nursing roles.

Enrolment in the PDNP is dependent on meeting the registration and clinical experience requirements outlined in the Admission requirements section. You must also have the support of your employer to facilitate completion of specialty clinical competencies.

If you do not meet the registration and clinical experience requirements for entry to the clinical diploma, you may be eligible for the theory-only Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing. In the theory-only diploma, clinical components are replaced with additional elective subjects. Please contact us for further details.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Practice is a 100 credit point, on-campus coursework program, with a clinical practice component, of one year's duration full time, or two years' duration part time.

The PDNP is comprised of 100 credit points of coursework subjects. You will complete a mandated evidence-based subject and a range of clinical and theory coursework subjects. Course structures for the specialty areas are outlined below. Students may take up to 12.5 points of approved subjects from other disciplines. Please see the list of possible electives.

Requirements

Admission requirements for all specialty and advanced practice courses:

•a Bachelor of Nursing (or equivalent training)
•at least one year of clinical experience as a registered Division 1, 3 or 4 nurse within the five years prior to applying for the course
•current unrestricted registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (formerly the Nurses Board of Victoria) in Division 1, 3 or 4 of the Register (courses with clinical components only)
•current employment and clinical support in your specialty area (courses with clinical components only)
•meet the University of Melbourne's English language requirements
If you are applying for the Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Practice or Postgraduate Certificate in Nursing Practice or a clinical specialisation in the Master of Advanced Nursing Practice, you must provide evidence of current clinical employment and support by submitting a completed Confirmation of Clinical Employment and Support Form with your application.


English language requirements
All applicants must meet the University's English language requirements. If English is not your first language, there are a number of ways of demonstrating that you have met this requirement. Details are available on the University of Melbourne Future Students website.

Please note that while the University requires an IELTS score of 6.5 (with no band less than 6.0), the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia requires a score of 7.0 (with no band less than 7.0) to register for unrestricted practice as a Registered Nurse.

Notes

As a graduate of the PDNP you will have:

•the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to understand the practice of providing holistic nursing care to individuals experiencing a complex range of disturbances to health and wellbeing that require complex specialty nursing interventions
•an understanding of the professional issues impacting upon specialty nursing and the wider nursing profession
•a beginning understanding of the international context and sensitivities of the specialty area
•a capacity to engage where appropriate with issues in contemporary society that impact on and are impacted by specialty nursing practice
•an appreciation of the ways in which evidence based practice guides specialty practice and how specialty knowledge equips you to offer leadership in the specialty area
•an appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of research as it relates to the development of evidence based practice
•a capacity to articulate knowledge and understanding of specialty practice in oral and written presentations
•a capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work
•demonstrated clinical competencies in a workplace, assessed by clinical experts at a proficient level as benchmarked against Australian specialty practice competencies