Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing

Intensive Care Nursing

Course code: GG011
Course coordinator: Dr Janice Gullick


Choosing a graduate certificate | Applying for a graduate certificate | Cost of a graduate certificate | Admission requirements | Clinical practice requirements | Study pattern


Master of Intensive Care Nursing
Graduate Diploma in Intensive Care Nursing


Sydney Nursing School offers a flexible range of postgraduate advanced learning courses in several specialty areas. One of these areas is Intensive Care Nursing.

Download Intensive Care Nursing brochure

Choosing a graduate certificate

You can either choose to study the graduate certificate alone, or as a pathway into a graduate diploma or a master’s degree. If you haven't studied at tertiary level for some time, you might consider to use this route.

A graduate certificate can only be studied part-time by local students. Since international students can only apply for full-time study, they are not eligible to study at graduate certificate level in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.

Each unit of study may have up to five face-to-face study days. A normal part-time load is two units of study per semester. The graduate certificate is two semesters part-time.

The graduate certificate requires a total of 24 credit points. Award units taken at graduate certificate level may also count towards a graduate diploma or a master’s degree. Previously completed non-award units of study may be credited towards a graduate certificate.

Student learning is further supported by the University’s eLearning.

Applying for a graduate certificate

There is one intake of students in March each year.

Application must be made online. You will also need to upload copies of other documentation as part of your online application process. To assist you, there is a checklist of required documents that you will need.

Cost of a graduate certificate

Sydney Nursing School will offer Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) for local students enrolled in advanced learning postgraduate coursework programs in 2014. This means most of the cost of your course will be paid for by the government and you will make significant savings per unit of study. Visit the Costs and scholarships website for detailed information.

Admission requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing

Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing is open to all nurses registered in Australia.

Clinical practice requirements

During this course, you will be required to undertake clinical assessments in the workplace. So, if you wish to enrol in the Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing, you need to fill out a clinical assessment form, and upload the document with your application.


Study pattern for the Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing

The following study pattern indicates which units you will study in each semester.

For full descriptions of each of the following courses, click on the unit of study codes.

Semester  1

Semester 2

NURS5012

Assessment and Clinical Judgement

NURS5055

Intensive Care Nursing Practice

NURS5059

Foundations of Clinical Practice

NURS5060

Complexity of Critical Illness and Injury