Master of Advanced Nursing Practice

The course provides nurses with the confidence and skill to provide the best possible health care for consumers. Masters prepared nurses will assume a major responsibility in developing new professional roles, devising new models of care and overseeing dynamic changes to practice. As clinically proficient and professionally articulate practitioners, graduates of the MANP will make their mark on the profession and on health care.

The first year of study provides the opportunity for you to extend your nursing knowledge into an area of specialty practice. The second year of study focuses on advanced practice skills and knowledge, preparing you for leadership roles in practice and education and for extended clinical roles, with the option of preparation for Nurse Practitioner endorsement for appropriately qualified applicants.

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

As a graduate of the MANP you will have:

• a comprehensive knowledge of relevant research literature related to your field of practice
• the capacity to critically think, problem-solve, seek, retrieve and evaluate information
• the ability to analyse the socio-political influences on nursing practice
• the ability to explore and evaluate the status of (and potential for) advanced nursing practice in national and international contexts
• be able to undertake an assessment of your practice, develop a plan and complete a planned program of knowledge and skill development
• achieve mastery of knowledge and skills to support extension to practice and the development of therapeutic and evidence-based nursing interventions in your work environment
• the ability to develop, implement and undertake new and innovative practices within legislative and professional boundaries
• attained oral and written communication skills to support advanced practice
• developed planning, time management and teamwork skills to support advanced practice
• knowledge and skills to support culturally competent practice, leadership and/or education relevant to advanced practice in your chosen specialty practice

The course comprises 100 credit points of study in the first year and 100 credit points in the second year. In the first year, you will undertake a program of study identical to the Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Practice or Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing. To enrol in subjects with clinical components you must meet the registration and clinical experience requirements outlined in the Admission requirements section. You must also have the support of your current employer to facilitate completion of specialty clinical competencies. During the first year of study, you may take up to 12.5 points of subjects from other disciplines.

In the second year, you can choose one of two pathways. Pathway 1 comprises 100 credit points of coursework subjects. Pathway 2 comprises 50 credit points of coursework subjects and a 50 credit point minor thesis. To achieve a specialisation award, assessment tasks completed in the second year must share the specialty focus of your first year studies. If you enrol in the generic program you can complete subjects to address areas of specialty practice not currently offered as specialty streams or you can combine subjects for a broader focus. In the second year you may also take up to 25 points of approved subjects offered in other disciplines. Please see the list of possible electives.

Pathway 1 - coursework

Pathway 1 is ideal if you want to develop advanced practice skills and knowledge, and prepare for leadership roles in practice and education, and extended clinical roles.

Students are required to undertake one research subject in their second year of study.

The remaining subjects can be selected from the listed elective subjects below.

Nurse Practitioner

We offer an articulated study pathway to assist you to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) (formerly Nurses Board of Victoria) requirements for endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner. Students are advised to monitor the relevant nursing regulatory authority's website for information regarding specific requirements for applying for endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner.

The program is incorporated within the MANP and includes five subjects in the second year to complement the NMBA-accredited Therapeutic Medication Management Education Program. These subjects provide you with generic and specialist advanced practice knowledge and skills in health assessment, history taking, diagnostic interventions, referral and integration of care within multidisciplinary services, decision making and patient education.

Mandated subjects for the Nurse Practitioner pathway include NURS70004, NURS70001 and PHRM90002.

Students are recommeded to undertake the remaining elective credits from the listed subjects.

Pathway 2 - Minor Thesis

Pathway 2 is ideal if you want to focus on critically analysing practice, identifying sociopolitical influences that impact on practice, developing and implementing new and innovative practice roles or educational programs, investigating and applying approaches for evaluating programs or developing and/or implementing research based policy.

Students are required to undertake at least one research subject, either NURS70002 or NURS70004 or both in their second year of study.

Second Year Master of Advanced Nursing Practice elective subjects

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.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's courses. This course requires all students to enrol in subjects where they must actively and safely contribute to clinical/field work activities. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Course Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

The Melbourne Experience enables our graduates to become:

• Academically excellent:
  • have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
  • have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s)
  • reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
  • be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
  • be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies
• Knowledgeable across disciplines:
  • examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
  • expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
  • have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
  • have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment
• Leaders in communities:
  • initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces
  • have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of personal strengths and limitations
  • mentor future generations of learners
  • engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs
• Attuned to cultural diversity:
  • value different cultures
  • be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
  • have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community
  • respect indigenous knowledge, cultures and values
• Active global citizens:
  • accept social and civic responsibilities
  • be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
  • have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equity and ethics