Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Practice

The course provides the opportunity for nurses to extend their nursing knowledge in an area of specialty nursing and to develop a level of clinical competence consistent with proficient specialty practice. Students develop a depth and complexity of knowledge that enhances their specialty nursing practice in a variety of contexts and nursing roles.

Enrolment in the Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Practice (PDNP) 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.

If you do not meet the registration and clinical experience requirements of this course, you may be eligible for the theory only Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing . In this course, clinical components are replaced with additional elective subjects. Please contact the School for further details.

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 the student 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

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 can be found at the School of Nursing website: http://www.nursing.unimelb.edu.au/courses/SAP/pdnp.html

Students may take up to 12.5 points of approved subjects from other disciplines. Students commencing in semester 2 undertake an altered course plan due to subject availability.

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