Charles Sturt University (CSU) will offer registered nurses two new ways to advance their knowledge with the Master of Nursing (with specialisations) and the Master of Clinical Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) courses to begin in 2014.

 

Courses Director Ms Angela Bradley said the courses had both been designed in conjunction with registered nurses and other industry experts to ensure they are contemporary and relevant to rural and remote communities.

 

“The Master of Nursing has been reviewed to provide students with the opportunity to choose from three pathways; a specialty pathway, a professional pathway and a research pathway,” she said.

 

“Students can choose to exit at the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma levels or go on to complete the full Master of Nursing.”

 

The Master of Nursing course will offer specialisations at the graduate certificate level in emergency, chronic and complex care, primary healthcare, mental health, palliative care nursing and involve 40 hours of mentored practice in the chosen specialisation. In addition to their specialty subject, students will also enroll in health assessment for advancing nurse practice, applied pharmacology and processes of pathology.

 

Students who choose a specialty practice pathway and are continuing to study toward a graduate diploma can further extend their expertise in evidence based practice, emergency, high dependency nursing, child and family health nursing, palliative care, Indigenous health, mental health and aged care.

 

Alternatively, students can choose to undertake the professional pathway, extending their knowledge of leadership and management, clinical education, policy development, or undertake a research pathway.

 

“It means registered nurses can tailor the course to according to their own needs and areas of specialty practice,” Ms Bradley said.

 

“Experienced registered nurses may also wish to extend their scope of practice and enroll in the newly developed Master of Clinical Nursing (Nurse Practitioner), which is currently awaiting ANMAC approval.

 

“The Master of Clinical Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) will help students develop advanced knowledge and skills for research and professional practice, and lead to a new scope of practice as a nurse practitioner.

 

“Graduates from this course will demonstrate an advanced and integrated knowledge in core subjects; evidence based practice, assessment, pharmacology, nursing specialty subjects, diagnostic reasoning, clinical and professional leadership and advanced professional practice.”

 

Ms Bradley said an important aspect of the course was the involvement of the patient, their carer and the family in all aspects of their health care experience. Students will be encouraged to work with their academic mentor and professional experience supervisor to practise confidently in collaboration with general practitioners to provide a comprehensive range of health services to the community.

 

“Our focus is on preparing rural generalist Nurse Practitioners who have the broad expertise necessary to work in rural areas to help address rural health workforce needs and supporting our communities,” she said.