Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Course

This course, offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, prepares nurses for general and specialist practice roles in a range of clinical areas. The course enables development of advanced practice roles such as leadership skills to plan, implement, coordinate and evaluate health care, as well as the ability to formulate policy for a diverse and multicultural society. Graduates are employed in a wide range of general and specialist clinical, educational and health care environments in senior positions and contribute to the health of individuals, families and communities, in addition to the development of the profession.

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

• develop advanced nursing practice roles within a dynamic health care environment
• employ creative approaches and skills to address complex nursing and health related issues
• support the development of evidence-based nursing interventions
• initiate, manage and sustain changes which positively affect health outcomes
• evaluate the impact of care delivery systems on health outcomes
• provide professional leadership and influence health and social policy processes
• contribute to the development of nursing knowledge and practice through education, research, scholarly debate, presentation and publication
• develop and apply advanced knowledge and skills in a selected area of specialist clinical nursing practice.

Assessment

Assessment includes exams, seminar presentations, field-based report, virtual classroom tutorial participation, literature reviews, assignments, skills assessment, computer conferencing and essays.

This course is offered via coursework and project or thesis, or by coursework only. The coursework component comprises core and elective units. Students studying in Australia with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia registration may elect to study a clinical specialist pathway.

Students may undertake the course in one of three ways:

• coursework units only
• a combination of coursework units (48 points) and a 24-point project involving research into an aspect of nursing which enhances nursing practice and patient care. Students submit a report of approximately 15,000 words which must meet the standards required for publication
• a combination coursework units (36 points) and a 36-point minor thesis involving in depth systematic research into an aspect of nursing which enhances nursing practice and patient care. Students submit an original report of approximately 25,000 words in length which will lead to publication.

Students studying in Australia with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia registration will be able to undertake a clinical specialist pathway of study within the degree, giving them the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge and skills in clinical practice.

Students wishing to pursue a specialist pathway must have Monash University School of Nursing and Midwifery-approved employment in a clinical setting prior to commencement of study.

All students who elect to do the project or minor thesis option will be supervised by a Monash University-approved supervisor. Thesis and project guidelines are available from the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Courses of study are individually planned according to each student's career path plan. Students are encouraged to discuss a range of options with the course coordinator when constructing their individual program of study.

Generic pathway

To undertake a generic pathway of study, students are able to select any available units of study from the school, keeping in mind that there are pre-requisites to some units.

Specialist pathways

To enter a specialist pathway, Australian Registered Nursing students will normally be required to work an average of 2 to 3 days a week within the speciality (or with contact with patients/clients from the speciality) for the duration of the course. To complete a specialist pathway, the following requirements must be met.

Option one - Coursework only

Any available units or units selected from the specialist pathways listed below up to the required number of credit points.

Advanced medical surgical specialist pathway

Clinical requirements

Students will normally be required to work in supervised clinical practice for a minimum of three days a week at a Monash University, School of Nursing and Midwifery-approved medical surgical unit.

Core units

Students complete the following core units (36 points):

• GHS5841 Research methods and issues or NUR5208 Therapeutic medication management
• NUR4926 Advanced medical/surgical nursing practice
• NUR5703 Advanced pathophysiology and health assessment

Elective units

Students choose from a wide range of masters-level units offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, or the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to a total of 36 credit points.

The choice of elective will need the approval of the course coordinator.

For further information contact Ian.Mosley@monash.edu

Clinical partner program

Students undertake in-house clinical modules conducted at the Clayton campus of Southern Health and receive 12 points of credit towards the Master of Nursing.

Students are required to attend study days relevant to each module. The modules form the clinical component of the course with a focus on assessment and the management of the ill child. Further information available at http://www.southernhealth.org.au/name/Default.htm.

Further information contact beverley.copnell@monash.edu

Critical care nursing specialist pathway

Clinical requirements

Students will normally be required to work in supervised clinical practice for a minimum of three days a week at an approved critical, intensive, or coronary care unit.

Core units

Students complete the following core units (36 points):

• GHS5841 Research methods and issues or NUR5208 Therapeutic medication management
• NUR4924 Critical care nursing
• NUR5703 Advanced pathophysiology and health assessment

Elective units

Students choose from a wide range of masters-level units offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, or the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to a total of 36 credit points.

The choice of elective will need the approval of the course coordinator.

Further information contact sharyn.streitberg@monash.edu

Disaster and emergency nursing management specialist pathway

Clinical requirements

There is no clinical requirement for this specialisation, and research project work is recommended for the final 24 credit points of the course. It is therefore suitable for international students.

Core units

Students complete the following core units (36 points):

• GHS5841 Research methods and issues
• MDM4010 Introduction to principles of emergency preparedness and disaster medicine
• MDM4040 Disaster recovery
• NUR5210 Disaster and emergency nursing management

Elective units

Students choose from a wide range of masters-level units offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, or the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to a total of 36 credit points.

The choice of elective will need the approval of the course coordinator, however, MDM4020 (Emergency preparedness) and MDM4030 (Major incident management) is recommended.

Further information contact virginia.plummer@monash.edu

Emergency nursing specialist pathway

Clinical requirements

Students will normally be required to work in supervised clinical practice for a minimum of three days a week at an approved emergency unit.

Core units

Students complete the following core units (36 points):

• GHS5841 Research methods and issues or NUR5208 Therapeutic medication management
• NUR4925 Emergency nursing
• NUR5703 Advanced pathophysiology and health assessment

Elective units

Students choose from a wide range of masters-level units offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, or the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to a total of 36 credit points.

The choice of elective will need the approval of the course coordinator.

Further information contact Julia.Morphet@monash.edu

Gerontics specialist pathway

Clinical requirements

Students will normally be required to work in supervised clinical practice for a minimum of two days a week at an approved department.

Core units

Students complete the following core units (36 points):

• GHS5841 Research methods and issues
• NUR5301 Gerontological nursing practice
• NUR5203 Palliative care practice

Elective units

Up to 36 points of electives.

Recommended:

• NUR5315 Advanced practice in context

Further information contact susan.lee@monash.edu

Mental health specialist pathway

Clinical requirements

Students must complete three specialist clinical core units with a minimum of 250 hours of supervised clinical experience each. Of the total 750 clinical hours for the course, at least 250 hours must be in an acute admission unit. Experienced mental health nurses, for example division three nurses or division one nurses with an recognised psychiatric nurse qualification, do not have to complete the clinical hours and may be eligible for credit for previous study or clinical experience.

Credit

Credit for successful completion of an approved graduate nurse program (GNP) in mental health or equivalence based on previous clinical experience in mental health may be granted to a total of 12 credit points.

Core units

Students complete the following core units (36 points):

• NUR5215 Mental health nursing concepts and practice
• NUR5227 Integrated mental health care
• NUR5214 Advanced therapeutic interaction or NUR5008 Cognitive behavioural therapy for mental health professionals

Elective units

Students choose from a wide range of masters-level units offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, or the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, to a total of 36 credit points.

The choice of elective will need the approval of the course coordinator, however, GHS5841 (Research methods and issues) is recommended.

Further information contact ian.munro@monash.edu

Palliative care nursing specialist pathway

Clinical Requirements

Students complete a minimum of three days per week of mentor-guided clinical practice and competency development in an approved clinical environment.

Core units

Students complete the following core units (36 points):

• GHS5841 Research methods and issues, or NUR5315 Advanced practice in context
• NUR5203 Palliative care practice
• NUR5214 Advanced therapeutic interaction

Elective units

Students choose from a wide range of masters-level units offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, or the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to a total of 36 credit points.

The choice of elective will need the approval of the course coordinator.

Further information contact susan.lee@monash.edu

Education in nursing specialist pathway

Core units

Students complete the following core units (36 points):

• GHS5841 Research methods and issues
• NUR5209 Education program development
• NUR5204 Education in nursing and midwifery

Elective units

Students choose from a wide range of masters-level units offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, or the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to a total of 36 credit points.

The choice of elective will need the approval of the course coordinator, however NUR5202 (Nursing informatics) is recommended.

Further information contact susan.lee@monash.edu

Option two - Coursework and a research project or minor thesis

The generic or specialist pathways are available under this option. The key criteria for each pathway must be met.

To progress to either the research project or minor thesis, a minimum of 36 credit points and GHS5841 (Research methods and issues) must have been completed, normally with a minimum of a credit grade average (70 per cent). Students wishing to progress to the project or minor thesis units must contact their course coordinator for further information and advice.

As part of the study process, students must enrol on the following units as they progress through the project or minor thesis:

• MHS5000 Research design and proposal
• MHS5001 Research ethics and conduct
• MHS5002 Data analysis and results
• MHS5003 Writing up and submission

Students should seek guidance from their research supervisor on when to register for each unit. For example, part-time students undertaking a project are likely to register for MHS5000/MHS5001 in semester one and MHS5002/MHS5003 in semester two.

Each unit must be completed once, but may be repeated to meet the requirements of a 36-point minor thesis, for example, by repeating MHS5002/MHS5003 in the third semester of study. Note, however, that units cannot be repeated in the same semester.

Students who complete this course and achieve a distinction (70 per cent) or above in the project or minor thesis units may qualify for admission into higher degrees by research (HDR) including course 3438 Master of Philosophy and 0047 Doctor of Philosophy.

Students may exit with one of the following awards, providing all requirements for the award have been met:

• a Graduate Certificate of Nursing
• a Graduate Diploma of Nursing.

If a specialisation has been completed, the specialisation is named in the award will be noted on the student's testamur.

Master of Nursing

Master of Nursing (Critical Care)

Master of Nursing (Emergency)

Master of Nursing (Education)

Master of Nursing (Gerontics)

Master of Nursing (Mental Health)

Master of Nursing (Palliative Care)

Master of Nursing (Advanced Medical Surgical)

Master of Nursing (Disaster and Emergency Nursing Management)

Master of Nursing (Paediatric)

Where more than one award is listed the actual award conferred may depend on units/majors/streams/specialisations studied, the level of academic merit achieved, or other factors relevant to the individual student's program of study.