Master of Advanced Nursing

This course, offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, prepares nurses for leadership roles in clinical nursing, management and education. Clinical specialisations include emergency nursing, intensive care nursing, mental health nursing and nurse practitioner. Clinical specialisations require concurrent employment as a registered nurse in the area. The course enables development of advanced practice knowledge and leadership in specialist practice including 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.

Specialisations

Emergency nursing

Available: Peninsula

This specialisation will provide you with leadership skills in emergency nursing management to plan, implement and coordinate and evaluate health care, as well as formulate policy for a diverse and multicultural society. It is designed using flexible teaching delivery options and provides for a range of individual career pathways, including nursing, education or management positions within industry, government or independent professional practice. The specialisation can be taken by coursework, or a combination of coursework and research.

General studies in advanced nursing

Available: Clayton and Peninsula

This specialisation enables you to tailor your unit choices to suit your own interests or needs while maintaining a strong focus on leadership. You select specialist units from across the other specialisations. You may for example, choose a blend of education and leadership and management.

Intensive care nursing

Available: Clayton

This specialisation will provide you with leadership skills in intensive care nursing management to plan, implement and coordinate and evaluate health care, as well as formulate policy for a diverse and multicultural society. It is designed using flexible teaching delivery options and provides for a range of individual career pathways, including nursing, education or management positions within industry, government or independent professional practice. The specialisation can be taken by coursework, or a combination of coursework and research.

Mental health nursing

Available: Peninsula

This specialisation will provide you with leadership skills in mental health nursing to plan, implement and coordinate and evaluate health care, as well as formulate policy for a diverse and multicultural society. It is designed using flexible teaching delivery options and provides for a range of individual career pathways, including nursing, education or management positions within industry, government or independent professional practice. The specialisation can be taken by coursework, or a combination of coursework and research.

Nursing education

Available: Peninsula

This specialisation will provide you with leadership skills in a variety of nursing education contexts including curriculum development. It is designed using flexible teaching delivery options and provides for a range of individual career pathways, including nursing or management positions within industry, government or independent professional practice. The specialisation can be taken by coursework, or a combination of coursework and research.

Nursing leadership and management

Available: Clayton

This specialisation will provide you with leadership and management skills in a variety of nursing service contexts. It is designed using flexible teaching delivery options and provides for a range of individual career pathways, including nursing, education or management positions within industry, government or independent professional practice. The specialisation can be taken by coursework, or a combination of coursework and research.

Nurse practitioner

Available: Clayton

This specialisation will provide you with an advanced understanding of health assessment, diagnostics, pharmacology and clinical decision making in order to provide holistic care to patients within your particular scope of practice. Nurse Practitioners may be involved in, among many other things, making direct referrals of patients to other health care professionals, prescribing medication, and ordering diagnostic investigations. This specialisation is accredited by ANMAC for Nurse Practitioner endorsement.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that students will be able to:

1. employ creative approaches and skills to address complex nursing and health-related issues
2. support the development of evidence-based nursing interventions
3. initiate, manage and sustain changes which positively affect health outcomes
4. evaluate the impact of care delivery on health outcomes
5. provide professional leadership
6. contribute to the development of nursing knowledge and practice through education, research, scholarly debate, presentation and publication
7. generate and apply advanced knowledge and skills in a selected area of nursing practice.

Professional accreditation is applicable only for those students completing the nurse practitioner specialisation. The nurse practitioner specialisation is accredited by Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC).

The course is structured in two parts. Part A. Specialist nursing practice studies, Part B. Research and advanced scholarly practice. All students complete Part A. Depending upon prior qualifications, you may receive credit for Part A or Part B or a combination of the two.

Note that if you are eligible for credit for prior studies you may elect not to receive the credit.

Part A. Specialist nursing practice studies

These studies provide options for registered nurses seeking leadership roles to take a clinical or non-clinical specialisation appropriate for individual career aspirations. The studies draw on best practices within the nursing specialisations for the development of advanced knowledge and skills.

Part B. Research and advanced scholarly practice

The focus of these studies is professional or scholarly work that can contribute to a portfolio of professional development. You have two options.

The first option is a program of coursework study where you select the units to suit your own interests.

The second option is a 24 or 36 point research program. Students wishing to use this master's course as a pathway to a higher degree by research should take this second option.

The course comprises 72 points structured into two parts: Part A. Specialist nursing practice studies, and Part B. Research and advanced scholarly practice.

• Students admitted at Entry level 1 complete 72 points, comprising Part A and B
• Students admitted at Entry level 2 complete 48 points and receive credit for a combination of units across Part A and B.

Note: Students eligible for credit for prior studies may elect not to receive the credit and complete the higher credit-point option.

Units are 12 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Specialist nursing practice studies (24, 36 or 48 points)

Students complete the following units for their specialisation.

Emergency nursing (24 points)

• NUR5925 Emergency nursing 1 (12 points)
• NUR5926 Emergency nursing 2 (12 points)

General studies in advanced nursing (24 points)

• 24 points of units available under Part A from the nursing education or nursing leadership and management specialisation, or any units from the list of electives

Intensive care nursing (24 points)

• NUR5923 Critical care nursing 1 (6 points)
• NUR5924 Critical care nursing 2 (6 points)
• NUR5703 Advanced pathophysiology and health assessment 1 (6 points)
• NUR5704 Advanced pathophysiology and health assessment 2 (6 points)

Mental health nursing (36 points)

• NUR5008 Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• NUR5215 Mental health nursing concepts and practice
• NUR5227 Integrated mental health care

Nursing education (24 points)

• NUR5204 Education in health care practice
• NUR5209 Education program development

Nursing leadership and management (24 points)

• NUR5327 Management and leadership of professional nursing practice
• NUR5325 Clinical leadership in nursing (6 points)
• NUR5326 Quality, safety and clinical governance in nursing and health care (6 points) or MPH5268 Financial issues in health care management (6 points)

Nurse practitioner (48 points)

• NUR5411 Advanced clinical assessment and diagnostic reasoning
• NUR5208 Therapeutic medication management
• NUR5218 Advanced clinical decision making
• NUR5219 Advanced clinical practice for nurse practitioner

Part B. Research and advanced scholarly practice

Students complete (12 points):

• GHS5841 research and evidence for practice

Students complete either a research pathway or a coursework pathway.

Note: Students completing the nurse practitioner specialisation or the general studies option complete the coursework pathway.

Research pathway (24 or 36 points)

Minor thesis - 36 point option (not available to mental health specialisation) (36 points)

• MAP5000 Research in advanced health professional practice
• MAP5001 Preparatory minor thesis
• MAP5002 Minor thesis

Research project - 24 point research and elective where required

• MAP5000 Research in advanced health professional practice
• MAP5010 Advanced health practice research project
• one 12-point elective unit (except for students completing the mental health specialisation)

Coursework pathway

a. Students complete (normally during the final semester of study):

• NUR5315 Advanced nursing and midwifery practice in context (12 points)

b. Students in the following specialisations take additional elective units to take the total to 72 points:

• Emergency nursing - 24 points of electives
• General studies in advanced nursing - 12 points of electives
• Intensive care nursing - 24 points of electives
• Mental health nursing - 12 points of electives
• Nursing education - 24 points of electives
• Nursing leadership and management - 24 points of electives

Elective list

• MCM5507 Child health
• MFM5004 Chronic disease management (6 points)
• MPH5268 Financial issues in health care management (6 points)
• NUR5008 Cognitive behavioural therapy for mental health professionals
• NUR5202 Nursing informatics
• NUR5203 Palliative care practice
• NUR5204 Education in health care practice
• NUR5208 Therapeutic medication management
• NUR5209 Education program development
• NUR5210 Disaster and emergency nursing management
• NUR5214 Advanced therapeutic interaction in nursing
• NUR5325 Clinical Leadership in nursing (6 points)
• NUR5326 Quality, safety and clinical governance in nursing and health care (6 points)
• NUR5327 Management and Leadership of professional nursing practice
• NUR5833 Refugee health and wellbeing
• NUR5844 Health promotion and education
• SRH5016 Interprofessional rural health practice (6 points)
• any units from Part A for any of the specialisations

Students entering at entry levels 1 and 2 can complete a research thesis (24 points) that will provide a pathway to a higher degree by research.

Students may exit this course early and apply to graduate with one of the following awards, provided they have satisfied the requirements for that award during their enrolment in the master's course:

• Graduate Certificate of Advanced Nursing after successful completion of 24 points with a minimum of 18 credit points at level 4 or above. Students who complete 24 points from a particular specialisation in Part A will have the name of the specialisation on their transcript.
• Graduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing after successful completion of 48 points, with a minimum of 36 credit points at level 4 or above. Students who complete 24 points from a particular specialisation in Part A will have the name of the specialisation on their transcript.