Graduate Certificate in Mental Health

School of Nursing & Midwifery

The Graduate Certificate in Mental Health is designed for Registered Nurses and mental health professionals who wish to develop their skills in the area of psychiatry. This interdisciplinary program has been developed after extensive consultation with the mental health profession. Graduates are able to work in a variety of hospital and primary health settings.

• Why study this program?

  Designed to meet the needs of nurses in the area of mental health, the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health program is a rigorous introduction to psychiatric theories and contemporary treatment. Devised and developed after extensive discussion with industry professionals, this program is appropriate for all clinicians in the mental health clinical context.

  The program includes courses in Contemporary Mental Health, Interpersonal Communication, Professional Role Development and the Expanded Role of Mental Health Practitioner in Acute Psychiatry.

  If you would like to further develop your expertise in this field you have the option of enrolling in a Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing & Allied Health which requires a further year of study. A Master of Nursing (Mental Health) can be completed over two semesters of part-time study

• Program summary

  • NURS4025 Interpersonal Communication

  PLUS three of the below electives:

  • NURS5006 Professional Role Development
  • NURS6007 Introduction to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health
  • NURS4024 Contemporary Mental Health Practice
  • NURS4027 Role of the Mental Health Practitioner in an Acute Setting
  • NURS5004 Advanced Contemporary Mental Health Practice 1
  • NURS5005 Advanced Contemporary Mental Health Practice 2

  Full details of the program requirements are contained in the Program Requirements.

  More information regarding courses can be found at the course descriptions page.

• Entry requirements

  To be eligible you must have current registration to practise as a registered nurse, or be a practitioner with an Australian regulatory authority or full membership of an appropriate Australian or Professional organisation.

  English Language Requirements

  You must be able to demonstrate two years of full-time secondary, vocational or tertiary level of study in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom or the United States of America. If you do not meet these requirements you will need to sit the Academic IELTS exam and achieve a score of at least 7.0 overall and 7.0 in each sub-section (reading, writing, listening and speaking) to qualify for entry into the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing and Allied Health. This applies to Permanent Residents and Australian citizens whose first language is not English and have not completed two years full-time academic study in Australia. IELTS results will need to be verified by the Admissions Office before an offer of a place can be made. The Admissions Office reserves the right to ask for IELTS results from any applicant. For more information, please visit www.ielts.org

• Learning outcomes

  Upon successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health, graduates will be able to:

  1. Utilise evidence based knowledge and skills in the planning of respectful, safe, effective and holistic nursing care for the client with acute mental health illness
  2. Integrate evidence based models of decision making with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia National Decision Making Framework and the Mental Health Act (1996) in the planning of patient centred care within the acute mental health context
  3. Use evidence based models of clinical reasoning to facilitate clear effective communication and confident negotiation skills
  4. Harness interprofessional collaboration to provide excellent patient care and achieve common goals
  5. Model responsible and professional behaviours to colleagues and students in order to provide safe, culturally appropriate and socially just care within a medico-legal framework for acutely mentally ill patients
  6. Deconstruct one’s own biases as a means of applying and building professional expertise in the care of acutely mentally ill patients
  7. Reflect on practice to facilitate awareness and knowledge of one’s own cognition in order to establish a mechanism for lifelong learning; and
  8. Conduct research retrieval and enquiry to debate contemporary mental health challenges on the global stage, incorporating philosophical, technical and social justice perspectives.

• Real-world experience

  You will learn from our academics, who are leaders in their field. There are no practicum requirements for this program.

• Fees and costs

  This Program has the following loan scheme(s) available for eligible students:

  
  

  Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
  A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is a place at a university where the Australian Government pays part of your fees. This part is a subsidy, not a loan, and you don’t have to pay it back. However, this subsidy does not cover the entire cost of your study. Students must pay the rest, which is called the ‘student contribution amount’.

  In a Commonwealth Supported Place, your fees are subsidised by the Australian Government. Your fees will be split into two portions:

  The Commonwealth contribution, which is the portion paid by the Australian Government.

  The student contribution, which is the portion you pay. You may choose to pay upfront or defer your student contribution with a HECS-HELP Loan. The HECS-HELP loan scheme assists eligible students with the payment of all, or part, of their tuition fees, not including additional study costs such as accommodation or textbooks. Your HECS-HELP debt will be indexed each year in line with the Consumer Price Index.

  Eligible students will be offered a CSP – you do not need to apply.

   
  

  Domestic Fee-Paying
  A domestic fee-paying place is a place at university where the student is responsible for the full cost the program.

  Eligible domestic fee-paying students may apply for the FEE-HELP loan scheme which assists eligible fee-paying students with the payment of all, or part, of their tuition fees, not including additional study costs such as accommodation or textbooks. Your FEE-HELP debt will be indexed each year in line with the Consumer Price Index.

  
  

  For indicative fees and information on how to pay, including Government loan schemes and our online calculator, visit our Fees, costs and scholarships page.

• More information

  Considering your uni options?

  Talk to one of our career advisors for a personalised advice session. Our advisors provide support while choosing a program of study and completing our application process. Book my session.

  
  

  For more information, please call our Prospective Students Office on +61 8 9433 0533 or email future@nd.edu.au.

  
  

  For more information, please email studyonline@nd.edu.au.