Faculty of Health

Master of Nursing (Advanced Practice)

Program Code11682
Graduate LevelPostgraduate
Locations
Contributing Schools and FacultiesFaculty of Health

School of Biomedical Sciences
School of Medicine and Public Health
School of Nursing and Midwifery

Admission InstructionsHow to apply as a:
Program Award Rules and Schedules
Mode of deliveryOnline.

Back to topDescription

The Master of Nursing (Advanced Practice) program is intended for registered nurses who wish to prepare themselves for leadership in nursing practice and education. The focus is on clinical practice and the program allows for specialisation in selected areas of nursing, and in-depth study of a selected topic relevant to nursing practice. In particular, the program is designed for registered nurses who which to practice as clinical nurse specialists, clinical nurse consultants, or clinical nurse educators.

The program requires completion of 80 units and consists of core nursing and directed courses. The program has a clinical practice focus and allows for specialisation in a selected areas of nursing. Streams and areas of specialisation are available in Acute Care (including Perioperative, Nephrology, Intensive Care, Emergency and Surgical Nursing), Older Person Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Child, Youth and Family Nursing. Students must complete the courses approved for each specialisation to ensure specialisation acknowledgement.

A number of the courses listed are offered in partnership with Hunter New England Area Health (including Mental Health and the Centre for Education and Nursing Research in Child Health [CENRiCH]).

Back to topWhy study with us?

Teaching is shared between academic staff and conjoint staff who are clinical experts within their speciality areas.

Back to topCareer Opportunities

The program is designed for registered nurses who wish to practice as clinical nurse specialists, clinical nurse consultants, or clinical nurse educators.

Back to topAdmission Requirements

Applicants must be registered nurses with a Bachelor of Nursing degree or equivalent. If you do not have a Bachelors degree please contact the Program Convenor or the Program Officer to discuss this further.

Back to topAssumed Knowledge

Completed Bachelor of Nursing degree or equivalent and evidence of 1 year full time (or equivalent part time) of advanced clinical practice in a broad area of practice.

Back to topSelection Criteria

Additional Selection Criteria:
  • Please note that courses in the Acute Care Specialisation are NOT currently available to international students.

    Students who choose to study NURS6772 & NURS6773 must have concurrent employment in a specialty area (minimum of 0.6 FTE per week).

    Students who choose to study NURS6816 must have experience in a special care nursery or level 2 nursery working with newborn infants or experience in paediatric intensive care.

Back to topCredit Transfer

University rules allow for a maximum of 50% of external credit. Up to 40 units of credit may be awarded to applicants who have completed postgraduate coursework provided by recognised institutions (including Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service and Hunter New England Area Health Service prior to 2002; the College of Nursing and Universities).

Back to topPractical Experience

In NURS6772 & NURS6773, students need to have achieved a satisfactory clinical assessment (this includes meeting the required number of 288 hours within 12 weeks) and meet the clinical competencies as per the clinical specialty. Students must pass NURS6772 prior to enrolling in NURS6773.

Back to topInternational Students

This program is available to offshore International students only.

Back to topSpecial Needs

The Faculty accepts that it is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations for students with special needs, in liaison with the Student Support Unit, which offers practical assistance and advice to students with a disability or chronic illness. The Faculty will seek advice from the Student Support Unit as to what constitutes "reasonable accommodations" under Anti-Discrimination legislation.

Back to topAdditional Information

Students can elect to exit with a Graduate Certificate in Nursing (Advanced Practice) after completing NURS6120 and 3 Directed courses.

Students wishing to have a specialisation recognised on their transcript must complete 40 units of specialisation courses at the Masters level.

Back to topRequirements and Structure

There is provision for students to exit with the Graduate Certificate in Nursing (Advanced Practice) upon completion of NURS6120 and three directed courses.

Back to topCourse Information

Back to topCore Courses
Complete the following core courses to fulfil the requirements of this program.
NURS6090Investigative Methods for Clinical Practice10 units
NURS6120Contemporary Nursing10 units
Back to topDirected Courses
Choose 60 units from Directed Courses List (availability conditional on sufficient enrolment).
BIOS6910Biostatistics A
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6420Epidemiology A - Basic Methods
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6600Research Protocol Design
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
HUBS6202Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice
Students who wish to enrol in this course must apply directly to the School of Biomedical Sciences.
10 units
MEDI6160Clinical Assessment Of Drug/Alcohol Use
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6320Stroke: Acute Management
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6340Stroke: Rehabilitation
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
NURS6450Symptom Management in Clinical Practice10 units
NURS6621Contract Learning A10 units
NURS6622Contract Learning B10 units
NURS6623Leadership and Management in Practice10 units
NURS6624Leading Change in Practice10 units
NURS6640Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context10 units
NURS6650Infection Control10 units
PUBH6210Qualitative Methods in Health Research
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
Back to topAcute Care Specialisation
Directed Courses
Choose 20 units from Directed Courses List (availability conditional on sufficient enrolment).
BIOS6910Biostatistics A
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6420Epidemiology A - Basic Methods
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6600Research Protocol Design
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
HUBS6202Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice
Students who wish to enrol in this course must apply directly to the School of Biomedical Sciences.
10 units
MEDI6130Basis of Drug/Alcohol Problems
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6160Clinical Assessment Of Drug/Alcohol Use
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6340Stroke: Rehabilitation
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
NURS6450Symptom Management in Clinical Practice10 units
NURS6621Contract Learning A10 units
NURS6622Contract Learning B10 units
NURS6623Leadership and Management in Practice10 units
NURS6624Leading Change in Practice10 units
NURS6640Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context10 units
NURS6650Infection Control10 units
PUBH6210Qualitative Methods in Health Research
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
Choose 40 units from Specialistion Courses List.
NURS6450Symptom Management in Clinical Practice10 units
NURS6771Professional Development in a Practice Context10 units
NURS6772Specialty Nursing A
Students must have concurrent employment in a specialty area (minimum of 0.6 FTE per week).
10 units
NURS6773Specialty Nursing B
Students must have concurrent employment in a specialty area (minimum of 0.6 FTE per week). Students must have complete NURS6772 prior to enrolling in this course.
10 units
Back to topChild, Youth and Family Nursing Specialisation
Directed Courses
Choose 20 units from Directed Courses List (availability conditional on sufficient enrolment).
BIOS6910Biostatistics A
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6420Epidemiology A - Basic Methods
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6600Research Protocol Design
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
HUBS6202Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice
Students who wish to enrol in this course must apply directly to the School of Biomedical Sciences.
10 units
MEDI6160Clinical Assessment Of Drug/Alcohol Use
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6320Stroke: Acute Management
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6340Stroke: Rehabilitation
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
NURS6450Symptom Management in Clinical Practice10 units
NURS6621Contract Learning A10 units
NURS6622Contract Learning B10 units
NURS6623Leadership and Management in Practice10 units
NURS6624Leading Change in Practice10 units
NURS6640Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context10 units
NURS6650Infection Control10 units
PUBH6210Qualitative Methods in Health Research
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
Choose 40 units from Specialistion Courses List.
NURS6810Alteration in Child Health10 units
NURS6811Assessment: The Neonate, Child, Young Person & Family10 units
NURS6813Families in Society10 units
NURS6814Pregnancy Birth and the Family10 units
NURS6815Special Care of the Newborn10 units
NURS6816Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing
Students must have experience in special care nursery or level 2 nursery working with newborn infants or experience in paediatric intensive care.
10 units
NURS6818Disorders and Interventions in Child & Adolescent Mental Health Nursing10 units
Back to topMental Health Specialisation
Directed Courses
Choose 20 units from Directed Courses List (availability conditional on sufficient enrolment).
BIOS6910Biostatistics A
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6420Epidemiology A - Basic Methods
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6600Research Protocol Design
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
HUBS6202Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice
Students who wish to enrol in this course must apply directly to the School of Biomedical Sciences.
10 units
MEDI6160Clinical Assessment Of Drug/Alcohol Use
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6320Stroke: Acute Management
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6340Stroke: Rehabilitation
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
NURS6450Symptom Management in Clinical Practice10 units
NURS6621Contract Learning A10 units
NURS6622Contract Learning B10 units
NURS6623Leadership and Management in Practice10 units
NURS6624Leading Change in Practice10 units
NURS6640Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context10 units
NURS6650Infection Control10 units
PUBH6210Qualitative Methods in Health Research
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
Choose 40 units from Specialistion Courses List.
NURS6031Introductory Psychosocial Interventions10 units
NURS6051Disorders and Interventions in Mental Health Nursing10 units
NURS6061Contemporary Mental Health Nursing10 units
NURS6070Mental Health Nursing of Older People10 units
NURS6080Psychiatric Rehabilitation Nursing10 units
NURS6091Community Mental Health Nursing10 units
Back to topOlder Person Nursing Specialisation
Directed Courses
Choose 20 units from Directed Courses List (availability conditional on sufficient enrolment).
BIOS6910Biostatistics A
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6420Epidemiology A - Basic Methods
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
EPID6600Research Protocol Design
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
HUBS6202Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice
Students who wish to enrol in this course must apply directly to the School of Biomedical Sciences.
10 units
MEDI6160Clinical Assessment Of Drug/Alcohol Use
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6320Stroke: Acute Management
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
MEDI6340Stroke: Rehabilitation
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
NURS6450Symptom Management in Clinical Practice10 units
NURS6621Contract Learning A10 units
NURS6622Contract Learning B10 units
NURS6623Leadership and Management in Practice10 units
NURS6624Leading Change in Practice10 units
NURS6640Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context10 units
NURS6650Infection Control10 units
PUBH6210Qualitative Methods in Health Research
Offered on a Semester basis.
10 units
Choose 40 units from Specialistion Courses List.
NURS6070Mental Health Nursing of Older People10 units
NURS6190Issues in Aged Care10 units
NURS6250The Experience of Ageing10 units
NURS6711Palliative Care Practice10 units