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Professional Recognition

Course code L88

Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)

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Important

This course is not offered for study on-campus to international students with a student visa.

About this Course

Builds upon a student's foundation and experience as a specialist Registered Nurse with advanced practice abilities.

The course will include study of the biophysical, social, cultural, political and clinical sciences that underpin professional nursing practice. Learning experience across all course units will enhance and apply students' knowledge of cultural awareness, including the history and specific health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Study in this course includes development of new clinical skills that incorporate practice activities that extend beyond the scope of practice of the Registered Nurse, as well as the professional, legal and ethical behaviours necessary to support this practice within a nursing model of care into the future.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level

This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 9 Masters Degree (Coursework) Award.

Course code L88

Entry requirements

ECU admission and English language requirements apply.

See Course Entry for further information.

Fees

Commonwealth supported - estimated 1st year indicative fee AUD $4,450

See Fees and Scholarships for further information.

Duration

1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent

See Course Details for further information.

Availability & Campus

Location Semester 1 Semester 2
Joondalup
Mount Lawley
South West
Online FT PT
*FT = Full-time study PT = Part-time study

Timetable

This course has a modified timetable. See Course Notes.

Course Entry

Admission requirements you'll need to meet for this course.

  • The following course-specific admission requirements are mandatory and must be satisfied by all applicants. These requirements are in addition to or supersede the minimum requirements outlined within the Academic admission requirements band section below.

    All applicants are required to have current registration as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), and have a Bachelor of Nursing, with equivalents considered, and have a postgraduate qualification in their specialty area (postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma (AQF Level 8) or a higher qualification), and have five years full-time post-registration experience, of which two years must be in the chosen specialty area working at an Advanced Practice level. Evidence of this is to be provided in a Curriculum Vitae, along with evidence of the professional associations' membership and ongoing contribution to the profession.

    Applicants are also required to be working a minimum of 20 hours per week in their specialty area, provide a letter of support from their employer, as well as a letter of agreement from their nominated Professional Mentor and a Clinical Mentor. The Professional Mentor must be an endorsed Nurse Practitioner for at least three years and the Clinical Mentor should either be an endorsed Nurse Practitioner for at least three years, or a Registered Medical Officer with at least three years’ experience in specialty area at registrar level or higher.

    Academic admission requirements (Band 8) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

    • Bachelor degree in a cognate discipline; or
    • Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience.
  • International students are required to provide an IELTS Academic with an overall minimum score of 7.0 (no individual band less than 7.0) or any other equivalent test approved by AHPRA. Internationally schooled applicants may also be required to meet this requirement.

    Minimum English standard requirements for this course may also be satisfied with one of the following:

    • Bachelor degree from an approved country;
    • Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent); or
    • Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience.

Course Details

Semester availability

Semester 1: Study full-time Online

Semester 1: Study part-time Online

Course Structure

Year 1 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
NCS6100Nursing Cultural Studies20
MNP6102Clinical Pharmacology 120
MNP6103Holistic Health Assessment20
Year 1 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
MNP6101Evidence-based Practice and Research Design20
NSP6104Nurse Practitioner Professional Practice 120
MNP6105Clinical Pharmacology 220
Year 2 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
NSP6105Nurse Practitioner Professional Practice 220
MNP6106Transition to Nurse Practitioner Practice20
MNP6107Nursing Research Project20

L88|4

For more detailed unit information for this course take a look at our Handbook. To organise your life for next semester visit the Teaching timetable.

Student handbook

Course notes

Important course notes

  • Students are required to be on campus on two separate occasions while completing the Holistic Health Assessment Unit. Both which will take place on ECU's Joondalup Campus.

  • As part of Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) requirements, students will be required to undertake supernumerary practical work experience located in primary care, and in the students specialist clinical area. Students will be required to complete a clinical practice logbook and specific clinical learning outcomes. A total of 350 supernumerary clinical hours are required across two practicum units for course completion.

    Students are required to seek clinical placement within their specialty area. The university may assist students to establish specialty rotations with nominated specialty clinicians outside of their employment organisation to enhance learning opportunities. The preference would be for students to make contact with relevant specialist clinicians who are willing to mentor the Nurse Practitioner student within their specialty practice area; the University will then assist with relevant contractual agreements.

    All clinical hours must be completed in a supernumerary capacity and not in the registered nurses exiting role unless the student is in a Nurse Practitioner Candidacy role.

    Attendance requirements

    Students will undertake professional practice experience during the hours laid down by their host clinical agency.

    Clearances and/or Risk Management Protocols Required

    To be eligible to undertake professional practice experience and fulfil their duty of care, students are required to complete clinical practice orientation, risk management training and obtain various screening, vaccination and clearances, as required by the placement areas. These requirements include, but are not restricted to:
    WA Police National Police Certificate
    WA Health Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check
    Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification Manual Handling Certification
    Evidence of immunisation status aligned with the Australia Immunisation Handbook
    Tuberculosis screening
    MRSA clearance if worked in, or been admitted to, a health facility outside of Western Australia in the 12 months;
    WA Working with Children Check or equivalent in practicing state
    Confidentiality agreement
    Due to the practical nature of the nursing and midwifery professions, there are inherent requirements applicable to this course that may impact upon the success of some potential students. Applicants and students with a disability or other issue likely to impact on their ability to perform in practice are encouraged to contact the Course Coordinator to discuss the support and inherent requirements of this course

    More information can be found at https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/nursing-and-midwifery/nursing-and-midwifery-clinical-placements

    There may be vaccination or other similar requirements, including those imposed by government or third-party placement hosts, that apply to placements which form part of your Course. Please consider this requirement before enrolling in this Course and speak with the Course coordinator if this raises any concerns. You may not be able to complete placement units if you are unable to meet the placement requirements, which may impact your ability to complete this course.

    Professional practice rules

    Nurse Practitioner standards for practice.
    Students will be expected to comply with the conduct requirements of their clinical placement.

  • Students will need to graduate to be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is required to practice in the profession.

    Graduates of this course will be eligible to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) for endorsement to practice under the title of Nurse Practitioner.

Course learning outcomes

  1. Apply specialist nursing knowledge, model communication and collaboration skills to analyse and design innovative contributions to professional practice.
  2. Apply cognitive, technical and creative knowledge and skills to investigate, evaluate and synthesise complex ideas, concepts and theories in authentic nurse practitioner situations.
  3. Reflect critically on a complex body of specialist nursing knowledge, research principles and methods to demonstrate mastery of nurse practitioner practice including holistic health assessment, diagnostics and pharmacology.
  4. Use specialist knowledge, self-management and high-level skills to initiate, plan and execute a substantial research-based project.

Professional Recognition

Course

Accredited by: Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)

While this master’s degree is Professionally Accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council and recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia NMBA as an approved program of study for Nurse Practitioners, completion of the master's degree will not in itself result in graduates receiving automatic endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner with AHPRA. Please contact AHPRA for details of the process to becoming endorsed in this regard.

Fees and Scholarships

Fees

  • AUD $4,450 - Commonwealth supported estimated 1st year indicative fee 1

Note

1 The 'estimated 1st year indicative fee' is provided as a guide only, based on a typical enrolment of students undertaking the first year of this course. At ECU, you pay for the individual units you enrol in, not an overall course fee, so the total cost of your course will vary, depending on what units you choose. An indicative fee will be provided with your course offer, however you can use our Course Fee Calculator to estimate the actual amount you'll need to pay. ECU fees are adjusted annually.

Some units require the payment of a fee for incidental goods or services required to complete those units. For more information and the full list of incidental fees for courses and units, visit What are Incidental Fees.

Scholarships

ECU has a scholarship program that provides many opportunities each year to students undertaking studies here.

Find a scholarship

Career Opportunities

Graduates will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and attributes to function with confidence and autonomy in their specialist Nurse Practitioner role.

Possible future job titles

Nurse Practitioner

Need some help deciding what to study?

Our future student events include a mix of on-campus and online sessions designed to help you decide what to study at ECU.

Experiences

Student stories

  • Shane Miller.

    Shane Miller

    Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) graduate and Royal Flying Doctor Service Flight Nurse

    Nurse Practitioners are the future

    I have been a flight nurse since 2005 and felt now was the time to advance my clinical skills. I considered becoming a Nurse Practitioner many years ago but doubted myself and did not see an opportunity for a NP with the RFDS at the time. Now the time has changed, and Nurse Practitioners are the future.

  • Lucy Stopher

    Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)

    Best practice and best possible patient care

    ECU graduate Lucy Stopher completed her general nursing studies in 2006 and now specialises in vascular surgery as a nurse practitioner.

Quick guide to uni-speak

    • The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is the national regulator of qualifications in the Australian education and training system. The AQF defines the essential characteristics, including the required learning outcomes, of the different types of qualifications issued across the higher education systems in Australia.

    • ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.

    • CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.

    • A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.

    • Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.

    • If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.

    • If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.

      Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.

    • Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.

    • A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.

    • We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points - that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.

    • These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.

    • An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.

Do you have any questions about the Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)?

The Important Things

Things you should know about if you're thinking about studying here.

Course Entry

There's more than one admission pathway into an ECU course. It depends on what you've studied already, or your work or life experience.

Fees & Scholarships

Course tuition fees can change, but we can give you an estimate of your costs. If you're eligible, a scholarship or student loan can help too.

Applying

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ECU Experience

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