The Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) is designed for registered nurses ready to elevate their clinical skills to the next level. This comprehensive program equips graduates with the expertise needed to provide comprehensive patient care in a dynamic healthcare environment. During the course, students will be immersed into advanced physical assessment, pharmacology, complex clinical decision making, diagnostic interpretation and innovative patient management techniques, all underpinned by evidence-based practice. Our course fosters a holistic understanding of patient care, emphasising ethical decision-making, Cultural Safety, and interprofessional collaboration. Through supervised integrated professional clinical practice, students will gain hands-on experience in diverse healthcare settings, from primary care clinics to acute care hospitals, preparing them to tackle the complexities of the healthcare systems. Our hybrid approach to course delivery provides a convenient yet engaging curriculum which includes online learning with on campus time for advanced physical assessment skill development. Graduates of this program will emerge as leaders in the field, ready to advocate for patients, guide health policy, and contribute to the advancement of nursing practice.
This course information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester. In particular please check the course requirements and the unit and unit set offerings, as these differ according to course delivery location.
As part of Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) requirements, students will be required to undertake supernumerary integrated professional practice (IPP) hours 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 IPP hours are required across two practicum units for course completion. Students are required to seek clinical placement in primary care and 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.
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: National and State specific Police Clearance WA Health Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (WA students) Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification Manual Handling Certification Neonatal resuscitation (depending on specialty) 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; Management of Aggression Training Mandatory Reporting of Child Sexual abuse in WA and other relevant states WA Working with Children Check or equivalent in practicing state Confidentiality agreement COVID-19 donning and doffing online module Evidence of respirator fit-testing 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 <a href="https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/nursing-and-midwifery/nursing-and-midwifery-clinical-placements">https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/nursing-and-midwifery/nursing-and-midwifery-clinical-placements</a> 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.
Students will undertake integrated professional practice experience during the hours laid down by their host clinical agency.
Students will inform the unit coordinator and clinical placement team of intended clinical placement location through an internal online request process. The student's placement mentor and location will be evaluated by the unit coordinator for suitability. Once the student's placement is approved all necessary clearances and agreements will be established by the clinical placement team before commencement of Integrated Professional Practice hours.
Students will need to be enrolled in either NSP6106 or NSP6107 to complete the learning outcomes and practicum requirements.
NMBA Nurse Practitioner standards for practice. Students will be expected to comply with the conduct requirements of their clinical placement.
Students are required to successfully complete all practicum units to graduate from the course.
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.
In addition to satisfying ECU minimum English standard requirements for this course, all applicants must also demonstrate English language proficiency as specified in the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) English language skills registration standard. (https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards/English-language-skills)
These requirements are as follows:
^Please refer to the School of Nursing and Midwifery Band 5 English Proficiency Band requirements for details of the required individual test scores and test validity periods at https://www.ecu.edu.au/future-students/course-entry/english-proficiency-bands.
Alternatively, if English is your primary language and you have completed education in English in a recognised country, this may be accepted. Please refer to the School of Nursing and Midwifery Band 5 English Proficiency Band requirements for details of the approved combined prior education pathways and recognised countries at https://www.ecu.edu.au/future-students/course-entry/english-proficiency-bands.
ECU’s minimum English standard requirements for this course may be satisfied with one of the following:
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 at Australian Qualification Framework Level 8 in their specailty, and have a minimum six thousand hours full-time post-registration experience, of which four thousand hours must be in the chosen specialty area working at an Advanced Practice level. Evidence of advanced nursing practice and ongoing contribution to the profession is to be provided via the application form, the applicants Curriculum Vitae and two letters of reference from senior nursing and/or medical colleagues/mentors. Applicants are 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.
This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 9 Masters Degree (Coursework) Award.
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.
Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
---|---|---|
MNP6110 | Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nurses | 20 |
MNP6112 | Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics | 20 |
Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
---|---|---|
MNP6103 | Holistic Health Assessment | 20 |
NSP6106 | Complex Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostics | 20 |
Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
---|---|---|
MNP6114 | Population Based Healthcare | 20 |
MNP6115 | Research Methods | 20 |
NSP6107 # | Nurse Practitioner Professional Practice | 20 |
Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
---|---|---|
MNP6117 | Research in Practice | 20 |
MNP6106 | Transition to Nurse Practitioner Practice | 20 |
# Designated Unit - a Unit or Unit of Competency which a School has designated as a fundamental course requirement and may only be attempted once unless otherwise determined by the School Progression Panel.
For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.
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