Handbook : Course informationEdith Cowan University

Course Information

Graduate Certificate in Registered Nurse Prescribing

Effective from 01-JUL-2026 : Code O23

The Graduate Certificate in Registered Nurse Prescribing aims to address the changing needs of the nursing workforce and prepare graduates to meet the requirements of the NMBA Register Nurse Prescribing Standards for Practice (2025). The course aligns with the National Prescribing Competencies Framework, and Assessment of Prescribing in Healthcare Toolkit.
The course is designed for experienced registered nurses to develop their knowledge and skills to expand their role to safely prescribe within their scope of practice. Students are taught pathophysiology for advanced practice nurses, health assessment and diagnostic testing to support registered nurse prescribing, as well as advanced pharmacology and therapeutics. Upon completion of the course graduates will have the skills and knowledge required to undertake safe and effective supplementary prescribing in preparation for a period of supervision within their organisation before applying for endorsement with the NMBA.

Disclaimer

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.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Integrate specialist knowledge and skills to demonstrate advanced nursing assessment and diagnostic interpretation for RN prescriber practice.
2. Initiate, plan, implement and evaluate diagnostic and prescribing methods to review, analyse and synthesise information gathered to manage complex presentations in nursing practice.
3. Critically evaluate RN prescribing practice by demonstrating ethical conduct, personal autonomy and professional accountability to provide collaborative and safe care.
4. Apply independent professional judgment in the quality use of medicines to communicate prescribing information to a variety of audiences.

Professional Recognition

Course

This course has been Accredited by: Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC).

Registration

Students will need to graduate to be eligible to register with the Australasian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Registration with the Australasian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) is required to practice in the profession.

Completion of this course will allow students to apply for endorsement with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia as a registered nurse prescriber.

Admission requirements

Admission requirement (Band 6)

• Bachelor degree; or
• Equivalent prior learning including at least five years relevant professional experience.

English Language requirement (Band 5)

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:

• IELTS Academic with a minimum overall score of 7.0 and a minimum score of 7.0 in each of the three components of listening, reading, and speaking, and a minimum score of 6.5 in the writing component.  This includes IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR).
  Note: Test results must be from one test sitting or two test sittings in a 12-month period.  Score requirements apply to all test dates (including tests taken from 23 April 2026).  When using two test sittings, no score in any component of the test(s) for either test sitting can be below 6.5, or
   
• Pearson English Test (PTE) Academic^
• Occupational English Test (OET)^
• TOEFL iBT for Australia^ 
• Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency^ 

^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:

• 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 Specific Admission Requirements

Requirements from 01-JUL-2026: All applicants are required to have general registration as an RN in Australia with no conditions or undertakings relevant to this endorsement. Applicants must also have the equivalent of three years' full-time post initial registration clinical experience (5,000 hours) within the past six years, from the date when the complete application seeking endorsement as a designated RN prescriber is received by the NMBA.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level

This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 8 Graduate Certificate Award.

Course Duration

• This course is offered part-time over 12 months

Course Delivery

• Online: Part Time

Course Coordinator

Mr Adam MCCAVERY

Course Structure