Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing (Emergency) (GC-CCNEM) // Attributes, outcomes and skills

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Intended learning outcomes

Student completing the  Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing (Emergency) should be able to:

  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the scientific and research-based evidence that underpins critical care and technical skills that align with the relevant practice standards for specialist emergency and intensive care nurses
  • Identify the contribution of nurses in interprofessional care across critical care services
  • Assess, review and analyse patient health data to identify and explain the rationale for solutions to complex problems in critical care
  • Employ effective specialised technical skills in the delivery of specialist emergency or intensive nursing care
  • Communicate effectively with other members of the interprofessional healthcare team and people who are acutely or critically ill to facilitate effective individualised plans for care
  • Apply skills to critically appraise emergency nursing practice and to integrate relevant research evidence into effective individualised plans for people who are acutely and/or critically ill
  • Apply knowledge of human pathophysiology across the continuum of care to safely and effectively provide specialist emergency nursing care that addresses actual and potential disease and treatment related health needs
  • Conduct planning and delivery of specialist emergency nursing care that meets the specific supportive care needs and experiences of people affected by acute illness or trauma
  • Initiate, plan, implement and evaluate an individualised, patient-centred, comprehensive and coordinated care plan in collaboration with other members of the interprofessional healthcare team
  • Act to promote teamwork, wellbeing and collaboration with the interprofessional team and to achieve desired patient outcomes.

Generic skills

On successful completion of this course, graduates will demonstrate the following skills:

  • The ability to apply a high level of problem-solving skills to the area of emergency nursing
  • A high level of critical thinking and analytical skills
  • Feel confident when faced with unfamiliar problems
  • A high level of verbal and written communication skills
  • The ability to plan and prioritise their own work.

Graduate attributes

The Melbourne Experience enables our graduates to become:

Academically excellent:

  • Have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
  • Have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s)
  • Reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
  • Be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
  • Be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies.

Knowledgeable across disciplines:

  • Examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
  • Expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
  • Have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
  • Have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment.

Leaders in communities:

  • Initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces
  • Have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of personal strengths and limitations
  • Mentor future generations of learners
  • Engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs.

Attuned to cultural diversity:

  • Value different cultures
  • Be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
  • Have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community
  • Respect indigenous knowledge, cultures and values.

Active global citizens:

  • Accept social and civic responsibilities
  • Be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
  • Have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equity and ethics.

Last updated: 27 February 2025