Graduate Certificate in Community and Primary Health Care Nursing

The Graduate Certificate in Community and Primary Health Care Nursing is designed for nurses working in a variety of community, primary health and general practice settings. The course will enhance the nurse’s knowledge and skills in prevention, early intervention and management of a range of often complex illnesses. Continuity of care and the facilitation of self-management is emphasized across the transition from acute to sub-acute and community care. The structure of the course recognises the evolving specialist primary health nursing role in practice nursing, community nursing and chronic disease management.

At successful completion of the course students should be able to:

• critically examine the relationship between social determinants of health, health outcomes and the context of specialist nursing practice
• examine the economic and political factors influencing determinants of health and health outcomes
• evaluate evidence based research to enhance clinical decision-making skills and client intervention
• rationalise their professional, ethical and social responsibilities commensurate to the context of nursing practice
• analyse contemporary models of care that meet the specialised needs of the individual to optimise health outcomes
• promote an effective learning environment through the development, dissemination and fostering of specialist knowledge and skills
• evaluate available services and resources that support the management of a client with diverse health care needs.

Core subjects:

• Leadership and Professional Practice (925)

Specialty elective subjects (choose one specialty elective from the following):

• Chronic and Complex Care (120)
• Practice Nursing (266) 
• Primary Health Nursing (265) 

Elective subjects (choose two electives from the following:): 

• Addiction Nursing (276)
• Assessing and Managing Adult Pain (113)
• Assessment of the Older Person (054)
• Audiometry Nursing (241)
• Child Development in the Family Context (018)
• Chronic and Complex Care (120)
• Clinical Issues in Audiometry Nursing (242)
• Communication - Applied Strategies for Health Care Professionals (187)
• Continence Management (145)
• Dementia Care (064)
• Drug and Alcohol Nursing Practice (259)
• Financial Management (303)
• Foundational Perspectives of Women’s Health (262)
• Healthy Ageing (053)
• Human Resource Management (302)
• Parkinson's Care (299)
• Principles of Infection Control (117)
• Quality (284)
• Stress Response and Health Breakdown (277)
• Wound Management (050)

*These units have mandatory requirements, such as pre-requisites and/or clinical placements. Please refer to the individual unit page for further details.

Clinical placements

Anyone applying for an ACN course that includes a clinical placement must provide evidence of compliance documents at the time of application.

Applications for enrolment will not be progressed until all relevant documentation has been received by customer services.

Each Australian state and territory has its own clinical placement documentation requirements. Please click on this link, then click on the tab for your particular state or territory for information on specific requirements.

Individual placement providers may need additional documentation. If you are required to provide this then you will be contacted by the clinical placement officer following enrolment.

ACN negotiates with health care facilities to secure clinical placements. ACN will make every effort to secure clinical placements within the timeframe indicated in the course outline, however applicants are advised that provision and location of clinical placements is dependent on the availability of placements within the health facility.

As placements are difficult to secure, once confirmed these cannot be negotiated unless there is unforeseen extenuating circumstances. Applicants are not to arrange their own clinical placements with a clinical facility under any circumstances. ACN reserves the right to change clinical placements if necessary.

Disclaimer: Fees vary dependent on subject electives chosen

Refer to individual subject page for course fees.

ACN offers a flexible payment option allowing students to pay their fees on a term-by-term basis. Each term’s fees are due upfront, prior to term commencement.

FEE-HELP is also available for eligible students. Further information can be found here.