22 Postgraduate Nursing Courses Online

JCU Online - Graduate Certificate of Nursing

The online Graduate Certificate of Nursing from James Cook University is a flexible and affordable course to meet your professional development goals. Choose from one of three majors: Advanced Practice, Education, and Leadership and Management. Students benefit from fully online delivery and the ability to study part-time while working. The program is designed for registered nurses with at least one year of clinical experience. It offers a fast track to career advancement in as little as eight months. The course also provides a smooth pathway to further studies.

UTS Online - Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing

The Acute Care Nursing course at UTS Online prepares you for advanced roles in clinical environments. It focuses on developing critical skills for patient-centred care. Subjects: Specialty Clinical Practice, Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration, Evidence for Informing Practice, and Nursing-Sensitive Indicators in Acute Care. Designed for nurses with a minimum of one year of experience, this program allows for flexible learning around other commitments. Successful completion opens the pathway to a Master of Advanced Nursing.

UTS Online - Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing

The Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing at UTS Online is a general course for nurses working in complex clinical settings. Developed with the support of industry partners, it offers a well-rounded and contemporary curriculum. Participants complete four subjects over 8 months: Specialty Clinical Practice, Applied Pathophysiology in Practice, Evidence for Informing Practice, and Improving Safety and Quality in Healthcare. This fully online program builds foundational skills in clinical practice, pathophysiology, and quality improvement.

UTS Online - Graduate Certificate in Critical Care

The Graduate Certificate in Critical Care at UTS Online targets nurses seeking to enhance their skills in high-stakes environments. Students learn to analyse complex patient data for informed clinical decision-making. Delivered entirely online, it promotes collaborative learning through real-world challenges. The eight-month program consists of four subjects: Complex Critical Care, Professional Practice in Critical Care, Applied Pathophysiology in Practice, and Specialty Clinical Practice. Applicants must be currently employed in a critical care setting.

UTS Online - Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education

UTS Online's Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education prepares nurses for leadership in healthcare education. The course is online and lasts 8 months. The core subjects are: Creating a Culture of Teaching and Learning in Healthcare, Designing Innovative Learning, and Specialty Clinical Practice. They also choose one elective: Learning and its Trajectories or Strategic Learning in Workplaces. This training enhances skills in evidence-based teaching and managing change. Graduates can move to further studies in Nursing or Education.

JCU Online - Graduate Diploma of Nursing

The online Graduate Diploma of Nursing at James Cook University is a part-time, 16-month course for registered nurses. It's 100% online, with six start dates yearly. FEE-HELP is available to cover tuition fees. You can specialise in Advanced Practice, Education, or Leadership and Management. Each major blends core subjects such as communication, governance and informatics with specialised topics. The course prepares nurses for advanced roles and offers a pathway to a Master of Nursing, with an early exit option for a Graduate Certificate.

JCU Online - Master of Nursing

The Master of Nursing Online at James Cook University is a part-time, 24-month program for nurses seeking advancement. It's entirely online, offering flexibility with six starting points each year. Students complete 12 subjects in sequence over seven-week study periods. You can specialise in advanced practice, education, leadership and management, or a combination for a double major. This affordable program prepares nurses for higher-level clinical or leadership roles and offers pathways to further specialisation.

UTS Online - Master of Advanced Nursing

The Master of Advanced Nursing at UTS Online is for nurses seeking career advancement. You have the option to specialise in Acute Care, Chronic and Complex Care, Quality and Safety, Critical Care, or Mental Health. This 2-year, fully online program contains 12 subjects, split between 8 core and 4 specialisation subjects. Intakes are available in Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Aug, and Oct. UTS's collaboration with healthcare industry leaders ensures the curriculum remains contemporary and comprehensive.

Specialisations

Acute Care

Explore methods to handle rapid-onset and severe patient conditions. Acute care nurses perform patient evaluation, urgent treatment delivery, and manage rapidly changing patient states. Subjects may include emergency patient assessment and urgent care techniques. This field of study is ideal for nurses working in hospitals.

Advanced Nursing

Advanced Nursing courses are for registered nurses who work in challenging environments and wish to enhance their applied skills. Graduates gain proficiency and confidence in performing clinical nurse duties and providing person-centred care. This is an opportunity to enhance professional skills in a targeted way.

Advanced Practice

Develop skills to provide advanced care to patients. Students explore the ways nurses function and operate within clinical environments. Enhance your nursing practice abilities, with a priority on safety and quality care. Graduates are skilled at managing patients with acute or chronic health issues.

Clinical Nursing

A valuable course of study for almost every nurse. Students develop general knowledge and applied skills. Topics covered may include quality medication application, governance in clinical environments, and advanced health assessment. Programs aim to remain highly relevant to the everyday demands of clinical practice.

Critical Care

Specialised training in assessing and managing patients, especially helpful if you work in an ICU or similar. Critical care nurses do intricate patient assessments and intensive treatments and interventions. Subjects may include safe medication practices, respiratory assessment, and ECG rhythm recognition.

Emergency Nursing

Sevelop your ability to make sound clinical decisions in varied and urgent circumstances. Emergency nurses are required to quickly assess and prioritise patient needs, administer immediate care, and effectively communicate with multidisciplinary teams in high-pressure environments.

Leadership and Management

Training is for nurses looking to advance into roles like Associate Nurse Unit Manager and Nurse Unit Manager. Programs develop leadership qualities and administration skills. You learn about topics such as team motivation, financial management, and clinical governance, preparing you for supervisor, manager, and leader positions.

Mental Health Nursing

Useful for the many nurses dealing with patients experiencing psychological issues or cognitive impairment. You should have work-related access to mental health practice during your course. To qualify as a credentialed mental health nurse, you need to an accredited program and to study through to a graduate diploma or masters level.

Nursing Education

A pathway into education and teaching roles, as well as management and clinical consultancy jobs with an education emphasis. Jobs are available in nurse training, education, and professional development. Whether you aim to teach, deliver training, or focus on in-house staff development, this major will enhance your educator skills and credentials.

Paediatric Nursing

Specialise in caring for young patients. The curriculum covers child development, health assessment in children, and managing childhood illnesses. Paediatric nurses also learn family-centred care approaches. Electives offer deeper knowledge in areas like neonatal care, emergency services, or chronic condition management for children.

Perioperative Nursing

Prepare for enhanced clinical practice in surgical settings and perioperative departments. Learn to manage patient care pre-, intra-, and post-surgery, coordinate with surgical teams, and ensure patient safety and comfort. Topics might include anaesthetic techniques, operating room protocols, and postoperative recovery management.

Why Online Courses are Worth It

Online university courses for nurses are worthwhile because of the convenience combined with career benefits. The programs are designed for working nurses. You can study when it's convenient.

Nursing career progress is also intertwined with educational achievements. Just earning a relevant postgraduate qualification normally makes you eligible for pay allowances. Senior roles also hinge on undertaking advanced study.

Doing one of these courses can lead to promotion opportunities such as clinical nurse specialist or health services manager. Postgraduate study is essential to qualify for the highest paid nursing jobs.

What Students Are Saying

David

David, a nurse currently studying online for his Master of Nursing (Health Informatics) degree, shared his experience: "The courses are eight weeks long. If you're wondering if you can work and study simultaneously, I can say from personal experience that it's definitely manageable. Unlike the nurse practitioner program, many postgraduate courses do not have exams, making the balance between work and study even more feasible."

Jennifer

In detailing how online learning benefited her, Registered Nurse Jennifer, who has a Masters in Nursing Education, commented, "I'm extremely passionate about educating healthcare employees whether it's nursing or anything else. The next obvious step was to get my master's degree in nursing education. The degree gives you a level of credibility within the role whether you're at bedside or you're in administration."