Graduate Certificate Breast Care Nursing

• To build upon and advance the student’s repertoire of knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional values that were developed during the course of his/her basic training and arising out of his/her experiences in clinical practice
• To provide the student with the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional values for the advancement of his/her role in the care of patients with breast conditions, including critical analysis, creative thinking, decision making and communication
• To develop a greater understanding of the theory which underpins Breast Care Nursing Practice, including theory in the social and behavioural sciences and theory in the biomedical sciences
• To provide learning experiences that advance the student’s professional development and personal growth and experiences that affirm the student’s capacity to be a self-directed learner
• To advance the student’s sense of professional awareness, and commitment and a sense of professional responsibility and accountability in Breast Care Nursing
• To enable the student to value learning as a continuous process and as a necessary process in the context of his/her professional role in Breast Care Nursing

Assessments are varied (assignments/short examination questions/MCQ/case presentation and clinical assessments (Clinical Competency Assessment Tool, Clinical Learning Outcomes and occur at intervals throughout and at the end of the trimesters.

Possessing a broad and deep understanding of the theory and skills required for caring for patients with breast conditions, you will be well positioned to work in a variety of settings specialising in this area both nationally and internationally. As the programme is particularly aimed at preparing nurses to assume the role of clinical nurse specialist, many nurses eventually take up CNS positions and some may undertake further study required for the role of ANP in breast care. Many nurses also proceed to assume CNM/Educational/Clinical Facilitator roles.

Funding

If the fees for your programme are being paid by a third party (full or partial), please ensure your funding organisation/sponsor/hospital contacts student.payments@ucd.ie. Please note this is not a student facing email address.

Student Queries

If you have any queries about your fees, please contact the Student Desk:

www.ucd.ie/askus

https://www.ucd.ie/students/studentdesk/

Application Fee

Please note that all applicants are required to pay the €60 application fee. Your application cannot be processed fully unless the application fee has been paid.

More information about fees is available on the UCD website at the link below:

General information about UCD Fees

Entry Requirements

• Applicants must hold a primary degree in Nursing (or equivalent in related discipline)

• Applicants must be entered onto the appropriate division of the Nurses Register maintained by An Bord Altranais (be registered as an RGN)

• Applicants must hold a Graduate Diploma in another specialist area of nursing or have obtained 30 ECT (credits) at Level 9 (Masters Level in both research and theoretical aspects of nursing)

• Other criteria to be used in the assessment of the application include number of years of experience, and evidence of ongoing professional development

Documents Required

• Applicants: A current photocopy of An Bord Altranais registration
• Copy of Birth Certificate or Personal Page of Passport
• Signed Declaration Form from Employer (original form)
• Completed Professional Reference Form (original form)
• Applicants: Completed Clinical Competence Assessor Nomination Form signed by the nominee
• Evidence of proficiency in English language (applicants whose first language is not English)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL may be granted in respect of individual modules if applicants can demonstrate that the modules' learning outcomes have been achieved through prior credentialled or experiential learning. In some cases, where an applicant does not meet the prerequisites for entry to a programme, an RPL application may be considered. Further information can be found in respect of this here.

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: No

The programme is aimed at advancing the registered nurse’s repertoire of knowledge and skills in Breast Care Nursing; it is particularly aimed at preparing the nurse to assume the role of clinical nurse specialist in this area.