GradCert Critical Care Nursing (Intensive Care)

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 40)

Critical Care Nursing requires an advanced knowledge base, skilled assessment, prompt intervention and ongoing evaluation in order to care for the critically ill with complex needs. The critical care nurse maintains the balance between the science of nursing and the art of caring. This course will provide the nurse with an opportunity to develop, enhance and maintain these specialist skills that are required to care for the critically ill.

Critical care nursing requires an advanced knowledge base, skilled assessment, prompt intervention, and ongoing evaluation to care for the critically ill with complex needs. This course will provide the nurse with an opportunity to develop, enhance and maintain these specialist skills that are required to care for the critically ill.

This programme will enhance your career prospects and give you the building blocks for lifelong self-directed learning. It will also provide you with the vital knowledge and skills to innovate and lead in your area of practice in Critical Care.  Following successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Critical Care - Intensive Care, you will be able to complete an MSc Critical Care in one academic year.

Major Strengths

UCD has a long history of producing high-quality graduates

This programme enables graduates to be even more effective clinicians, change agents and clinical leaders in Critical Care

Access to clinical and university-based lecturers with national and international expertise from clinical, research and educational perspectives

The Programme employs a variety of innovative assessment strategies with a strong clinical focus

Extensive use of IT in supporting the teaching environment of the programme

Access to excellent facilities for lectures

Careers & Employability

The Graduate Certificate Critical Care Nursing Intensive Care provides you with the comprehensive knowledge and skills required for caring for the critically ill. The key knowledge and skills gained on this programme will also enable you to innovate and lead in your area of practice in Critical Care.

Curricular information is subject to change


Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

This programme is aimed at advancing the registered nurse’s repertoire of knowledge and skills for professional practice in the care of patients within the critical care environment. This programme is for registered nurses working within the critical care environment in the Republic of Ireland. Applicants for this programme most hold either a UCD, MSc Clinical Practice qualification or who have completed the following modules NMHS43260 Nursing Knowledge Philosophy and Practice and NMHS43270 Research Methods Applied to Healthcare.

The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in Nursing (Critical Care: Intensive Care) is to support graduate students who have successfuly completed NMH43S270:Research Methods Applied to Healthcare and NMHS43260: Nursing Knowledge: Philosophy & Practice and who wish to gain clinical expertise in critical care nursing. This programme will enhance their existing knowledge, skills and behaviours, in order to respond effectively to current needs of the critically ill patient in the intensive care clinical setting. The programme promotes an integrated, flexible, student-centred, patient-focused, and dynamic approach to learning, in order to enrich students' continuous professional and societal contribution, and their personal development. It has sound, cohesive, academic and clinical foundations, augmented by expert and enthusiastic discipline-specific educators, in a positive and beneficial partnership with affiliated hospitals. This programme aspires to develop skilled, knowledgeable, aware, thoughtful, questioning practitioners, who demonstrate a clear sense of professional identity, commitment, responsibility, accountability and clinical reasoning skills,  as well as vibrant inter-and-intra disciplinary team working capability.

A wide variety of current, validated, pedagogical approaches and innovative, creative technologies are integrated and utilised in this programme, to ensure excellence in all teaching and learning processes and to enhance the overall student experience. The comprehensive engagement of our clinical partner sites in this programme's design and delivery and the resultant valuable student learning opportunities, are major strengths. Learning takes place in multiple environments across the university and clinical practice environments, and is facilitated by an established culture of respect and responsiveness, to meet current and emerging student, professional, and health systems' needs. The programme is delivered by experts in the fields of scholarship, education, and practice discipline and patient advocacy. This ensures that learners experience a coherent, cumulative, research-based educational programme that meets all academic and professional regulatory standards and requirements

  • Develop a greater understanding of the holistic principles which underpin the various aspects of critical care nursing particularly in relation to intensive care
  • Augment students' knowledge and appreciation of nursing theory and biopsychosocial sciences which underpin critical care nursing practice in intensive care
  • Provide students with an opportunity for personal growth and professional development
  • Develop skills to enhance their professional practice, including critical analysis, creative thinking, decision making and communication skills

View All Modules Here

The Graduate Certificate in Nursing, Critical Care – Intensive Care is a 40 ECTS programme offered over1-year. Assessments are varied (assignments/short examination questions/MCQ/case presentation/practical examination) and occur at intervals throughout and at the end of the trimesters.

NMHS 32440/42630 Core Concepts of ICU Nursing (Autumn Trimester, 10 ECTS)*

NMHS42770 Complex Critically Ill Patient (Spring Trimester, 10 ECTS)

NMHS42780 Chronically Critically Ill (Spring Trimester, 10 ECTS)

NMHS42520 Clinical Practicum (ICU) (Year Long Module, 10 ECTS)

*Please note that students are eligible to apply for exemption of NMHS 32440 based on successful completion of the following modules.

NMHS 32770: National Foundation Module in Critical Care Nursing

NMHS 31820 Foundation Intensive Care Nursing MMUH

NMHS32830 Foundation Intensive Care Nursing SVUH

GradCert Critical Care Nursing (Intensive Care) (X685) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 7370
nonEU    fee per year - € 14550

***Fees are subject to change

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:

 

  • Applicants must hold a primary degree in Nursing (or equivalent in a related discipline)/RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) consideration if no degre

  • Applicants must be listed on the Register of Nurses and Midwives, which is maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)

  • 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

  • Must have at least one year’s post-registration experience at the time of application

  • Must be employed in coronary care nursing for the duration of the programme and work a minimum of 75 hours per month

  • Also each student must provide documented evidence from the Director of Nursing in the clinical practice area, which guarantees ICU placement for the duration of the programme

Documents Required

  • Academic transcript(s) including date and grading of degree award (non UCD Graduates only) & notarised English translations where relevant
  • Nurse applicants: A current photocopy of An Bord Altranais registration
  • Other health care professionals:  A current photocopy of registration with professional registration body
  • Copy of Birth Certificate or Personal Page of Passport
  • Signed Declaration Form from Employer (original form)
  • Completed Professional Reference Form (original form)
  • Nurse 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.

 

The following entry routes are available:

Grad Cert Critical Care Nursing (Intensive Care) PT (X685)
Duration
1 Years
Attend
Part Time
Deadline
Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

Does this programme have an official conferring ceremony?

Please note there is no online or in-person conferring ceremony for this programme. Your parchment will be posted to you by UCD Conferring.