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Study masters degree online through Open Universities Australia. Explore all degrees, subjects and short courses now.

Nursing is a practice profession that requires all nurses to maintain competency and participate in activities that contribute to professional and practice development. The Master of Nursing program aims to enhance the knowledge and confidence of nurses to conduct independent studies. Students will learn the pragmatic considerations of systematic inquiry by adopting an experiential, inquiry-based approach to learning. The program will promote debate and discussion enabling the student to become a competent consumer of evidence-based practice and able to contribute knowledge to the discipline of nursing. Questions arising from the student’s nursing practice will address contemporary health care issues. The focus of the online program will be to evaluate evidence in order to make informed judgements about the robustness and utility of the findings to nursing practice. The program will also provide an important link between research and nursing practice, and will encourage the development of a culture of collaborative studies between practice and academia. Students who have completed a Graduate Diploma and a core curriculum course can apply for advanced standing and be eligible for specialisation.

This course is for registered nurses and students already on their postgraduate studies pathway. Develop your nursing knowledge to improve your skills and provide an advanced level of care. Start thinking about your health research topic today.

Master of Nursing (Coursework)

Expanding on units undertaken in the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma, the Master of Mental Health Nursing aims to expand nursing clinicians’ knowledge and skills in mental health practice and leadership through evidence-based knowledge and practice. Students have the option to pursue a project stream or a research stream within this course. As such, they may complete either a project and two elective subjects, or complete a research dissertation in their final semester. The research stream has a PhD articulation pathway.Both streams consolidate learning from the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health and Graduate Diploma in Mental Health in research, specialist clinical skills and knowledge as well as clinical leadership.Current mental health postgraduate programs in Australia focus on either acute mental health care settings or generic mental health. ACU’s Master of Mental Health Nursing has been developed specifically for nursing clinicians entering into the specialist area of mental health. The course is targeted to new nursing graduates and to those working in mental health but who have no formal postgraduate mental health qualifications.In the current period of mental health service provision reform, there has been a shift in focus from acute inpatient treatment to recovery-oriented practice, so the workforce requires professional development opportunities to keep pace with such changes.Burning Glass data shows there were 1,539 job postings in Australia between July 2021 and June 2022 for Registered Nurses (Mental Health) and of these 10.9% required a postgraduate qualification (Burning Glass Labour Insights, 19 July 2022).

Extend your nursing knowledge and set the groundwork for a career focused on mental health. Apply your theoretical and practical learning in a range of mental health settings. Engage with innovative solutions in the contemporary healthcare space.

Master of Mental Health Nursing

This course is the first part of the master’s Research Project and will explore the theory and practice of qualitative and quantitative research processes, to provide students with the essential knowledge integral to undertaking research projects. Through workshops and supervision, the student will develop a detailed project-based proposal which will include a literature review, aim and objectives and or hypotheses, detailed methodology, data collection and data analysis, research ethics, timeline, and budget.

Project Proposal Development

This subject provides an introduction to the field of study, integrating information about maternal and infant mental health. Dominant theoretical approaches are presented and considered together with information about infant development and pregnancy. Risk factors for mental health problems are presented for discussion and reflection, and information is provided about common disorders and treatment approaches. In addition, basic skills relating to building and presenting an argument, accessing and using professional literature, making an observational record, creating documents to professional standards, and managing one’s self under pressure will be covered.

Introduction to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health

This subject facilitates the synthesis of previous knowledge into a framework for advanced practice in a nursing specialty. Theories of role socialization and development, as they apply to advanced nursing within the context of the participant’s own sphere of practice are explored. Major perspectives relating to role definition, performance parameters and outcome measures are integrated into advanced practice through an individualized learning plan. A negotiated learning plan comprises the work and assessment for this course. Each participant negotiates a work plan directly related to their own practice area with the course coordinator. The learning plan, therefore, enables participants to examine and evaluate the scope of practice so that they engage in learning that is directly pertinent to their own professional growth and ongoing development.

Professional Role Development

This subject expose students to the principal forms of research used in nursing and related health contexts. As such, it provides a foundation in research design, methods, data collection and data analysis. Students design, analyse and implement their research, and are allocated a supervisor to assist them through these research stages. Students submit a major scholarly written document in the form of an article that meets the submission requirements of a nominated peer-reviewed journal.

Supervised Dissertation Nursing

This subject introduces the students to key management strategies including management skills, conflict resolution, change management and team building. Topics such as development of leadership capability, leadership development techniques and coaching are included in this subject. The relevant application of leadership theories in this context will also be examined.

Management

Learning from clinical experiences, rather than from formal teaching, is possibly the most important source of personal development and improvement for health professionals. Students in this subject will develop skills in critical reflection and reflexivity as it encourages them to consider alternative approaches to their practice. Students will be encouraged to examine strategies underpinned by theory to address personal or professional matters and to strive to achieve positive outcomes for both themselves and quality patient care.

Emotional Intelligence

This subject examines current contemporary practices in the delivery of complex inter-professional care for people diagnosed with mental health issues. Emphasis on the concepts of promotion, prevention and early intervention will be considered. This subject explores concepts of leadership and management in the context of the development of care from both local and population health perspectives. It enables mental health practitioners and leaders of care to develop strategies to address complex health care alternatives.

Advanced Contemporary Mental Health Practice  2

This subject examines current contemporary practices in the delivery of complex inter-professional care for people diagnosed with mental health issues. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is the most widely practiced evidence based psychotherapeutic approach within mental health. Patients with mental health issues require a systematic approach to therapy where outcomes and goals are specified and a planned approach is designed to achieve these outcomes. The Mental Health Nurse working with patients with high prevalence disorders requires special training to develop competence with this modality. This subject will address areas of assessment, formulation, planning, intervention, and evaluation in the treatment of high prevalence mental health disorders. The subject will also address skills training specific to a CBT approach and understanding of other focused counselling interventions.  This subject enables the Mental Health Nurse to develop, implement and evaluate patient centred treatment options whilst reflecting upon the ethical considerations inherent in determining appropriate care.

Advanced Contemporary Mental Health Practice 1

Building on existing knowledge of the Registered Nurse, this work integrated learning course, set in the high dependency health care environment, enables the student to recognise and respond to the deteriorating acutely ill patient. Students apply evidence-based principles of care for critically ill patients with diverse needs. Identifying common changes in pathophysiology, resulting in acute illness across a broad spectrum of body systems, students develop strategies to evaluate and manage care. Core elements of acute care nursing that underpin this course include exploration of the professional and ethical position of the Registered Nurse.

Deteriorating Patient Acute Care

The subject will examine current trends and practice in delivering psychiatric care to people suffering acute mental illness. Emphasis on treatment and care options within tertiary, secondary and community settings will highlight ways in which healthcare agencies partner with other organisations and services such as General Practitioners and Police. Students will debate and reflect the ethical considerations inherent in determining a variety of hospital and community based treatments. This course is informed by current legislation.

Role of the Mental Health Practitioner in an Acute Setting

Masters Degree Nursing Courses & Degrees | Open Universities Australia

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