Critical Care Nursing

PgCert
Nursing and midwifery

Course details

The Postgraduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing will prepare you to exercise an advanced level of clinical judgment and practice – beyond what is required of a registered general nurse (RGN) – in your specialist area of critical care.

The programme aims to assist you in taking a leading role in advancing and developing nursing and midwifery in this area, and effecting policy change in professional practice and health service provision.

This certifcate is suitable for nurses who are taking up new posts in critical care or for those who have been working in the area for some time but have not completed postgraduate education.

The programme is delivered part-time over a single semester, with an option to complete the programme over a period of up to three years if necessary.

Course codes

  • Strand A (RCSI/Beaumont): C1207ABEAUMONT
  • Strand B (RCSI): C1207ARCSI

A blended learning approach is utilised in this programme, to promote lifelong learning and professional development for all nursing staff.

The programme modules are:

Module name Credits Assessment method
Principles of Critical Care 10 Assignment
Advanced Critical Care 1 10 Case study assignment
Advanced Critical Care 2 10 Case study assignment

This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to:

  • Discuss, evaluate and demonstrate the management of patients who require advanced cardiac life support.
  • Evaluate the inter facility and inter/intra hospital transportation of critically ill patients.
  • Evaluate and demonstrate the holistic assessment of the patient presenting with organ failure.
  • Explore the aetiology and path physiology of organ failure in critical illness.
  • Evaluate and demonstrate nursing practice and interventions in the management of critically ill patients.
  • Evaluate the nursing management of critically ill patients post major surgery.

If you wish to progress your studies after completing this Postgraduate Certificate, you can choose to complete a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) and a Master of Science (MSc). The PgDip and the MSc programmes share anchor modules facilitating the development of knowledge and skills in research, leadership and refection and clinical competencies by way of a clinical practicum.

We are proud to be a recognised University of the National University of Ireland (NUI). All RCSI programmes are accredited by the NUI. This programme is also professionally accredited by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland as a Category 2 Post Registration course.

Recognition by ministries and bodies in other jurisdictions must be determined by the individual applicants.