Critical Care Nursing

PgDip
Nursing and midwifery

Course details

The Postgraduate Diploma 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. It will also offer you the opportunity to enhance your knowledge, experience and clinical expertise in the challenging and dynamic environment that is critical care.

The role of the nurse as a clinician, patient advocate, researcher, educator and innovator are all developed to meet the multiple and complex needs of the patient with critical illness. This programme 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 the course of one academic year, with an option to complete the programme over a period of up to three years if necessary.

Prospective students who are working in Beaumont Hospital can apply for the hospital-based programme, delivered in partnership with Beaumont Hospital. Students working in other locations will undertake their studies through a combination of online lectures and classes in the RCSI Dublin campus.

Course codes

  • Strand A (RCSI/Beaumont): C1207BEAUMONT
  • Strand B (RCSI): C1207 RCSI

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

Beaumont modules

Module name Credits Assessment method
Advanced Research Methods 10 Assignment
Advanced Leadership, Professional & Clinical 10 Assignment
Professional Critical Reflexivity and Competence
 10 Assignment and clinical portfolio

Core Concepts of Critical Care Nursing

 10 Assignment

Care of the Critically Ill Patient with Single and Multi-Organ Dysfunction

 10 Examination
Consolidating and Advancing Practice in the Critical Care Setting
 10 Assignment

RCSI Dublin Campus modules

Module name Credits Assessment method
Advanced Research Methods 10 Assignment
Advanced Leadership, Professional & Clinical 10 Assignment
Professional Critical Reflexivity and Competence
 10 Assignment and clinical portfolio

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 critically: 

  • 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 Diploma, you can choose to complete a Master of Science (MSc). 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.