What You Should Know About Taking A Postgraduate Course In Nursing

Are you considering taking a postgraduate course in nursing and aren’t sure which is right? Maybe you are unsure what a postgraduate course in nursing entails and want to know more? Whatever brought you here today, we have the answer for you.

Keep reading to see our brief guide, which walks you through what to expect in a postgraduate nursing course and helps you determine whether it is the right choice for you.

What Postgraduate Course In Nursing Can I Take?

There are a variety of postgraduate nursing courses you can take, depending on your experience and what you want to do with the course. Postgraduate nursing courses can help you apply for roles with more responsibility, improve your knowledge, or help you specialize. Some popular postgraduate nursing courses include:

● Mental health nursing

● Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)

● Emergency Nursing

● Intensive care nursing

● Cancer and haematology nursing

These courses are taught at various levels, including a graduate certificate, diploma, and masters level. The level of the course informs you what previous experience or qualifications you need, the level of assessments required to pass the course, and what further study or employment you can take after the course. Your course catalogue will have further information about this and how the levels work, if you are unsure which is right for you.

What Will I Learn On A Postgraduate Nursing Course?

What you will learn in a postgraduate nursing course varies depending on your chosen course. Postgraduate nursing courses are designed to support registered nurses, helping them develop their skills in providing better care to their patients. Most courses will cover the following:

● Community Health

● Informatics

● Nursing leadership

● Clinical leadership

● Advanced practice roles

● Research

Specialised units, like ageing or chronic disease, might be offered, allowing nurses to learn about a new specialty, help them prepare for a new role, or expand their knowledge. The courses often offer several specialised units for you to choose from, tailoring the course to perfectly suit your needs.

More specialised courses, like mental health nursing or emergency nursing, focus on the particular field and provide a detailed look at working in these circumstances. Less specialised units might also be available, but this varies depending on the course chosen.

Some courses require you to complete tasks or hours on different wards, which can be done as part of your current role. This does depend on whether you have taken the course online or in person, with in-person courses focusing more on hands-on experience.

How Will I Learn On A Postgraduate Nursing Course?

How you learn depends on your chosen course and whether you opt for online or in-person teaching. In-person postgraduate nursing courses offer lectures, workshops, and hands-on experience. Depending on your chosen units, you can expect to work collaboratively with other nurses and gain experience on wards and in community settings.

Online courses run slightly differently. Typically, they focus more on providing information to help you improve your knowledge. This can be done with seminars, workshops, or lectures. These will be delivered online and are usually available to work through at your own pace. Any resources you need will be available for you, too, without the need to purchase expensive textbooks. Online nursing courses usually involve more independent study and can better suit nurses juggling full-time work with their studies.

How Will I Be Assessed On A Postgraduate Nursing Course?

Assessments vary depending on the course you choose. Typically, a mixture of exams, case studies, and essays ensures you understand the topics and can use the knowledge gained in real-life situations. Courses with a placement will often require you to submit proof of hours logged and completed observation sheets from mentors who can attest to how you are using these skills in your new environment.

Online courses typically use coursework to assess your knowledge, with occasional exams, too. These can be completed in your own time, but assessment deadlines might also be given. Each unit might have an assessment to complete, like a series of questions, or there might be an extended piece. Your course catalogue will explain the types of assessments used.

Final Thoughts

A postgraduate nursing course is incredibly valuable. It allows you to develop your skills, learn about a new sector of nursing, or progress to become a nurse practitioner or leader. When considering which course is for you, consider what you will learn and how this can be used in your career.