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CM91 - Graduate Diploma in Correctional Nursing

Overview

Course Overview

The Graduate Diploma in Correctional Nursing provides you with the essential knowledge to enhance your registered nursing career providing care for people who are, or have been, incarcerated or detained. You will have the opportunity to explore the complex interplay between incarceration, health and wellbeing. You will acquire knowledge of contemporary leadership and human resource practices to support career progression, being a change agent, as well as the practical application of correctional nursing knowledge.   

Career Information

The Graduate Diploma in Correctional Nursing prepares registered nurses to work with people who are, or have been, incarcerated in a range of settings including but not limited to correctional centres, detention centres, or hospitals and health services that provide care. The knowledge and skills gained from this course provide the theoretical and practical underpinnings for quality nursing care, transferable to any nursing context where nurses work with marginalised populations.

Course Details
Duration 5 years maximum
Credit Points that Must be Earned 48
Number of Units Required CQUniversity uses the concept of credits to express the amount of study required for a particular course and individual units. The number of units varies between courses. Units in postgraduate courses normally consist of 6 points of credit or multiples thereof (e.g. 12, 18, 24).
Expected Hours of Study One point of credit is equivalent to an expectation of approximately two hours of student work per week in a term.
Course Type Postgraduate Award
Qualification (post nominal) PGradDipCorrNurs
AQF Level Level 8: Graduate Diploma

Admission Codes

Domestic Students
Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes 		Not Applicable
International Students
CRICOS Codes 		Not Applicable
Where and when can I start?

Domestic Availability

Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2027

Online

Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2026

Online

Overseas Availabilities

Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2027

Online

Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2026

Sorry, no overseas availabilities found.
For any problems regarding admissions availability for the selected course please contact 13 CQUni (13 27 86) or send us an email at https://contactus.cqu.edu.au/
Entry Requirements - What do I need to start?
Entry Scores
Entry scores are not available, please contact the Student Advice Team for more information
Academic Requirements

To be considered for entry into this course, you must demonstrate the following:

  • Current unconditional Registered Nurse (Division 1) registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). 
English Language Proficiency Requirements

The English language proficiency requirements listed below are those specified by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) as required for initial registration.

As an applicant for the Graduate Diploma in Correctional Nursing, you are required to demonstrate your English Language competency by holding current and unconditional registration as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Australian Health Practitioners Agency (Ahpra). 

Each application will be assessed individually.

Prerequisite Subjects
No information available at this time
Security Requirements
No information available at this time
Health Requirements
No information available at this time
Fees and Charges
Higher Education
Course Features

Awards and Accreditation

Interim Awards CL69 - Graduate Certificate in Correctional Nursing
Exit Awards CL69 - Graduate Certificate in Correctional Nursing
Accreditation
  • Not applicable

Residential School Requirements

No Residential School for this course.

Practicum/Work Placement

Not applicable

Predicted Enrolments

Year Number of Students
First Year 5
Second year 10
Third Year 15
Inherent Requirements
There are currently no inherent requirements associated with this course.
Core Learning Outcomes
  • 1. Appraise the complex nature of health and wellbeing in the correctional setting, including the professional roles and responsibilities of the multi-disciplinary team
  • 2. Investigate the links between health and wellbeing and criminality, and how health and wellbeing impact on engagement with the criminal justice and corrections systems
  • 3. Justify the role of the correctional nurse to enhance prisoner health and wellbeing, improve health outcomes and facilitate systems improvement
  • 4. Critique leadership strategies to strengthen the correctional nurse's role in creating sustainable practices.
  Course Learning Outcomes
Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors 1 2 3 4
1. KNOWLEDGE Have advanced knowledge within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge that may include the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills in a new or existing discipline or professional area
2. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge and identify and provide solutions to complex problems
3. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to think critically and to generate and evaluate complex ideas
4. SKILLS Have specialised technical and creative skills in a field of highly skilled and/or professional practice
5. SKILLS Have communication skills to demonstrate an understanding of theoretical concept
6. SKILLS Have communication skills to transfer complex knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences
7. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to make high level, independent judgements in a range of technical or management functions in varied specialised contexts
8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to initiate, plan, implement and evaluate broad functions within varied specialised technical and/or creative contexts
9. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILL Be responsible and accountable for personal outputs and all aspects of the work or function of others within broad parameters
Course Structure 2 - Unit Pack Learning Outcomes
Please refer to the Core Structure Learning Outcomes
Course Structure

In order to complete this course, you must:

  1. Complete the core structure

Core Structure

View Full Course Structure
Number of units: 8 Total credit points: 48

Course Structure 2 - Unit Pack Unit Pack

View Full Course Structure
Number of units: 8 Total credit points: 48

The Graduate Diploma in Correctional Nursing is offered online via CQUniversity's hyperflexible mode, Be Different. The hyperflexible mode allows you to work independently through the units at your own pace within an overarching timeframe for course completion. 

Available units
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
NURS28001 Jail Craft
NURS28002 Understanding Offenders
NURS28003 Optimising Health in the Correctional Setting
NURS20178 Alcohol and Other Drugs
DFVP20001 Domestic and Family Violence Practice: Key Concepts and Perspectives
NURS29016 Integrated Healthcare in Corrections
NURS29015 Correctional Nursing and Global Priorities
NURS28012 Leadership in Healthcare
More Details
There is no additional information for this course.