Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing (ACU Online)

Our suite of Mental Health Nursing programs are developed specifically for nurses entering into the specialist area of mental health. The course is targeted to new nursing graduates and those working in mental health but who have no formal postgraduate mental health qualifications. You will gain knowledge and skills across a range of mental health settings, including acute care, community mental health, and psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery services. Develop advanced leadership skills while you gain a more comprehensive understanding of the health care system and use your expertise to become a change agent.

The Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing addresses current mental health perspectives and practices and gives you a comprehensive understanding of illness as well as wellness. The inclusion of diversity and lifetime perspectives will ensure that you are practice ready. In the Graduate Certificate you will undertake units in recovery-oriented mental health, holistic individual centred mental health practice, health promotion and social inclusion along with a unit to develop an in-depth understanding in practitioners of their practice.

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.

Commonwealth Supported Places are available for this course. See the course costs section below, under Fees.

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)