Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing (ACU Online)
Course information for - 2026 entry
- Domestic
- Domestic
Offered at 0 locations
- Duration
Overview
Building on the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing, the Graduate Diploma offers units in healthcare ethics, leadership, and a unit interpreting health research. An understanding of evidence-based practice and different research approaches is fundamental to research inquiry and is essential to enable postgraduate students to critically evaluate research literature, and to undertake health inquiry, workplace projects or health research. In addition, the Graduate Diploma offers a specified unit in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, an intervention of choice in contemporary mental health service delivery and is an effective treatment option.
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).
Professional experience
Students entering this course must provide written confirmation that they are employed in a mental health service.
Professional recognition
This course meets the requirements of a postgraduate qualification for employment beyond entry level in mental health settings and for credentialing as a mental health nurse.
Accreditation
This course is currently accredited under the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) National Framework for Postgraduate Mental Health Nursing Education.
Careers
Graduates will be able to apply their theoretical and practical learning in a range of mental health settings.
Examples of potential employment settings include:
- public and private health care organisations
- child and adolescent, adult and older person mental health services
- acute, community, rehabilitation and long term care focused settings
- local, state and commonwealth government policy
- consumer and carer groups
- mental health based research
Examples of potential employment roles include:
- clinician
- case manager/worker
- team leader
- service manager
- triage manager
- psychiatric consultation and liaison nurse
- nurse practitioner
Industry partnerships
ACU has existing partnerships and agreements with significant health services nationally. This includes (but not limited to) Catholic partners (e.g, St Vincent's mental health, St John of God), and other major tertiary hospitals (e.g., Royal Melbourne Hospital, Queensland Health, Local Health District NSW etc.). These partnerships are important for strengthening of the mental health nursing workforce which is under particular stress presently.
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing, a student must complete 80 credit points (cp).
Course map
Graduate statement
AQF framework
Exit Points
A student who has completed the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing may exit with the relevant award.
Testimonial
“I found the postgraduate support and guidance from ACU to be of an exceptional standard. The staff were experienced, contemporary in their knowledge and were able to apply both practice and theory to real clinical scenarios to assist us in better understanding the changing world of mental health nursing.”