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CL24 - Master of Mental Health Nursing

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Overview

Course Overview

Mental health is a significant health issue and recognised as a national health priority area by the Australian Government. The provision of safe, person-centred, recovery-oriented mental health care is a major underpinning of this course. This course prepares you to be able to practice and research within the specialist field of mental health nursing. It will equip you with the skills and knowledge to work from an evidence-based position to support consumers to meet their recovery goals, work with groups and communities to implement mental health promotion strategies, explore diverse ways of forming relationships with consumers and families and critically explore the discourses of mental health. Particular attention will be given to exploring a range of therapeutic interventions which you can utilise to enhance your practice. The use of a portfolio will allow you to apply your learning to your own clinical practice. You will also learn research skills and have an opportunity to research an area of mental health nursing practice. In order to meet the learning outcomes of this course, it is required that you will be working in an area where mental health nursing skills are employed. 

Most of this course is offered flexibly allowing you to enrol, study and undertake assessments at times that suit you. This means that, except for the final four units, the Masters is not bound by terms, dates, or submission deadlines. 




Career Information

The Master of Mental Health Nursing provides Registered Nurses with a mental health nursing specific high level post-graduate qualification. This qualification has the potential to create many exciting and rewarding opportunities for graduates including increased financial remuneration from some employers. Graduates will attain competency and confidence to be able to undertake the many nurse mental health nursing leadership positions available within the health care industry; Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Consultant and Nurse Unit Manager roles. This qualification will also provide registered nurses with the competitive edge in order to apply for promotion.The research component of the course will allow graduates to move into research roles and even lead applied clinical research.

Course Details
Duration 1.5 years full-time or 3 years part-time
Credit Points that Must be Earned 72
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) MMHN
AQF Level Level 9: Masters Degree (Coursework)
Course Fees
Indicative Year - 2024
  • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $16,836
  • International Indicative First Term Fee - $8,418
  • International Indicative First Year Fee - $16,836
Indicative Year - 2023
  • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $15,588
  • International Indicative First Term Fee - $8,400
  • International Indicative First Year Fee - $16,800
Indicative Year - 2022
  • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $15,132

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 - 2025

Online

Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2024

Online

Overseas Availabilities

Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2025

Online

Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2024

Online
For any problems regarding admissions availability for the selected course please contact 13 CQUni (13 27 86) or send us an email at http://contactus.cqu.edu.au/
What do I need to start?
Entry Scores
Entry scores are not available, please contact the Student Advice Team for more information
Entry Requirements

Students must hold current registration as a Nurse (Division 1) with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA). Students must be currently employed in a setting which requires the use of mental health nursing skills. 

Security Requirements

NA

Health Requirements

NA

Assumed Knowledge

NA

Fees and Charges
Be Different
  • Indicative Year - 2024
    • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $16,836
    • International Indicative First Term Fee - $8,418
    • International Indicative First Year Fee - $16,836
  • Indicative Year - 2023
    • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $15,588
    • International Indicative First Term Fee - $8,400
    • International Indicative First Year Fee - $16,800
  • Indicative Year - 2022
    • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $15,132
Higher Education
Course Features

Awards and Accreditation

Interim Awards Not applicable
Exit Awards CC69 - Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing CL56 - Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing
Accreditation
  • Core

    Provisional Accreditation with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses

Residential School Requirements

No Residential School for this course.

Practicum/Work Placement

Not applicable

Previous and Current Enrolments

Year Number of Students
2024 6
2023 46
2022 34
2021 27
2020 18
Inherent Requirements
There are Inherent Requirements (IRs) that you need to be aware of, and fulfil, to achieve the core learning outcomes of the units and course. IRs are the essential capabilities, knowledge, behaviours and skills that are needed to complete a unit or course.

Please note that in some instances there may be similarities between course, entry and inherent requirements.

If you experience difficulties meeting these requirements, reasonable adjustments may be made upon contacting accessibility@cqu.edu.au. Adjustment must not compromise the academic integrity of the degree or course chosen at CQUniversity or the legal requirements of field education.

Ethical Behaviour

Examples are:

  • Complying with academic and non-academic misconduct policies and procedures such as CQUniversity’s Student Charter, Student Misconduct Policy, Student Behavioural Misconduct Procedure, Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure, Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
  • Treating personal information obtained in classroom and clinical settings as private and confidential.
  • Respecting an individual's/group's diversity by demonstrating sensitivity to religious cultural and individual differences.
  • Demonstrating an ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues and take responsibility for ensuring awareness of ethical behaviour.
Behavioural Stability

Examples are:

  • Being receptive and responding appropriately to different viewpoints, to constructive feedback and to direction from academics.
  • Interacting positively and effectively in groups with other students while attending activities related to the course.
  • Contributing to on-line discussion forums and tutorials with peers and academics whilst using respectful language and tone.
Communication Skills (Verbal, Non-verbal, Written and Technology)

Examples are:

  • Actively participating in discussion activities related to the course.
  • Using language that is appropriate to the context of the individual or group.
  • Incorporating the use of effective non-verbal cues such as eye contact when communicating with academics and peers during activities related to the course, building positive learning relationships.
  • Constructing assessment work to academic standards with attention to grammar and punctuation.
  • Expressing complex and detailed information and knowledge into a logical and easily understood written form for assessment requirements.
  • Accessing a computer for your studies.
  • Regularly accessing the internet for research, and email for communication with peers and university staff.
  • Analysing, manipulating and displaying scientific information.
Cognitive Abilities (Knowledge and Cognitive Skills, Literacy and Numeracy)

Examples are:

  • Conceptualising and using appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.
  • Completing academic learning activities and assessment tasks within reasonable timeframes.
  • Actively listening to information within a variety of academic situations.
  • Paraphrasing, summarising and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions associated with the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing format used by the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences.
Relational Skills

Examples are:

  • Adhering to the registered nurse standards for practice, in particular Standard 2
  • Establishing, sustaining and concluding relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships.
  • Communicating effectively and being respectful of a person's dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights.
  • Recognising that people are the experts in the experience of their life.
Reflective Skills

Examples are:

  • Adhering to the registered nurse standards for practice, in particular Standards 1 and 7.
  • Accessing, analysing and using the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice.
  • Reflecting on practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice.
  • Respecting all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures.
  • Demonstrating the use of ethical frameworks when making decisions.
Sustainable Performance

Examples are:

  • Actively participating in activities related to the course.
  • Undertaking on-line quizzes and assessments with adequate, sustained levels of physical energy and concentration.
  • Performing consistent care and complete repetitive tasks during clinical practice with sustained concentration and physical energy for an 8 to 12 hour period of time that may be at night.
Interpersonal Engagement

Examples are:

  • Adhering to the registered nurse standards for practice, in particular Standard 2.
  • Demonstrating establishing, sustaining and concluding relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships.
  • Communicating effectively, and being respectful of a person's dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights.
  • Recognising that people are the experts in the experience of their life.
  • Demonstrate the providing of support and directing people to resources to optimise health related decisions.
  • Demonstrate advocating on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person's autonomy and legal capacity.
  • Actively fostering a culture of safety and learning that includes engaging with health professionals and others, to share knowledge and practice that supports person-centres care.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Abilities

Examples are:

  • Accessing relevant CQUniversity sites to facilitate effective engagement with course content and demonstrate understanding of course requirements.
Core Learning Outcomes
  • 1. Apply mental health knowledge and skills in the clinical setting to support people affected by mental health issues
  • 2. Analyse historical, traditional and contemporary mental health discourses
  • 3. Demonstrate communication and therapeutic skills that build and support a consumer's recovery journey
  • 4. Devise strategies to implement the principles of recovery-oriented mental health nursing practice
  • 5. Devise ways to remove barriers to ensure culturally safe and inclusive mental health care with particular reference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • 6. Analyse the multiple contexts that may contribute towards the experience of mental health issues
  • 7. Evaluate mental health promotion strategies that build resilience and prevent or reduce the impact of mental health issues
  • 8. Identity obstacles to social inclusion for those with mental health issues and devise strategies to reduce these
  • 9. Reflect on one’s mental health nursing practice to identify barriers and facilitators
  • 10. Apply research skills to undertake a research project addressing an issue in mental health nursing practice.
  Course Learning Outcomes
Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1. KNOWLEDGE Have a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice
2. KNOWLEDGE Have an understanding of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work and/or learning
3. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and to reflect critically on theory and professional practice or scholarship
4. SKILLS Have cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and to apply established theories to different bodies of knowledge or practice
5. SKILLS Have cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate and evaluate complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level
6. SKILLS Have communication and technical research skills to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions to specialist and non-specialist audiences
7. SKILLS Have technical and communication skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise about developments that contribute to professional practice or scholarship
8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to use creativity and initiative to new situations in professional practice and/or for further learning
9. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to use high level personal autonomy and accountability
10 APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship.
APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Communicate, interact and collaborate with others effectively in culturally or linguistically diverse contexts in a culturally respectful manner