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Course Overview
This course provides essential knowledge and skills for the nurse employed in correctional services in order to provide high quality nursing care to the offender population. In this course you will learn about the many facets of the nursing role including primary health care, chronic disease management, health education and responding to emergencies. You will undertake study to understand offenders, why they are likely to offend and the effect of incarceration, in particular how this relates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. You will gain knowledge about licit and illicit drug use, harm minimisation strategies and treatment relevant to the prison environment. The term ‘jail craft’ refers to the many strategies that nurses use in this unique environment to manage their patients and their self. ‘Jail craft’, is explored and in particular, you will learn strategies to manage the impact of trauma on self and in the prisoner population.
Career Information
On completion of this award, graduates will be able to seek employment as a nurse in correctional services. Graduates currently employed in correctional services may also be eligible for promotion.
| Duration | 1 years part-time |
|---|---|
| Credit Points that Must be Earned | 24 |
| 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 8 points of credit or multiples thereof (e.g. 8, 16, 24). |
| Expected Hours of Study | Each unit at this level, typically requires 192 hours of student commitment over a period of 12 weeks. |
| Course Type | Postgraduate Award |
| Qualification (post nominal) | GradCertCorrNurs |
| AQF Level | Level 8: Graduate Certificate |
| Course Fees |
Indicative Year - 2026
Indicative Year - 2025
Indicative Year - 2024
Indicative Year - 2023
Indicative Year - 2022
|
Admission Codes
|
Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
Not Applicable |
|---|---|
|
International Students CRICOS Codes |
Not Applicable |
Domestic Availability
-
Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2027
-
Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2025
-
Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2024
-
Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2026
Overseas Availabilities
-
Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2027
-
Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2025
-
Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2024
-
Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2026
Students must hold current nursing registration with Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA).
Education for registration as a nurse with Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA).
No security requirements
No health requirements
Be Different
- Indicative Year - 2026
- Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee - $2,400
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $9,200
- Indicative Year - 2025
- Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee - $2,312
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $8,808
- Indicative Year - 2024
- Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee - $2,220
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $8,418
- International Indicative First Year Fee - $14,884.5
- Indicative Year - 2023
- Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee - $2,060
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $7,794
- Indicative Year - 2022
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $11,422.5
- Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee - $1,992
Higher Education
Awards and Accreditation
| Interim Awards | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Exit Awards | Not applicable |
| Accreditation |
|
Residential School Requirements
No Residential School for this course.
Practicum/Work Placement
| Not applicable |
Previous and Current Enrolments
| Year | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2023 | 25 |
| 2022 | 44 |
| 2021 | 49 |
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.
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.
Examples are:
- Being receptive and responding appropriately to different viewpoints, to constructive feedback and to direction from academics and clinical staff.
- 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.
- Coping with your own emotions, responses and behaviour effectively when dealing with challenging situations in the clinical setting.
Examples are:
- Actively participating in discussion activities related to the course.
- Using language that is appropriate to the context of the individual or group.
- Constructing your 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.
Examples are:
- Conceptualising and using appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.
- Completing academic learning activities and assessment tasks.
- 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.
Examples are:
- Actively participating in activities related to the course.
- Undertaking on-line quizzes with adequate, sustained levels of physical energy and concentration.
- Participating in learning clinical skills and engaging in simulation activities during on-campus learning and teaching situations.
- 0. Demonstrate knowledge and skills relevant to the specialised role of a correctional nurse
- 2. Appreciate the offender’s biopsychosocial and cultural background and the impact of incarceration when undertaking nursing practices, particularly in relation to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population
- 3. Analyse the impact of the prison environment and culture on nursing practices and identify strategies to manage this impact
- 4. Analyse the role of licit and illicit drugs in the correctional environment and evaluate strategies to minimise the harm associated with drug use
- 5. Apply knowledge of chronic illnesses, mental illnesses and communicable diseases when undertaking nursing care in the correctional environment.
| Course Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 1. KNOWLEDGE Have specialised 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 concepts | |||||
| 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 | |||||
| 10. FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE sufficient to undertake qualifications | |||||
| 11. ACQUISITION AND APPLICATION of knowledge in new or existing disciplines or professional areas drawn from higher education units | |||||
| 12. FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS sufficient to undertake qualifications | |||||
| 13. ACQUISITION AND APPLICATION of skills in new or existing disciplines or professional areas drawn from higher education units | |||||
| 14. Course content drawn from higher education units | |||||
- Complete the core structure
| Number of units: 4 | Total credit points: 24 |
|---|
| Year 1 - Term 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
| NURS28001 | Jail Craft | |
| NURS20178 | Alcohol and Other Drugs | |
| Year 1 - Term 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
| NURS28002 | Understanding Offenders | |
| NURS28003 | Optimising Health in the Correctional Setting | |