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Postgraduate Certificate in Specialist Practice (P.Grad.Cert)

Key Facts

Course Code: DPCNM-SPRA-1P09

Duration: One year Part-Time

Next Intake: September annually

Closing date for applications: 30 June

Location: 24 D'Olier Street

Fees: Further information on course fees can be found at Academic Registry.

Overview

This course aims to meet contemporary healthcare needs within the context of the Health Service Reform and offers an opportunity for holders of a higher degree to develop in a new specialist area, while offering candidates who may not hold a higher degree an entry pathway to the M.Sc./P.Grad.Dip. course. This (M.Sc.) flexible academic pathway facilities candidates to develop professionally by applying an academic course to their area of expertise. Students are taught in an environment where there is access contemporary evidence-based research that will improve their clinical practice. Graduates of the course are expected to be competent, reflective practitioners with developed expertise and skills to meet patients’/clients’ needs in a holistic manner. Successful completion of the course may facilitate expansion in the overall scope of practice of the professions to include areas of practice that have not hitherto been within the remit of their practice.

Structure & Delivery

Year One: commences with a full week in September and thereafter one day per week for the remainder of the academic year.

Course Assessments
Each module will be assessed by the successful completion of an academic assignment.

Course Content

New Postgraduate Certificate in specialist areas
The Faculty of Health Sciences and the School of Nursing and Midwifery are delighted to announce the introduction of a Postgraduate Certificate in the following specialist areas.
This is an exciting development as it offers the flexibility of taking three modules, each at Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) level 9 in specialist areas and each worth 10 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Upon successful completion of the three modules candidates will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Specialist Practice (P.Grad.Cert.) or may opt to continue to study for a Postgraduate Diploma (P.Grad.Dip.) or a Masters in Science (M.Sc.) in the specialist area.

The modules are each worth 10 ECTS and are:

Interdisciplinary Dementia

  • Ways of Understanding Dementia and Dementia Care
  • Critical Issues in Assessment and Care Planning
  • Enhancing the Experience of Living with Dementia

Interdisciplinary Mental Health – Psychosocial Interventions

  • Deconstructing Theoretical Perspectives on Human Distress
  • Working with People Who Experience Psychosis or Related Experiences
  • Inter-Professional Family Work

Interdisciplinary Mental Health

  • Deconstructing Theoretical Perspectives on Human Distress

and a choice of two of the following:

  • Interface Between Mental Health and Criminal Justice
  • Suicide, Suicidal Behaviour and Self-harm
  • Promoting Equality, Citizenship and Social Inclusion for users of the Mental Health Services

PG.Cert in Child Adolescent and Family Mental Health

  • Theoretical Perspectives in Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Practice
  • Enhancing Practice in Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Services
  • Working with people affected by eating disorders

Interdisciplinary Palliative Care:

  • Palliative Care Philosophy: Concepts and Debates
  • Palliative Approaches to Pain and Symptom Management
  • Psychosocial, Spiritual and Therapeutic Issues in Palliative Care

Nursing Specialist – Gerontology

This Postgraduate Certificate is theory-based and is not a recognised qualification for specialist clinical practice.

  • Principles of integrated care in gerontological nursing
  • Biopsychosocial principles of gerontological nursing
  • Advancing gerontological nursing practice

Nursing Specialist - Emergency:

This Postgraduate Certificate is theory-based and is not a recognised qualification for specialist clinical practice.

  • Nursing Management of Medical Emergencies
  • Nursing Management of Medical, Paediatric and Mental Health Emergencies
  • Management of Surgical Emergencies and Trauma Nursing

Nursing Specialist - Intensive Care:

This Postgraduate Certificate is theory-based and is not a recognised qualification for specialist clinical practice.

  • Principles of Intensive Care Nursing
  • Management of the Critically Ill Adult 1
  • Management of the Critically Ill Adult 2

Nursing Specialist - Renal:

This Postgraduate Certificate is theory-based and is not a recognised qualification for specialist clinical practice.

  • Nephrology Nursing
  • Transplant and Peritoneal Dialysis Nursing
  • Haemodialysis and Allied Therapies Nursing

Nursing Specialist - Cancer Care and Haematology:

This Postgraduate Certificate is theory-based and is not a recognised qualification for specialist clinical practice.

  • Cancer and Haematology Nursing
  • Psychosocial Issues in Haemato-Oncology Nursing
  • Haemato-Oncology Nursing

Nursing Specialist - Peri-Operative:

This Postgraduate Certificate is theory-based and is not a recognised qualification for specialist clinical practice.

  • Principles of Perioperative Nursing
  • Peri-Operative Department Management
  • Nursing Management of the Perioperative Patient

Nursing Specialist - Cardiovascular Care

This Postgraduate Certificate is theory-based and is not a recognised qualification for specialist clinical practice.

Nursing Specialist - Orthopaedics

This Postgraduate Certificate is theory-based and is not a recognised qualification for specialist clinical practice.

Entry Requirement

The criteria for admission are that the candidate must:

Admission Requirements Specialist Nursing strands:

  • Admission to the strand will be subject to place availability. The entry criteria for this strand are:
  • Current registration on the appropriate nursing division of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland Active Register
  • Two years post-registration clinical experience since first registration
  • Twelve months experience (within the last two years) in the specialty at the time of application.
  • Candidates must also fulfil one of the following criteria:

An honours degree in nursing or a related discipline or equivalent professional and academic qualification or satisfy the selection committee that they have the academic ability to successfully complete the programme.

  • Each student will be engaged in specific practice settings in Ireland relevant to each individual strand for the duration of the programme of study.
  • Additional criteria may be required by individual Health Service Providers.
  • Additions criteria for Gerontological strand, be working in an area where gerontological nursing care is delivered in Ireland for the duration of the course;

Admission Requirements Interdisciplinary - Mental Health including the Psychosocial Interventions strand

  • be currently working in mental health/mental illness field; and
  • normally hold an honours degree in a relevant discipline; or
  • otherwise satisfy the selection panel that they have the ability to complete and benefit from the programme.

Note, this strand is open to a wide range of professionals. Nurses undertaking this strand must have current registration on the appropriate division of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland live register.

Admission Requirements Interdisciplinary – Mental Health –Child, Adolescent and Family strand

  • be currently working in child, adolescent and family mental health services; and
  • be currently employed in the area of mental health/mental illness/child, adolescent and family services and have Garda clearance for working with children and adolescents and
  • normally hold an honours degree in a relevant discipline; or
  • otherwise satisfy the selection panel that they have the ability to complete and benefit from the programme.

Note, this strand is open to a wide range of professionals. Nurses undertaking this strand must have current registration on the appropriate division of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland live register.

Admission Requirements Interdisciplinary – Palliative Care strand

  • For the duration of the course, candidates must be employed in Ireland in an area where the principles of palliative care are operationalised when caring for individuals with life threatening illness and their families.
  • Have a minimum of one years clinical experience in palliative care practice within the last 2 years and.
  • Hold at least an upper second-class honors degree in a health professional or related subject area. Candidates with relevant, and significant experience as professional practitioners in the field of palliative care may be accepted with a lower class degree (II.2 or III), provided that they can satisfy the selection panel that they have the ability to complete and benefit from the course.

Documentation required to complete application

  • 1 Academic reference (from a lecturer in a third level institute e.g., University)
  • 1 Clinical reference (MUST be from someone at managerial level)
  • Copies of academic transcripts from completed educational courses
  • Copies of official awards (parchment) from completed educational courses
  • A letter of support from your Director of Nursing
  • An up-to-date CV
  • Proof of English Language Proficiency (for those whose first language is not Eng-lish, see below for further details)

Language

All applicants whose first language is not English and who have not been educated through the medium of English must present one of the following qualifications in the English language:

IELTS (Academic version) and IELTS Indicator : Grade 6.5 overall with a minimum of grade of 6 in each category

TOEFL and TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition: 88 internet-based, 570 paper-based, 230 computer-based

  • TOEFL: 88 internet-based, 570 paper-based, 230 computer-based
  • University of Cambridge: 
    Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2) 
    Advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2) 
  • Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE Academic: a minimum score of 63 to be eligible (with no section score below 59)
  • Duolingo English Test: minimum overall score of 110/160, dated since January 2020
  • An award certificate with a minimum II.1 overall score from Trinity's Centre for English Language Learning and Teaching's Pre-Masters pathway programme. The Pre-Master’s Pathway Programme is an academic English course for international students with conditional offers for postgraduate study at Trinity. Passing the programme means you meet Trinity’s English language requirement and can progress to your postgraduate course without retaking IELTS or any other exam. 

The Pre-Master’s Pathway Programme is an academic English course for international students with conditional offers for postgraduate study at Trinity. Passing the programme means you meet Trinity’s English language requirement and can progress to your postgraduate course without retaking IELTS or any other exam. Please click here for Pre-Masters pathway programme

Please also note that existing IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and PET scores up to three years old (rather than two) will be accepted for 2021/22 applications in light of test centre closures.

For further details on these English Language Proficiency Tests, please contact the appropriate organisation directly.

An applicant whose first language is not English but who has taken a degree through the medium of English may be eligible. However some courses may request applicants to present an English Language qualification under certain circumstances.