Specialist Certificate in Neonatal Care

Specifically designed for Registered Nurses or Registered Midwives working in special care nurseries (SCN), the Specialist Certificate in Neonatal Care will introduce you to the latest evidence for high-quality care of sick or preterm neonates and their families.

As a student, you will develop a sound understanding of the evidence base that underpins neonatal specialty practice. You will explore family-centred and neonatal developmental care and extend your knowledge in the assessment of the sick or preterm neonate and management of common neonatal conditions. You will learn from expert clinicians as you begin to confidently put your new specialty knowledge into practice.

Who is this course for?

Tailored to the needs of currently practising Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives, the course offers flexible online delivery, enabling you to fit part-time study into your busy schedule. This certificate is ideal for professionals entering the neonatal workforce as well as experienced SCN staff who require updating of knowledge and skills to confidently and competently care for increasingly complex neonates.

International students are welcome to study this course. However, please note that this course is not available to international students who require a student visa to study in Australia as it does not meet the onshore study requirements and it is not registered with CRICOS.

Course aims

Every year in Australia more than 27,000 babies are born preterm, before 37 weeks’ gestation. The vast majority will not require neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission after birth but will require admission to a Special Care Nursery (SCN). This course acts as a pathway into the more advanced Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Intensive Care.

Related course

You may also be interested in the Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Intensive Care.

English language requirements

All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. This may be achieved in a number of ways, including recognised previous study taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test. If you are from a non-English speaking background, the required standard of English for this degree is one of the following English proficiency test scores:

• English language test score requirements

• If you need to undertake an English language test, you must meet one of the scores* below:

  IELTS

  6.5

  ---

  with no band less than 6.0

  TOEFL

  79+

  ---

  with writing 21; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13

  PEARSON

  64+

  ---

  with no communicative skill below 60

  CAMBRIDGE

  176+

  ---

  with no skill less than 169

  *Accepted tests: IELTS (Academic English Only); TOEFL Internet-based test; Pearson Test of English Academic; Cambridge English: Advanced/Certificate of Advanced English (CAE). If a test displays N/A, it means it is not accepted for this course.

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