Nursing - Emergency Care

Course Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing (Emergency Care) is designed for registered nurses who wish to pursue a specialism in Emergency Nursing.



Students are required to undertake their clinical practice in an approved clinical practice setting within Ireland, normally within the students' own work setting. Students may also be required to undertake additional placement(s) in order to meet the programme’s learning outcomes.



All students will register on the full-time one-year Postgraduate Diploma. On completion of both theoretical and clinical modules for this course, students will graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma or (if they have achieved the minimum 60% average mark across these modules) they may apply to transfer to the second year of the MSc programme.



A blended learning approach is adopted in the delivery of this programme. Students are required to attend face to face workshops for a total of 12 days across the programme. Students are required to complete a minimum of 500 clinical hours (reduced from previously-published 1,000 hours, on NMBI advice) before completing this programme.



Special Features

The course has a clinical focus, offering opportunities to develop specialist skills. The programme is delivered through a blended learning format—a combination of online and face-to-face learning and teaching. Blended learning is an innovative and flexible approach to learning, making it possible to combine working full-time with studying. Our face-to-face learning workshops include high-fidelity simulation with state-of-the-art facilities, simulationists, and interprofessional faculty with clinical expertise for specific modules. This course has category 2 approval by The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).

Students will complete three core and three specialist modules in the first year (60 ECTS). Eligible students will then complete a research dissertation (30 ECTS) in the second year.



Year 1 (60 Credits)

Required NU611: Specialist I (Medical Emergencies)

Required NU921: Clinical Competence 1

Required NU623: Clinical Governance: Supporting Safe Practice

Required NU613: Specialist 3 (Specialist Patient Populations)

Required NU612: Specialist 2 (Major Trauma & Surgical Emergencies)

Required NU6439: Service Improvement

Required NU502: Advanced Research Methods

Required NU922: Clinical Competence 2



Year 2 (30 Credits)

Required NU6515: Research Dissertation

All applicants must meet the following entry requirements:



- Be a registered nurse on the General Nurse division of the register maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI);



- Have a minimum of six months’ post-registration experience (exclusive of post-registration courses);



- Be currently working in the required specialist area, i.e., emergency, and have, as a minimum, six months’ clinical experience in this specialist area;



- Have an honours bachelor’s degree at NFQ Level 8 in nursing or a comparable qualification. Applicants who do not hold an honours degree or Higher Diploma (Level 8) must demonstrate that they have successfully completed (in the previous two years) a module at Level 9. Please consult the professional credit awards at Level 9 at: www.nuigalway.ie/pca/pca.html.

Applications must be completed online at: https://nuigalway.elluciancrmrecruit.com/Apply/Account/Login.



An application requires a registration fee of €35. You will be asked to upload proof of identification, academic transcripts, a personal statement, an academic reference and documentation to fulfil the English requirement (where English is not your first language).

Postgraduate Diploma: 1 year full-time

Masters: 2 years full-time (if eligible for second year following Postgraduate Diploma)

Next start date September 2025



Closing Date 30 June 2025

Career Opportunities

Graduates have found employment in the health services, and in private hospitals and clinics.