Nursing - Principles of Intensive Care Nursing

ProfDip Principles of Intensive Care Nursing
UG Certificates & Diplomas (level 8 nfq)
The Professional Diploma in Nursing (Principles of Intensive Care Nursing) programme is a 20 credit, level 8 programme offered in partnership between the University College Dublin (UCD) School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems (SNMHS) and the Blackrock Clinic. The Intensive Care Unit in the Blackrock Clinic is a mixed surgical and medical unit.

Major Strengths

UCD has a long history of producing high quality graduates

This programme is highly focused on enhancing your clinical practice and the achievement of realistic and attainable attributes in the practice of nursing in the Intensive Care environment in the Blackrock Clinic Hospital

Clinical and university-based lecturers with national and international expertise from clinical, research and educational perspectives

The Programme employs a variety of innovative assessment strategies with a strong clinical focus

Extensive use of IT in supporting the teaching environment of the programme

Access to excellent facilities for lectures

About Blackrock Clinic

Blackrock Clinic is the leading and longest established private hospital and clinic in Ireland. Since it opened in the mid 1980s, the Clinic has consistently built an unparalleled reputation in new high-tech surgical procedures, medical treatments and ground-breaking diagnostics. This reputation means that some of the best international and national consultants work at Blackrock Clinic.

Patient outcomes at Blackrock Clinic are very positive. We follow the progress of patients from the beginning of their journey with us and many of our outcomes outstrip international standards.

For over 14 years the organization has been recoqnised by the Joint Commission International (JCI) which accredits only hospitals that raise safety and quality of care standards to the highest levels. We were one of the first hospitals in Ireland to attain this international recognition.

Blackrock Clinic is a progressive and pioneering hospital in which care for the patient is central to everything we do.

About the Blackrock Clinic ICU

Blackrock Clinic has a 12 bedded state of the art Intensive Care. It is a tertiary level unit with a complete range of critical care supports. Its case mix includes level 3 patients with facilities for:

CRRT (Dialysis)
Nitric Oxide
Dedicated post-ICU Rehab
Novalung Therapy
Cardiac / Thoracic / Vascular /Spinal, General Surgery & Hepatobiliary services
The unit has a dedicated ICU Consultant Rota team available to accept patient transfers from other hospitals on a 24 / 7 basis.

The facility admits over 800 patients per year making it one of the busiest ICUs in the country.

The programme consists of 20 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits at National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) Level 8. The two modules are offered in sequence to facilitate targeted learning for the student. The programme duration is from September to May.

The two modules are as follows:

NMHS 32440: Core Theoretical Concepts of Nursing Care for the Critically Ill Patient: This module is designed to provide students with the theoretical foundation for entry into critical care nursing practice.

NMHS 32430: Theoretical and Clinical Nursing Care related to Specialised Patient Groups within the Intensive Care Unit. The module will focus on the principles and practice of Intensive Care nursing related to cardiothoracic, vascular,and thoracic surgery, also medical patients requiring advanced haemodynamic monitoring and therapeutic modalities.

All applicants must hold a primary degree in Nursing (or equivalent in related discipline)/RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) consideration if applicant does not hold a degree

All applicants must be entered onto the appropriate division of the Nurses Register maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)

All applicants must be employed in the intensive care unit in the Blackrock Clinic for the duration of the programme and work a minimum of 75 hours per month. Further information is available on the Blackrock Clinic website

In addition, each student must provide documented evidence from the Director of Nursing in the clinical practice area, which guarantees a placement for the duration of the programme

Who should apply?
Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

This programme is for registered nurses employed in the Blackrock Clinic who wish to gain experience, knowledge, skills and proficiency in the care of patients within the Intensive care environment.

How will you benefit?

You will be able to safely and competently care for critically ill patients in the Intensive Care environment in the Blackrock Clinic. On successful completion you be awarded a 10 credit exemption from the Graduate Diploma Nursing Critical Care Intensive Care programme which leads on to a Master's Degree in Critical Care Nursing.

Documents required:

Transcript(s) including date and grading of degree award (non UCD Graduates only) and notarised English translations where relevant

A current photocopy of NMBI registration

Copy of Birth Certificate or Personal Page of Passport

Signed Declaration Form from Employer (original form) Declaration Form

Completed Professional Reference Form (original form) Professional Reference Form

Evidence of proficiency in English language (applicants whose first language is not English)

1 year part-time