Master of Mental Health Nursing
Student type:
Quick facts
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Entry score
Not applicable
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Duration
Full-time 1.5 years, Part-time 3 years
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Location
Melbourne city campus, Bundoora
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Fees
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Next intake
February, July
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Entry score
Not applicable
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Duration
Not applicable
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Location
Not applicable
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Fees
Not applicable
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Next intake
Not applicable
Program brochure
Overview
The Master of Mental Health Nursing offers registered nurses the opportunity to develop specialty skills in mental health nursing and prepares you for more advanced clinical leadership roles.
RMIT is one of the oldest providers of nursing education in Australia and sits at the forefront of nursing education and research. RMIT is the leading provider of postgraduate mental health nursing education in Australia.
RMIT's mental health nursing programs are linked and supported by industry partners and are offered to nurses across Australia working in acute, forensic services, child and adolescent, aged mental health, addictions, homelessness teams and consultation liaison services.
You'll study advanced individual and group counselling, mental health treatment, contemporary nursing issues, global health, physical health assessment, psychopharmacology, leadership, clinical teaching, mentorship and research.
Details
You will be exposed to a range of teaching and learning opportunities including distance education packages, online learning, face-to-face lectures and learning experiences. All lectures are video recorded to enhance the flexible delivery of this program.
You will experience a range of learning approaches including learner-centred curriculum, learning activities and projects and working in multidisciplinary teams.
RMIT University is committed to providing you with an education that strongly links formal learning with professional or vocational practice. The assessment you will complete within this program will reflect the contemporary work you will be involved in within mental health nursing clinical practice.
Industry representatives provide regularly input into the program via membership of the program advisory board.
Year 1 takes place at the Bundoora campus or via distance education.
Year 2 takes place at the Melbourne City campus or via distance education.
Program leader: Associate Professor Phil Maude
Associate Professor Maude has completed a Master and PhD in nursing by research, as well as clinical postgraduate studies in mental health nursing, addiction and primary health care.
Lecturer: Dr Alistair Ross
Dr Ross has completed a Master and PhD in nursing and has contemporary practice in ECatt and private mental health service delivery.
The Master of Mental Health Nursing consists of 144 credit points. After completing 96 credit points of study approved by the Program Manager, you may exit with a graduate diploma.
The program is structured to enable you to:
- focus on assessment, dual diagnosis, pharmacology, leadership, recovery-based therapy work and mental health evidence-based practice
- have flexibility in your learning where you can choose to study on-campus or off-campus (online lectures and tutorial material)
- develop your career towards leadership roles
The following is an example of courses offered:
- Foundations of Mental Health Nursing Partnerships
- Context of Mental Health Nursing
- Therapeutic Initiatives in Mental Health
- Dual Diagnosis and Community Work
- Mental Health Nursing Clinical Portfolio
- Assessment Analysis in Mental Health Nursing
- Health Inquiry Critique
- Leadership, Supervision and Mentoring in Health Care
- Physical Assessment, Therapeutics and Mental Health
- Global Mental Health
- Health Research Project
Choose a program structure
| Title | Location | Duration | Plan code | CRICOS | ||
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| Master of Mental Health Nursing | Bundoora Campus |
1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent
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1.5 years full-time
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MC268 |
Choose a program structure
Program code: MC268
Career
Graduates will be able to seek to extend their careers in mental health nursing in a wide range of hospital and community settings across metropolitan and rural areas. Graduates of this program should be well prepared to conduct shift leadership and care coordination roles as well as mentorship of staff in a mental health setting.
With almost half of Australians estimated to suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives, mental health nurses perform an essential role in a wide range of hospital and community settings.
According to the Australian Government, employment rates have increased steadily over the past ten years and are forecast to continue growing for the foreseeable future. A substantial workforce gap is projected for the mental health nursing sector to 2030.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that around $8.5 billion per annum is spent on mental health-related services in Australia.
You can join the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and cite this qualification as part of your application for credentialing. Credentialed mental health nurses can be funded for employment under the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program.
Graduates can apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and after obtaining credentialing with the ACMHN may seek a provider number for private practice or practice in any Australian state or territory under the mental health nurse incentive program. To register in Australia you need English languages skills at IELTS academic level 7 or equivalent within the two years prior to registration.
Admissions
Entry requirements
- A Bachelor of Nursing degree, or equivalent, or a Bachelor’s degree in psychiatric/mental health nursing from an approved higher education institution. (In the case of nurses with senior experience in mental health a Diploma may be considered equivalent.)
- Current registration or be eligible for registration as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
- 840 hours of supervised clinical practice already completed in the field of mental health nursing OR you are completing this as part of a graduate year program in mental health nursing or supervised practice during the candidature. Please provide these documents when making your application.
Please note: For registration, international applicants will need to meet the English language IELTS score of 7.0 in all bands required by AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency).
Pathways
Graduates of the RMIT's Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing are eligible to seek 96 points of credit transfer towards the Master of Mental Health Nursing.
Applicants who have completed an equivalent postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma (which must include a Research Methods component) in mental health nursing at another university can claim a maximum of 72 points credit (50%) towards the Master of Mental Health Nursing degree at RMIT.
You can also apply for credit if you have completed a recognised psychiatric graduate nurse program (that was at least 12 months long) and/or are a nurse with advanced standing and experience in mental health.
After successfully completing the Master of Mental Health Nursing you may be eligible to proceed to a master by research or PhD.
Fees
Entry for this program is primarily through Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs).
In 2018, if you are enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place, the annual student contribution amount (tuition fee) you will pay for a standard year of full-time study is between AU$6,444 and AU$10,754.
The indicative annual tuition fee for full-fee places in 2018 is AU$20,160.
How much you’ll pay will depend on whether you’re offered a Commonwealth supported place or a full-fee place. Entry for this program is primarily through Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs). Government financial assistance is available to eligible students regardless of the type of place you enrol in.
Fees shown above apply to 2018 only and are based on an annual full-time study load of 96 credit points unless otherwise noted. A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load. Tuition fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.
For more information and to learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees see postgraduate study fees.
If you are offered a Commonwealth supported place, your tuition fees are subsidised by the Australian Government.
Your share of the fee (student contribution) is set on an annual basis by the government and is determined by the discipline areas (bands) of your individual enrolled courses, not the overall program.
In 2018, the annual student contribution amount you will pay for a standard year of full-time study is between AU$6,444 and AU$10,754. As a CSP student, you may be eligible to apply for a HECS-HELP loan, which allows you to defer payment of up to 100% of your student contribution.
For further information and to learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees see Fees for Commonwealth supported students.
How does a HELP loan work?
If your FEE-HELP and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to 100% of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.
You only start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is set each year by the Australian Government (this also applies if you are still studying). The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.
For more information about loan repayment options see Commonwealth assistance (HELP loans) or Study Assist.
In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student. The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2018 is $298.
You may be eligible to apply to defer payment of the SSAF through the SA-HELP loan scheme. If you use SA-HELP, the amount will be added to your accumulated HELP debt.
For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.
You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.