Get work-ready
Step up to the challenge of practising in perioperative settings and graduate with the skills to provide high quality, ethical, patient-centred care. Build on your existing knowledge and learn the key concepts crucial to the application of nursing surgical patients. Clinical requirements mean you'll be learning while you study – working in your chosen specialty area will complement your theoretical studies with on the job learning.
Postgraduate
Postgraduate (further study)
A postgraduate qualification can be undertaken by students who have already completed an undergraduate degree or possess significant, demonstrable work experience. Postgraduate courses include graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, masters and PhDs, as well as specialist programs for industry professionals.
Career opportunities
With job growth of 13.9% projected for registered nurses and 23.1% for nurse managers by 2026,* there is an industry demand for nurses with sophisticated specialty skills. Deakin’s postgraduate nursing courses will enable you to meet that demand in a variety of roles. Depending on your chosen specialty area you can play a pivotal role in a multidisciplinary team as an:
- anaesthetic nurse
- circulating nurse
- instrument nurse
- post anaesthesia care unit nurse.
Choosing the right course
Deakin offers postgraduate courses in perioperative, perianaesthesia and intraoperative nursing at graduate certificate and graduate diploma levels. You may also choose to specialise in any of these three specialty nursing areas as part of the Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing.
Are you new to this area of study?
If you haven't previously worked or studied in this area, you'll need to complete an undergraduate course in nursing before moving on to our specialised postgraduate programs.
Browse the undergraduate offerings in some of our other nursing disciplines.
I've learnt sound theoretical knowledge which I have been able to take back to my clinical area and translate into practical skills with the guidance and support of my workplace clinical educator.
Amy Skiller
Postgraduate perioperative nursing graduate
Research with us
Research at the school is conducted through our Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS) and in partnership with several major healthcare providers. Our school is ranked 20th in the world,^ and the school’s cutting-edge research is recognised as well above world standard.#
Who we work with
The school works in partnership with many Australian metropolitan, rural and regional hospitals to deliver our specialist postgraduate programs.
Students undertaking our postgraduate courses are normally employed by a hospital partner and work a minimum of 24 hours a week for the duration of the course while undertaking the theoretical learning through Deakin.
Browse other disciplines within nursing and midwifery
Choose an area that you're interested in and learn how Deakin's extensive range of study options and experiences can help turn your dreams into reality.
Footnotes
*2021 Employment Outlook - for the five years to November 2026, Australian Government National Skills Commission.
^2022 ShanghaiRankings Ranking of Academic Subjects.
#Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) 2018.