Postgraduate Mental Health Nursing

The Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing (MHN) aims to prepare Registered Nurses (RN) to work as specialist nurses in the mental health specialty area. This course provides opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and skills by integrating theory and mental health nursing practice in order to engage in clinical decision-making.

St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney (SVHNS) offers two focused postgraduate units of study that articulate with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) postgraduate programs:

SVHNS Mental Health Nursing Unit 1
SVHNS Mental Health Nursing Unit 2

Features of the Course

The features of the SVH Postgraduate MHN Course, in alignment with existing SVHS postgraduate clinical nursing courses, are:

Structured Clinical Rotations: Students will gain a minimum of 1520 hours clinical experience, in a variety of relevant clinical areas including their current place of work.
Educational and Clinical Support: Emphasis is placed on adult learning principles, which encourage individuals to take accountability and responsibility for personal and professional development. The Nurse Educator’s responsibility is in teaching participants effective learning strategies such as independent and/or self-directed learning. Further clinical support is available from CNE’s and CNS’s in clinical areas.
Assessments: A variety of assessment methods and tools are used, including specialty clinical competencies; standardised learning contracts for clinical rotations, exams, presentations and written assessments.
Study Days: 10 paid study days are allocated for clinically focused learning across both units. Content of these Study Days is designed to complement the theoretical content of tertiary programs. Teaching and learning strategies may include lectures and tutorials, clinical visits, literature appraisal, discussions, assessments, workshops, self-directed learning opportunities and presentations.

Mental Health Nursing 1
The aim of this unit is to prepare students to provide culturally safe holistic recovery-oriented care for people experiencing a mental illness in a variety of clinical settings. The focus of the unit is on assessment of individual care needs, care planning and care implementation using a person-centred approach. Students will explore the how the therapeutic relationship forms the basis of a collaborative approach to assessment and care planning with individuals. This learning will be applied to their practice in working with the individual, their carers, families and other members of the multidisciplinary team.

This unit is conducted in the first semester and includes five (5) study days (40 hours).

It is preferable that students wishing to enrol in the subject should have completed, or be concurrently enrolled in, NRSG652 Recovery Orientated Mental Health Nursing, offered by ACU

Mental Health Nursing 2
The aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to critically evaluate the relationship between mental health and physical health, and the social inequalities of health experienced by individuals experiencing mental illness. Within a cultural perspective the physical health of individuals with an underlying mental health condition who experience the phenomenon of diagnostic overshadowing will be explored. Challenges associated with co-existing health conditions, including alcohol and other drug use, psychopharmacological agents and the impact on the individual will be examined. Students will identify strategies and policies for health promotion, prevention and early intervention.

This unit is conducted in the second semester and includes five (5) study days (40 hours).

It is preferable that students wishing to enrol in the subject should have completed or be concurrently enrolled in NRSG655 Reflective Practice and Clinical Supervision in Mental Health Nursing, offered by ACU

Course duration

The SVH Mental Health Nursing Units 1 and 2 and structured clinical rotations commence in April 2026 and conclude in July 2026; units are undertaken sequentially throughout the year. Lectures are delivered face to face or online.
Affiliation with Australian Catholic University (ACU)

To complete a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing offered by ACU (requiring 40 credit points), students must undertake a total of four (4) units:

Two theory units though ACU: NRSG652 Recovery Orientated Mental Health Nursing and NRSG655 Reflective Practice and Clinical Supervision in Mental Health Nursing, (10 credit points per unit)
Two Vincent’s Hospital units: SVHNS Mental Health Nursing Unit 1 and SVHNS Mental Health Nursing Unit 2, which attract 10 credit points per unit.

Nomenclature of Award

On successful completion of the one year SVHNS Mental Health Nursing Course (incorporating two units and rotations), a SVHNS Certificate of Clinical Nursing Practice is awarded by St Vincent’s Health Network.

Student selection criteria

The selection of SVHNS Postgraduate Mental Health Nursing Course students is based on academic and employment suitability, following online application and successful interview.
Essential criteria

To be eligible for enrolment in this course, Registered Nurses must:

have an undergraduate degree in nursing or equivalent qualification
be currently registered as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Australian Health Professionals Regulation Agency with no notations
Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
Not be on any formal performance management plan
Have the support of their manager

All applicants are required to be employed by St Vincent’s Health Australia and have a positive appraisal from their current (preferable) or previous employer. As positions are limited nurses are encouraged to seek permanent employment prior to applying.

Desirable criteria

Have a minimum of 1 year mental health nursing experience
Full-time employment within the Inner City Stream of St Vincent’s Public Hospital.
Part-time employees may apply if clinical experience hours can be met; applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Cost

There are no fees for SVH Mental Health Nursing Units 1 and 2 when undertaken concurrently within the St Vincent’s Hospital Postgraduate Mental Health Nursing Course.

Fees do apply for NRSG652 Recovery Orientated Mental Health Nursing and NRSG655 Reflective Practice and Clinical Supervision in Mental Health Nursing. ACU also offers a limited number of Commonwealth Supported places for the Mental Health Nursing postgraduate studies. Students may also be eligible for FEE-HELP, a student loan initiative from the Australian Government (www.studyassist.gov.au).

Applications

Applications for the SVH Mental Health Nursing Course for 2026 will open on the 15 September 2025.

Applicants are required to complete online application form via 2026 Early Bird SVH Postgraduate Course in Mental Health Nursing

Applications for the online subjects offered by ACU: NRSG652 and NRSG655 close in early-February (Semester 1 commencement) and early-July (Semester 2 commencement) each year. This may be subject to change so please check the ACU website for updates. Applications for these units must be made online via the ACU website.

Scholarships

To financially assist students, St Vincent’s Hospital Division of Nursing offers a defined number of scholarships in an endeavour to support nurses to undertake tertiary based Post-Graduate study that relates to clinical specialities at St Vincent’s Hospital.

For further information, please contact the Acting Nurse Manager of Education, Kristel Alken on: 02 8382 2276

For further enquires please contact:
Ronelle Moonsamy | Nurse Educator
T 02 8382 2276
E: ronelle.moonsamy@svha.org.au