Adult Critical Care Nursing, PGCert

You should be a registered critical care nurse, employed within either a critical care unit or cardiac intensive care unit and have employer consent before applying to the programme.

Prior to entry, you will have completed Step One Competencies of the National Competency Framework for Registered Nurses in Adult Critical Care and completed an introductory critical care course.

You should also hold a BSc in Nursing (level 6) and a GCSE grade C or above in English or Welsh.

You will be taught using a combination of teaching methods over a nine-month period. The programme will be framed around Step 2 and 3 of the National Competency Framework for Registered Nurses in Adult Critical Care, delivered through asynchronous and synchronous learning.

Through a combination of teaching methods and resources, in addition to the work with your designated mentor, you will undertake a variety of assessments which will enable you to meet all learning outcomes and develop the necessary skills for contemporary critical care practice. The portfolio of assessments will allow you to demonstrate your evolving theoretical and practical knowledge of critical care, teaching and supervision skills, decision making and assessment skills and leadership skills.

Therefore, a combination of teaching methods and resources will be utilised throughout the programme. The programme will facilitate asynchronous and synchronous theoretical learning and synchronous simulation sessions. Quizzes, discussion boards and workbooks will be used. Each asynchronous day will also include a synchronous session with the programme director as additional support and promotion of active learning.

Your learning will be directed towards enabling you to develop the skills to support your understanding of the roles, responsibilities, and scope of practice safely through a range of learning and teaching methods.

Practical skills sessions, workshops from external speakers and role-play exercises typically take place in person, allowing for face-to-face discussions and debates. You will also benefit from simulation learning during the programme which will help consolidate and develop your clinical and theoretical knowledge. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching, including quizzes, discussion boards and workbooks.

No Provision

Unfortunately, there is currently no formal Welsh-medium provision on this course. If you would like to let us know that you are interested in pursuing an element of your course through the medium of Welsh, please email [email protected] to indicate your interest along with your year of entry and we will do our best to see what is possible.

Whilst this course does not offer academic content delivered in Welsh, the University can provide you with the following, and Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you:

• An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
• Personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
• The opportunity to create and submit your coursework or sit your exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be assessed in Welsh.
• A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
• One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
• The opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
• Membership of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

Visit the Welsh Language Rights webpage for further information about Students' Welsh Language Rights.

You will be taught by a variety of knowledgeable academics, many of whom are also practicing clinicians. Key teaching staff of the Adult Critical Care Nursing programme include:

• Ingrid Pritchard - Programme Director and Associate Professor in Nursing
• Becci Jones - Nurse Lecturer and Advanced Nurse Practitioner 
• Adam Miguel - Nurse Lecturer and SIM Leader
• Penny Satori - Senior Nurse Lecturer
• Kevin Akerman - Nurse Lecturer
• Jyoti Shresthra - Senior Nurse Lecturer
• Matt Fallon - Honorary Nurse Lecturer and Critical Care Outreach Clinician
• Peter Sewell - Honorary Nurse Lecturer and Advanced Critical Care Nurse Practitioner
• Dr Rachel Hood - Honorary Lecturer in Nursing and Respiratory Registrar
• Bioscience Team

Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

International students and part-time study: It may be possible for some students to study part-time under the Student Visa route. However, this is dependent on factors relating to the course and your individual situation. It may also be possible to study with us if you are already in the UK under a different visa category (e.g. Tier 1 or 2, PBS Dependant, ILR etc.). Please visit the University information on Visas and Immigration for further guidance and support.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

If you're a UK or EU student starting a master’s degree at Swansea University, you may be eligible to apply for Government funding to help towards the cost of your studies. To find out more, please visit our postgraduate loans page.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Maths and statistics
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Digital skills
• Presentation skills
• Note taking
• Revision, memory and exam techniques
• English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

The Department of Nursing wants to support the development of your competence in using digital media, to enhance your learning, engage in technologies in clinical practice and protect yourself and the profession when you are online. Find out more about how we embed. 

Please apply directly via the 'Apply' button on this page.

For further guidance please visit our how to apply for postgraduate study pages.

Please note, unfortunately this course is not open to international students at this time.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.