Nursing & Midwifery - Critical Care Nursing

Advance your theoretical knowledge and develop a critical and questioning approach as you explore professional and clinical issues related to the care of critically ill patients. Enhance your clinical practice by developing an in-depth knowledge of a comprehensive, holistic assessment of critically ill patients.



Evaluate approaches to planning and implementing evidence-based nursing care and explore the role of the nurse within the multidisciplinary Critical Care Team. This RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery programme is delivered part-time via an active blended learning approach including self-directed learning and live online classes approximately once every week.



Further support is provided through the module lead, programme director and regular online drop-in sessions.



The award title for this course is Postgraduate Certifcate Nursing (Critical Care).



This course is a Level 9 award on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications



Suitable for

This programme is suitable for nurses with an interest in critical care who wish to advance their knowledge in this area.

What you will learn

Principles of Critical Care

Advanced Critical Care 1

Advanced Critical Care 2

To be eligible for the programme:



You must be a registered nurse or midwife on the register in your country of practice.



All applicants must hold a bachelor degree. If you do not hold a bachelor degree, there is a recognition of prior learning (RPL) pathway outlined below.



Please note: If you do not hold a Level 8 qualification, you may still be eligible to join the programme through our pathway programme.



Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

If you do not meet the minimum academic requirements above, you may still be eligible to apply through recognition of prior learning (RPL). RPL is the assessment of knowledge, skills and competence previously acquired.



Learning occurs in many contexts which include work, involvement in social and community activities, or learning through life experience generally. RPL does not give credit for experience as such; rather it considers the learning that was acquired as a result of the experience.



RPL may be used to gain:



Admission to courses/programmes where a person may not have obtained the standard entry requirements.

Exemptions from course modules which duplicate the learning outcomes an individual has already demonstrably acquired through prior learning.



English language requirement exceptions

English language requirements for RCSI Postgraduate programmes are published at

https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/postgraduate/policies-and-guidelines/english-language-requirements



If you have completed undergraduate/postgraduate full-time studies in the medium of the English language (three or more years cumulatively) or are registered with the NMBI, you are exempt from these requirements.

6 months



Mode of delivery

Online - Part-time

Next start date January 2026

Upon the successful completion of this programme, students can progress to a postgraduate diploma.