Neuroscience Nursing

PgDip
Nursing and midwifery

Course details

The Postgraduate Diploma in Neuroscience Nursing offers suitably qualified nurses the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge and skills in the exciting and often fascinating area of neurosciences.

Delivered in partnership with Beaumont Hospital, this one-year, part-time programme offers you the opportunity to apply theory to practice during clinical placements in the areas of neuroscience intensive care, neuromedicine and neurosurgery.

Through a mix of clinical and classroom learning experiences, students will develop as critical and reflective practitioners with the clinical judgement, problem-solving, communication and team skills necessary to care for patients with complex neuroscience conditions.

Course code: C10621

Learning outcomes

This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to critically:

  • Discuss the advanced nursing management of the neuroscience patient with altered respiratory and cardiovascular status.
  • Review and reflect upon the ongoing management and nursing interventions of patients with regard to the following neurological conditions: Cerebrovascular disorders; neuroendocrine disorders; traumatic head injury and intracranial pressure monitoring; and central nervous system infections.  
  • Discuss the ongoing management and nursing interventions of patients with specific chronic neurological disorders (e.g. multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, myasthenia gravis).
  • Discuss the interdisciplinary management of patients in the post-acute phase of a neuroscience illness.  
  • Discuss the concept of clinical learning environment learning.
  • Discuss the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system.

Modules

A blended learning approach is utilised in this programme, to promote lifelong learning and professional development for all nursing staff.

The first three modules are delivered in RCSI with the remaining three modules and clinical component delivered in Beaumont Hospital.

The programme modules are:

Module name Credits Assessment method
Advanced Research Methods 10 Assignment
Advanced Leadership - Professional & Clinical 10 Assignment
Professional Critical Reflexivity and Competence 10 Assignment and clinical portfolio
Core Concepts of Neuroscience Nursing 10 Assignment
Care of Patients with Acute, Complex Neuroscience Conditions 10 Examination
Consolidating Practice within the Neuroscience Setting 10 Case study and poster presentation