Program Overview

Program Overview

The Specialist Practice - Cardiovascular (P.Grad.Cert.) program is designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge, clinical expertise, and technical skills to function as competent, effective, and caring practitioners in cardiovascular nursing. The program has a strong commitment to research-based practice and focuses on the development and integration of theoretical knowledge and clinical experience.

Course Details

• The program is offered on a part-time basis, lasting one year.
• The course includes clinical and practice-based teaching, learning, and assessment.
• Students may be required to attend additional sessions at associated service provider sites as well as at the student’s practice base during the first year of the course.
• Each module will be assessed by the successful completion of an academic assignment.
• The assessment of clinical competence will focus on the acquisition of specialist competencies, and clinical assessments will be carried out throughout the clinical placements.

Admission Requirements

• Current registration on the appropriate nursing division of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland Active Register.
• Two years post-registration clinical experience since first registration.
• Twelve months experience (within the last two years) in the specialty in Ireland at the time of application.
• Candidates must also fulfill one of the following criteria:
  • An honors degree in nursing or a related discipline or equivalent professional and academic qualification.
  • Satisfy the selection committee that they have the academic ability to successfully complete the program.
• Each student will be engaged in specific practice settings in Ireland relevant to each individual strand for the duration of the program of study.
• Additional criteria may be required by individual Health Service Providers.
• Students will be required to undergo Garda Vetting.

English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Course Fees

For a full list of postgraduate fees, please refer to the relevant section of the university's website.

Career Opportunities

The program is designed to enable registered nurses to increase their knowledge, experience, and clinical skills within this chosen specialty, preparing the cardiovascular nurse to function as a competent, effective, and caring specialist nurse.

Course Structure

• The course is offered on a two-year part-time basis.
• Year One starts with a full week of studying in September and continues thereafter one day per week for the remainder of the year.
• Year Two consists of workshops throughout the academic year.
• In Year One, students take four specialist modules and two core modules.
• In Year Two, students must complete a dissertation.

Course Content

In Year One, students take the following modules:

• Introduction to the Nursing Management of a Cardiovascular Patient
• Advanced Nursing Management of a Patient with Electro-physiological Dysfunction
• Advanced Nursing Management of a Patient with Cardiovascular Dysfunction
• Supervised Practice Placement (Cardiovascular)
• Theory & Practice of Enquiry Methods for Healthcare
• Leadership, Quality Improvement and Governance

In Year Two, students must complete a dissertation.