Motivate Your Mind...Enrol in Postgraduate Education...

Our Philosophy
The hospital performs a wide variety of minor and major surgeries, including cardiac, thoracic, neurosurgery and microsurgery. The department provides specialist care in each of these areas. It is considered a leader in the field with a focus on regional techniques and other innovative practices. Students undertaking studies through the University of Melbourne, graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma and specialise within the anaesthetic and post anaesthetic environment, or Perioperative care.

The Anaesthetic & Perioperative Course
The University of Melbourne currently offers two streams related to Perioperative Nursing in their Postgraduate Certificate & Diploma.

• Perioperative: Which encompasses the circulating and instrument roles
• Perianaesthetic: Which includes anaesthetic and post anaesthetic care nursing

The theoretical requirement is one day per week at the University of Melbourne, where subjects are taken in conjunction with other streams in the Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma. In the first semester Postgraduate speciality subjects are combined with the Perioperative & Anaesthetic streams to gain an overview of the discipline. Second semester the two groups divide with more specialised content for Anaesthetic and Perioperative students, however clinical experience is Anaesthetic or Perioperative in its focus throughout the year. The Postgraduate Certificate focuses on the fundamentals of the area whilst the Diploma introduces more specialist content.

The remaining four days are spent at St. Vincent’s obtaining the clinical experience and clinically based subjects under the supervision of our clinical teachers. Students are well supported within the Perioperative & Anaesthetic environment with preceptors, clinical educators and anaesthetists committed to education. The skills you can expect to achieve include those encompassed in adult acute care, ECG interpretation, blood gas analysis, invasive monitoring and pharmacology.  In addition if you choose to follow the anaesthetics stream you will develop advanced anaesthetics and post anaesthetic skills such as airway management and acute pain management, which are reinforced by speciality rotations.  Part of the speciality rotations includes time spent in the Perioperative & Sterilization areas. If you choose to follow the Perioperative stream, the instrument and circulating nurse roles are fundamental to Perioperative practice and these are achieved at both basic and advanced levels. Part of the speciality rotations is time spent in the anaesthetic and post anaesthetic areas. Sterilization skills are also included in the Perioperative course.

Throughout the year you will rotate through all surgical specialties offered within this hospital. For example: Cardiac, Thoracic, Neurosurgery, Vascular, Orthopaedics, ENT, Renal, General, Colorectal, Plastics, Facial Maxillary, and Urology.

Desired Entry Requirements

• Previous experience in related area preferred
• Registered Nurse Division 1 Grade 2 Year 1 or above

For further information please contact:   
Ruth Crampton
Clinical Educator, Anaesthetics
Email: ruth.crampton@svhm.org.au
Phone: 9288 4579 or 9288 2211 pager 745