Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing

GA1: Intellectual rigour

Evaluate and apply established models of treatment across the mental health care continuum to support the development of personalised, collaboratively constructed care strategies.

Interpret and communicate new or emerging information or theories to contribute to scholarly and professional discussions within the mental health nursing discipline.

GA2: Creativity

Engage in therapeutic relationships that demonstrate creativity, collaboration and co-construction of care with consumers, their families and significant others.

Critically analyse social, political, economic and organisational influences on mental health practice and use this analysis to inform the negotiation of appropriate mental health nursing interventions.

GA3: Ethical practice

Demonstrate advanced advocacy skills by identifying and challenging discriminatory attitudes and discourse, and by promoting stigma reduction, social inclusion and consumer independence.

Critically examine concepts of risk and safety using ethical, legal and social protection principles to support balanced, recovery-oriented care.

GA4: Knowledge of a discipline

Apply enhanced clinical judgement, decision-making and problem-solving skills in novel or complex mental health nursing situations to support optimal consumer outcomes.

Apply advanced teamwork and negotiation skills to enact the role of the mental health nursing discipline within multidisciplinary and interprofessional settings.

GA5: Lifelong learning

Demonstrate advanced autonomy, accountability, adaptability and responsibility in managing self-directed learning and professional tasks.

Participate in and facilitate collaborative critical reflection to enhance mental health nursing practice and support ongoing professional learning.

GA6: Communication and social skills

Apply advanced interpersonal and collaborative skills to develop and sustain partnerships with mental health consumers, families and groups, promoting choice, self-determination and recovery.

Use information technology effectively and produce clear and coherent written and verbal communications appropriate to mental health nursing practice.

GA7: Cultural competence

Reflect on diverse world views and use critical thinking to question and challenge assumptions that influence mental health nursing practice.

Apply advanced knowledge of cultural diversity to adapt mental health nursing practices and incorporate consumers’ cultural perspectives into assessment, planning and interventions.