Skip to content

Master of Mental Health Nursing (Online) curriculum

Curriculum Details

  • 3 years part-time online study
  • 12 units
  • 120 credit points

You can complete ACU’s Master of Mental Health Nursing (Online) in as little as 18 months with full-time study. Delivered 100 per cent online, you can study around your existing commitments with convenience and flexibility.

To graduate, you’ll need to acquire 120 credit points. You’ll undertake either a project or research stream comprising four core units and eight stream based units.

To qualify for the Master of Mental Health Nursing (Online) via the Project stream, a student must complete 120 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, inclusive of:

  • 40 cp from Specified Mental Health Nursing Units
  • 60 cp from Project Stream Units
  • 20 cp from Elective Units

To qualify for the Master of Mental Health Nursing (Online) via the Research stream, a student must complete 120 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, inclusive of:

  • 40 cp from Specified Mental Health Nursing Units
  • 80 cp from Research Stream Units

      • Please note: students will complete either HLSC642 or HLSC646.

This course is offered over four 10-week terms per year. You’ll access your learning materials from the start of each term and progress at your own pace. Some courses require on-campus intensives or in-person placements.

If you have any questions regarding units, study options, course structure, or any other related concerns, you can speak with an enrolment adviser on (02) 9158 7744 or schedule an appointment.

Specified Mental Health Nursing Units (40CP)

Credit points

Best practice in mental health care delivery must reflect a team approach that is holistic, culturally safe and recovery-oriented to assessment, care planning, implementation and evaluation. This is inclusive of the individual, their family / group and their community. This approach to care delivery supports the individual in their recovery journey and to achieve a fulfilling life as determined by the person themselves, within their already existent relationships and social networks. The focus of the unit is on assessment of individual care needs, care planning and care implementation using a person-centred approach. Students will explore how the therapeutic relationship forms the basis of a collaborative approach to assessment and care planning with individuals. This learning will be applied to their practice in working with the individual, their carers, families and other members of the multidisciplinary team. The aim of this unit is to prepare students to provide culturally safe holistic recovery-oriented care for people experiencing a mental illness in a variety of clinical settings.
In Australia, it is estimated that mental illness will affect at least 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 10 children in any given year. The growing number of people diagnosed with mental illness indicates a need for clinicians to utilise targeted strategies to support appropriate interventions and recovery-oriented models of care. Such models of care are integral to transforming attitudes and practice in mental health from paternalistic to socially inclusive and culturally safe practice which supports the dignity and rights of mental health consumers. This unit examines the guiding principles of a recovery-oriented approach to mental illness and distress. A recovery-oriented approach emphasises hope for the future, whilst it values and respects the uniqueness, expertise and experience of the individual, their family / group, and their community. Principles of recovery-oriented mental health nursing, including recognition of the uniqueness of the individual, real choices, attitudes and rights, dignity and respect, partnership and communication will be critically examined. Students will investigate and critically analyse a mental health culture in the light of social inclusion and how it fosters self-determination and resilience toward recovery. The aim of this unit is to provide students with a sound understanding of recovery-oriented principles and to allow them to critically reflect on the way in which their learning of recovery-oriented practices has impacted on their clinical practice.
Individuals experiencing mental illness are reported to experience a significantly increased prevalence of physical health inequalities. Mental health practitioners must therefore be able to recognise and respond to these needs through the provision of holistic person-centred recovery-oriented interventions. Within a cultural perspective the physical health of individuals with an underlying mental health condition who experience the phenomenon of diagnostic overshadowing will be explored. Challenges associated with coexisting health conditions, including alcohol and other drug use, psychopharmacological agents and the impact on the individual will be examined. Students will identify strategies and policies for health promotion, prevention and early intervention. Within a multidisciplinary team approach student will explore issues related to access and utilisation of health resources for recovery. This unit will broaden and enhance students’ knowledge and skills in applying effective health promotion strategies as mental health nurses for individuals with a mental health condition. The aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to critically evaluate the relationship between mental health and physical health, and the social inequalities of health experienced by individuals experiencing mental illness.
Best practice in mental health requires that mental health nurses are able to reflect on and develop understanding of their practice as members of the multidisciplinary team. Clinical supervision is identified as a core component of contemporary professional mental health nursing practice in in a number of professional standard documents. This unit explores the principles underpinning personal and professional development and reflective practice, in order to promote the development of higher order critical thinking supportive of professional mental health nursing practice at an advanced level. Students will explore the importance of self-awareness when monitoring their own practice and the extent to which they work within personal, professional and organisational values and principles. Students will explore contemporary opinion and research on emotional intelligence / literacy and how this relates to their practice in mental health nursing. A focus on continuing professional development and clinical supervision activities to enhance knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed for safe and effective mental health nursing practice will be incorporated. The aim of this unit is to provide students with an opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of reflective practice and clinical supervision and apply these principles in their own practice setting.

Research Stream Units (80CP)

Credit points

This unit and HLSC624 Research Dissertation Part B involve the completion of a research project leading to the preparation of an academic dissertation normally up to 15,000 and no more than 18,000 words in length. This unit is required by students to ensure the fulfilment of the requirements of their Master course, that is, the Australian Qualifications Framework’s requirement for independent project work in the Master by coursework. This unit supports students in applying a range of theoretically-based advanced knowledge and skills that foster culturally safe, high quality effective health care through the identification of a research question and the ability to formulate a defensible research proposal based on a review of the most relevant available literature. Under the guidance of an approved supervisor the student will then conduct an individual research project in order to provide insight into the research question. Thus, students will be supported to evaluate the role of evidence-based ethical practice in creating an effective solution to a unique health-related administrative, leadership, educational or clinical challenge. The resultant enquiry will be reported in the form of a Dissertation to be submitted for independent examination. The aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to undertake self-motivated study and transition to life-long learning as a self-reliant and critically reflective professional.
This unit involves the completion of a research project leading to the preparation of an academic dissertation normally up to 15,000 and no more than 18,000 words in length. This unit is required by students to ensure the fulfilment of the requirements of their Master course, that is, the Australian Qualifications Framework’s requirement for independent project work in the Master by coursework. This unit supports students in applying a range of theoretically-based advanced knowledge and skills that foster culturally safe, high quality effective health care through the supervised conduct of a defensible individual research project in order to provide insight into an identified research question. In so doing, students will be supported to evaluate the role of evidence-based ethical practice in creating an effective solution to a unique health-related administrative, leadership, educational or clinical challenge. The resultant enquiry will be reported in the form of a Dissertation to be submitted for independent examination. The aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to bring their research to a conclusion and transition to life-long learning as a self-reliant and critically reflective professional.

Understanding, using and interpreting statistics is crucial to health science research and practice, particularly in monitoring health outcomes and decision-making processes about interventions. This unit will develop students’ knowledge of fundamental statistical concepts, such as descriptive and inferential statistics, common statistical tests and statistical methods frequently used in health science research. This will include hypothesis testing, estimation, associations, modelling relationships and prediction using different methods such as regression analyses. Throughout the unit, students will consolidate their understanding of statistical theory through its application to practice. While there are some formulae and computational elements to the unit, the emphasis is on interpretation and concepts. Besides the theoretical material, this unit will also enable students to run basic analyses using common statistical software. Using this software, students will analyse simulated health science data sets and then interpret the results obtained. This unit aims to develop students’ statistical understanding and analytical expertise, which can then be applied to practice through critical appraisal statistical methods used in health science research.

The aim of this unit is to develop students’ advanced knowledge and practical skills in qualitative research methods relevant to health science contexts. Students will critically examine key principles of qualitative inquiry, including research paradigms, methodologies, ethics, and design, to support the design and conduct of rigorous qualitative research studies. The unit focuses on critical appraisal, synthesis, and scholarly justification, preparing students for independent research and doctoral-level (PhD) inquiry.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an intervention of choice in contemporary mental health service delivery and has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment option for a diverse range of consumers. Mental health practitioners therefore need a range of knowledge and skills to successfully facilitate Cognitive Behaviour Therapies in partnership with consumers. Students will utilise simulated and real consumer case studies to apply knowledge and skills related to CBT in in an integrated fashion to formulate and implement an effective CBT intervention plan. Students will reflect upon and evaluate their own intervention while demonstrating an awareness of its impact on the consumer. The aim of this unit is to help students build upon knowledge and skills gained from other units to build additional theoretically informed knowledge of culturally responsive and ethical CBT practices.

This unit develops postgraduate students’ ability to critically appraise, justify decisions, interpret, and apply health research within evidence-informed practice. These capabilities are essential for evidence-informed decision-making and translating research into improved health-related outcomes. The unit introduces key philosophical and methodological foundations of research, alongside practical skills in formulating research questions, conducting literature searches, critically appraising evidence, and synthesising research findings. Students will also explore how research translates into practice through knowledge translation and implementation science, and how research integrity and ethical principles guide responsible conduct in health research. This unit aims to develop students’ practical research skills and their ability to critically assess the quality, ethics, and application of health science research.

Contemporary healthcare practitioners can face a range of clinical and extra-clinical ethical challenges. Such circumstances require responses informed by critical reflection and moral deliberation to inform advocacy and action. On the basis of key theoretical frameworks in ethics, this unit provides a broad-based introduction to applied ethics in healthcare. The unit aims to support health practitioners in the application of principles of healthcare ethics to specific issues arising in their workplace settings, to promote the common good through serving the proper goals of healthcare practice.

Project Stream Units (60CP)

Credit points

Leaders in healthcare must develop sound knowledge and skill in leading service transformation through transformation of self and others. Today’s leaders require personal leadership characteristics as well as the ability to facilitate others to achieve their potential, through role modelling, supporting and empowering. This unit is necessary for future leaders who can lead others in planning, implementing and evaluating strategies and tools designed to resolve complex problems and optimise health for diverse population communities, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, among others, through innovative health administration practices that shape and improve healthcare systems. The aim of this unit is to introduce students to contemporary theory-based leadership practices in order to develop knowledge and skill necessary for leading health service transformation.
As future leaders in health care, it is essential for students to be able to apply a theoretical foundation in the leadership and development of independent initiatives in their workplace. This unit gives students an opportunity to apply a range of advanced knowledge and skills that foster culturally safe, high quality effective health care through the creation of an effective solution to a unique administrative, leadership, educational or clinical challenge. This unit provides students with the opportunity to critically evaluate the role of evidence–based, ethical practice through investigation of a self–identified area of challenge and opportunity drawn from a clinical/professional issue previously studied in their Master course. The area of study must be measurable, appropriate for the level of the course and extend the topic/issue as it relates to the student’s workplace. This unit is required by students to ensure the fulfilment of the requirements of their Master course, that is, the Australian Qualifications Framework’s requirement for independent project work in the Master by coursework.The aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to undertake self–motivated study and transition to life–long learning as a self–reliant and critically reflective professional.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an intervention of choice in contemporary mental health service delivery and has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment option for a diverse range of consumers. Mental health practitioners therefore need a range of knowledge and skills to successfully facilitate Cognitive Behaviour Therapies in partnership with consumers. Students will utilise simulated and real consumer case studies to apply knowledge and skills related to CBT in in an integrated fashion to formulate and implement an effective CBT intervention plan. Students will reflect upon and evaluate their own intervention while demonstrating an awareness of its impact on the consumer. The aim of this unit is to help students build upon knowledge and skills gained from other units to build additional theoretically informed knowledge of culturally responsive and ethical CBT practices.

This unit develops postgraduate students’ ability to critically appraise, justify decisions, interpret, and apply health research within evidence-informed practice. These capabilities are essential for evidence-informed decision-making and translating research into improved health-related outcomes. The unit introduces key philosophical and methodological foundations of research, alongside practical skills in formulating research questions, conducting literature searches, critically appraising evidence, and synthesising research findings. Students will also explore how research translates into practice through knowledge translation and implementation science, and how research integrity and ethical principles guide responsible conduct in health research. This unit aims to develop students’ practical research skills and their ability to critically assess the quality, ethics, and application of health science research.

Contemporary healthcare practitioners can face a range of clinical and extra-clinical ethical challenges. Such circumstances require responses informed by critical reflection and moral deliberation to inform advocacy and action. On the basis of key theoretical frameworks in ethics, this unit provides a broad-based introduction to applied ethics in healthcare. The unit aims to support health practitioners in the application of principles of healthcare ethics to specific issues arising in their workplace settings, to promote the common good through serving the proper goals of healthcare practice.

Elective Units (20CP)

Credit points

Health professional demographics show an ageing workforce. Health professionals who are quite new in their careers will increasingly be offered higher level duties in terms of health leadership and management positions. These management positions will be within an environment that is both complex and dynamic, but where quality and safety are paramount. One aspect of the complexity of health service organisations is organisational culture. This unit is important for students who are positioned in, or aspiring to, health leadership or management roles which require them to have specialised knowledge and skill in evaluating solutions to complex problems associated with the dynamics of organisational culture. In this unit, students will critically analyse healthcare organisations and the management of healthcare staff from within the context of organisational culture. This aspect of health management will be considered from within a framework of safety and quality and with the notion of a safety-culture being highlighted. Strategies to create safe and supportive workplace cultures will be considered. The aim of this unit is to provide students with a sound understanding of theories of organisational culture and the dynamic inter-relationship between the structure of health services and the agency of the health practitioner, in order to enable them to implement effective management strategies that are both safe and conducive to quality healthcare.
Adverse events and poor quality of health care can have a significant impact on health care costs and health system sustainability. This unit is essential for future leaders in health care who require specialised knowledge and skill in applying effective quality measures in a digital environment to administer culturally safe health services across a variety of healthcare contexts. In this unit, students will explore the emergence of the quality movement and accreditation and safety standards that have been progressively driven by consumer expectations around safe, quality care, in preparing to become effective health care managers. This foundational knowledge is required to enable interpretation and evaluation of paper-based and digitally supported quality and safety processes and to develop a repertoire of quality improvement tools used to create strategies that improve quality and safety processes. Additionally, students will be introduced to the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards relevant to the role of leaders and others in improving cultural safety and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The aim of this unit is to ensure that students can effectively promote quality and safety that will lead to better health outcomes as well as cost efficiencies in a variety of health care settings. Managing health care in this way ensures that safe, quality care is a transformative process of continuous improvement that respects the dignity of individuals and contributes to the common good.
Health managers today need to effectively manage the health care workforce within their area of responsibility. Therefore, this unit is necessary for current and future health leaders and managers, who will be able to apply evidence-based knowledge and solutions to manage workforce. This includes skills to analyse, evaluate, generate, and communicate solutions to complex problems such as forecasting workforce demand and supply, staff recruitment and retention and facilitating employee wellbeing and engagement. Health managers who have specialised knowledge and skill are in a good position to ensure organisational best fit by aligning individual employee goals with organisational goals. Further, health managers who are skilled in evaluating workforce-related problems and employ ethical approaches to workforce management can provide their organisation with a competitive advantage within the health sector. In this unit, workforce management principles and practices will be critically examined. Strategies and skills to promote employee well-being while maximising the allocation and use of resources and enhance accountability will be discussed. Employment relations, diversity, ethics, employee wellbeing and social responsibility will be critically analysed within this context.
As an aspiring health care leader, it is essential for students to understand the contexts within which healthcare decisions are made including social, economic, political and technological contexts. While many healthcare decisions are made locally, decisions made at the broader policy level will have an impact on all aspects of health care and on all practitioners working within the health care system. This unit supports students in developing the ability to plan, implement and evaluate policy-related strategies that promote effective, culturally safe health service administration in a variety of health settings and among diverse communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Students will also be supported to develop specialised skills in analysing and evaluating solutions to complex problems that are associated with policy development, planning and implementation as well as the consequential outcomes of policy decisions. This unit is founded on a social justice and equity framework with a special focus on evaluating policies that impact on the health of disadvantaged people, as well as on strategies that will reform policymaking, delivery and financing of health care in Australia. The aim of this unit is to provide opportunity for students to explore policy decision-making processes, to analyse underlying assumptions associated with policy decisions, to evaluate outcomes of policy decisions and to appraise potential issues for policy reform.
In health professional education, it is a requirement that educators have the knowledge and skills to successfully facilitate learning for individuals and small groups with diverse learning styles, including culturally diverse and Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This unit provides an opportunity for students to critically examine, design and apply health professional facilitation models and strategies as they apply to different healthcare settings. To that end, students will first explore the contexts of learning and teaching in the workplace setting, and different models of facilitation in health professional education, while considering the characteristics of diverse learners. Students will then examine constructive alignment and learn how to develop teaching activities which encourage the use of decision making frameworks to improve critical thinking and reflective practice. Finally, students will explore ethical, moral and legal issues as these relate to practice as an educator of health professionals. Scholarly evidence will be combined with practical community wisdom as important sources of learning. The overall aim is therefore to provide students with a foundation of the principles and practices of effective health professional facilitation, to empower students to provide the optimal learning environment for healthcare students in their workplace.

Knowledge represents primary sources of truth, a crucial and valuable asset supporting the health system. The current digital health revolution has sped up the acquisition of new knowledge. The amount of new knowledge generated is far too much for any one person to be aware and make use of. All health-related knowledge needs to be readily accessible when required to support decision making at any level within the healthcare system. No clinician has the time to wade through multiple documents in order to make use of the best available evidence. In this unit, students will be introduced to the core concepts in data, information and knowledge management within a digital health ecosystem, focusing on the need to comply with a number of health informatics standards, developed to meet local, national and global professional practice and research network needs.

Students will learn how knowledge can be represented as computable formalisms to enable computers to make use of and integrate clinical guidelines and protocols within health information systems and/or any health-related application or to make this knowledge accessible on-line as and when required. Key concepts will include electronic knowledge processing of timely new knowledge, governance and knowledge use at points of decision making throughout the digital health ecosystem. The aim of this unit is to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skill required to promote compliance with scientific principles and legislative requirements in relation to health knowledge management in order to advance the preservation of data privacy and security, to support human dignity and safety in a manner that benefits the population at large.

Health data is foundational to safe, effective and interoperable digital health systems, and the ability to understand, model and govern these data is essential for health and ICT professionals. Students will develop core high-level competencies in health data structures, standards, terminologies, system architectures and governance frameworks, supporting evidence-based decision making, digital transformation and the safe use of health technologies in clinical and organisational settings. Through the study of digital health ecosystems, electronic health records, interoperability standards, data models, ontologies, storage platforms and governance systems, they will learn how data are created, managed, exchanged and safeguarded across the health sector, with the unit integrating practical and strategic perspectives to support the application of standards, enhance system usability and ensure ethical and legislative compliance in the use of health information.

By engaging with real-world case studies, emerging technologies and contemporary data practices, students will develop the knowledge required to contribute effectively to digital health design, implementation and policy development. The aim of this unit is to enable students to understand and apply health data standards that support safe, interoperable and future-ready digital health systems.

Digital transformation is fundamental to the delivery of safe, efficient and person-centred healthcare, and the ability to understand, design and implement transformative digital practices is essential for health and ICT professionals. Students will develop core capabilities in systems thinking, digital maturity assessment, governance, human-centred design and the strategic use of enabling technologies, supporting improved clinical outcomes, enhanced patient and provider experience, and sustainable organisational innovation. Through the study of digital health ecosystems, technology platforms, data, artificial intelligence, automation, change management and evaluation frameworks, students will learn how digital solutions are conceived, developed, implemented and measured across diverse healthcare environments, with the unit integrating practical and strategic perspectives to strengthen adoption, promote quality, enhance safety, and support clinical decision making.

By engaging with real-world case studies, emerging technologies and contemporary digital health practices, students will develop the knowledge and applied skills required to contribute effectively to digital transformation, service redesign and innovation across the health sector. The aim of this unit is to enable students to understand and apply digital transformation principles that support safe, scalable and future ready healthcare systems.

Request more information

Complete the form below for detailed course information and to be contacted by phone and email.