Acute Care Nursing Certificate Program
Acute Care Nursing Certificate Program:
at a glance
Credential(s) Earned: The Michener Institute of Education at UHN Certificate of Achievement
Program Length: 8 weeks
Tuition: Hospital Sponsorship only
Program Code: CCNU110/CCNU140
Description
The Michener Institute of Education at UHN uses a unique hybrid model in partnership with hospitals combining didactic with clinical mentorship during the 8 week program. The Acute Care Nursing Certificate Program will provide learners with the advanced knowledge, specialized skills and abilities to practice competently and safely within an acute care environment. The innovative design integrates the clinical experience throughout 8 weeks of synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning, allowing students to integrate new knowledge into their acute care practice on an ongoing basis.
The program has been built to the specifications of Critical Care Services Ontario (CCSO), so hospitals can access provincial funding to sponsor nurses. It also prepares candidates to challenge the Canadian Nurses Association national certification exam in critical care.
Please note: the program has been developed for critical care nurses working or hired into Level 2 ICUs.
This program provides Registered Nurses foundational knowledge and skills as per the program standard for Registered Nurse Critical Care Nursing programs set out by the Ministry of Colleges & Universities. This prepares nurses to be novice level 2 ICU nurses. Nurses after successful completion of the program should continue with unit/hospital-specific orientation, additional education delivered by Nurse Educators and growth of their professional practice through experience. Our program provides generalized level 2 critical care nursing education and cannot cover every specialized clinical situation that a novice Level 2 ICU nurse (post program) may encounter. This program does not include training or knowledge for advanced critical care specialties.
Our Acute Care Nursing Certificate Program (CCNU110/CCNU140) is only available by contract to hospitals that will be sponsoring RNs either currently working in or newly hired to work in their acute care settings.
This course is not available for individual registration.
Contact ce@michener.ca for more information.
Learner Outcomes
This program is a hybrid program, consisting of:
- An online learning component
- In person (virtual) classroom component
- A clinical placement component
Upon successful completion of the course, the Learner will be able to:
- Practice within the scope of professional, legal and ethical standards, organization policies and best practices in acute care nursing.
- Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients, families and/or substitute decision makers to optimize patient and family-centered acute care.
- Assess, analyze and monitor data for patients with complex, multi-system problems in order to anticipate early deterioration in patient’s condition, establish priorities and plan interventions.
- Plan, implement, evaluate and document specialized nursing interventions to achieve optimal patient outcomes in potential or actual life threatening illness and end-of-life situations.
- Advocate for and deliver patient and family-centered care to patients/families experiencing potential or actual life threatening illness and end-of-life situations.
- Collaborate with members of the inter-professional health care team in providing care for patients experiencing potential or actual life threatening illness and end-of-life situations to achieve continuity of care and optimal patient outcomes.
- Use evidence-based research and best practice guidelines to inform and adapt acute care nursing practice.
- Use strategies and available resources to respond to environmental, physical and psychosocial stressors affecting themselves and others in the acute care setting.
- Engage in reflective practice and ongoing professional development to enhance competence in acute care nursing.
Evaluation Method
Students are evaluated in this course based on their performance in clinical as well as their successful completion of each assessment.
Learners must pass both the clinical component and the classroom component assessments in order to successfully pass the course.
Instruction Methods
Hybrid Model:
Online (virtual) classes
Online self study modules
Clinical shifts (sponsoring hospital unit to provide Clinical Facilitator)
Prerequisites
Individual Prerequisites:
- Valid Certificate of Competence to practice nursing in Ontario
- 1 year acute care nursing experience recommended
- A strong foundation in basic nursing anatomy and physiology
- Legal ability to work in Canada
- Sponsorship by unit manager through partner hospital with level 2 ICU.
Textbook
The following textbook is recommended to support your learning in this course. It is the responsibility of the student to purchase the book.
Critical Care Nursing: Diagnosis and Management, 9th Ed. Urden, Linda D., 2021
Instructors
Program Coordinators:
Klara Malkova, RN, MEd, CNCC(C)
Stefanie Lamoureux, BScN, MN, RN
Upcoming Dates: UHN
Upcoming dates for the Acute Care Nursing Certificate Program (University Health Network):
Fall 2024
- September 30 – November 22, 2024
Winter 2025
- January 20 – March 14, 2025
Spring 2025
- April 28 – June 20, 2025
Upcoming Dates: Hospital Partners
Upcoming dates for the Acute Care Nursing Certificate Program (Hospital Partners):
Fall 2024
- August 26 – October 18, 2024
- September 30 – November 22, 2024
Winter 2025
- January 13 – March 7, 2025
- February 24 – April 18, 2025
Spring 2025
- April 7 – May 30, 2025
- May 19 – July 11, 2025
Contact
This course is not available for individual registration.
Hospital inquiries please email: ce@michener.ca
