This course is designed to support your ongoing development as a critical care nurse, strengthening your clinical expertise, professional confidence and leadership capability within adult critical care settings.

On successful completion of the PG Cert Critical Care Nursing (Adult), you’ll be well positioned to progress within roles such as senior staff nurse, critical care specialist practitioner, practice educator or leadership-focused positions within critical care environments. The skills developed throughout the programme – including advanced clinical reasoning, communication, quality improvement and leadership – are directly applicable to day-to-day practice and service development.

Progression to further postgraduate study

The PG Cert provides 60 credits at postgraduate level, which can be used towards further study and may contribute to a full Master’s degree in a related health subject, subject to meeting entry requirements.

Potential progression routes include:

• MRes Health and Care (Nursing & Midwifery) – for those interested in developing research expertise and contributing to evidence-based practice and service improvement
• MSc Advanced Clinical Practice – supporting progression into advanced and specialist clinical roles with enhanced leadership and decision-making responsibilities

By continuing your studies, you can further enhance your career prospects, expand your scope of practice and contribute to innovation and improvement across critical care and wider healthcare services.

Utilise our Careers and Employment Service​

Whilst you are a student at the University of Derby, and for 3 years after you graduate, our Careers and Employment Service can assist you with job search advice, CV creation, workshops and events, as well as one-to-one appointments with employment advisers to help with career planning and interview preparation.