Postgraduate Diploma
1 year
Hybrid - Part-time
60 ECTS
September 2025
About
Advance your theoretical knowledge and develop a critical and questioning approach as you explore professional issues relevant to leading respiratory patient care.
With the PgDip in Respiratory Care in Nursing Practice from the RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery, you will enhance your clinical practice by developing an in-depth knowledge of the respiratory systems and associated conditions that impact respiratory care.
You will also spend time evaluating approaches to planning and implementing health education, interventions, polices and strategies, alongside modules which support you to develop your academic research methods, advance your professional and clinical leadership skills, and expand your professional critical reflexivity and competence.
This programme is delivered part-time via an active blended learning approach including self-directed learning and live online classes approximately once every week. Further support is provided through the Module Lead, Programme Director and regular online drop-in sessions.
The award title for this course is Postgraduate Diploma Nursing (Respiratory Care).
Advance your understanding of respiratory anatomy and physiology
Explore current respiratory management practice
Implement effective respiratory care planning and interventions
Expand your leadership skills
Develop advanced research methods in a healthcare setting
Become a reflexive and critical healthcare professional
Suitable for
This programme is aimed at nurses working in respiratory healthcare settings.
What you will learn
Faculty highlight
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Course information
This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of a comprehensive range of knowledge in the specialist area.
- Articulate a critical awareness of the latest evidence-based knowledge in the specialist area.
- Demonstrate a range of research and specialist knowledge and skills to the specialist area of clinical practice.
- Select from a broad range of specialist skills and knowledge in the specialist area.
- Act in a comprehensive and often unpredictable variety of professional and ill-defined contexts in the specialist area.
- Take significant responsibility for the work of individuals and groups and lead and initiate activity in the specialist area.
- Critically self-evaluate professional and personal learning needs and those of others within your specialist area of practice and link to related continuing professional development requirements.
- Present a reflective and questioning approach to specialist practice delivery and exhibit professional application of your knowledge in an accountable, responsible and evidence-based manner.
Graduates of this postgraduate diploma who wish to take a further step, may enrol onto the master's programme – the MSc Nursing (Respiratory Care) – and undertake Year 2 of the full programme, completing a systematic review.
The programme will begin in September each year.
This programme is assessed through a range of assessment modalities.
All Postgraduate Diploma programmes offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery are accredited by RCSI, the National University of Ireland and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. Recognition by bodies in other jurisdictions must be determined by individual applicants.
Admissions
- Applicants must hold an NFQ Level 8 qualification. However, applicants who do not hold a Level 8 qualification may still be eligible to join the programme through our supported-entry pathway programme. This is subject to an assessment of prior learning and experience.
- Must have an active registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. For non-nursing applicants, you must have an active or registration with an appropriate professional body.
- Must provide a Clinical Learning Agreement signed by a director of nursing or designate.
Learning occurs in many contexts including work, involvement in social and community activities, and learning through life experience generally.
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) does not give credit for experience as such – rather, it considers learning that was acquired as a result of the experience. RPL may be used to gain admission to programmes where you may not have obtained the standard entry requirements. This is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Exemptions from programme modules that duplicate learning already demonstrably acquired through prior learning may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For more information, please contact the School of Nursing and Midwifery:
- Tel: +353 1 402 2445
- Email: nursing@rcsi.ie
English language requirements for Postgraduate programmes are published here.
If you have completed undergraduate/postgraduate full-time studies in the medium of the English language (three or more years cumulatively) or are registered with the NMBI, you are exempt from these requirements.
The fees for this programme are €6,970. There is an additional application fee of €50, which is non-refundable.
Please note:
- Fee includes all resources, access to our award-winning online learning portal and access to extensive RCSI-only databases.
- Fee includes an NUI fee.
- Fee is payable via the above schedule, where relevant.
- If you have outstanding fees you will not be entitled to receive your grades or be eligible to progress and or graduate (VLE and Library privileges will be withdrawn in these cases).
- RCSI accepts no obligation to refund any fee, or part thereof, in respect of a student who chooses to withdraw from a programme.
- If you choose to withdraw from a programme you are liable for full fees owed for the seat on that programme.
- All NUI parchments are issued in Latin; you will be required to pay an additional fee of €50 to NUI if you wish to have a parchment published in English.
- Fees are subject to review annually.
- If you are being sponsored or funded by your employer you should upload a funding confirmation letter in the document upload section on the application portal.)
Please view our Postgraduate fees policy for more information.
How to apply
Applications for this programme are currently closed. For guidance or further information please contact nursing@rcsi.ie.