MEDICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES
Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care (Online)
PGDipStrokeCare
Specialise in the care for people with stroke, from pre-hospitalisation care through to rehabilitation, return to the community and research. This interprofessional qualification is designed for healthcare professionals to advance their knowledge and skills in specialised stroke care.
Entry Requirements
Duration
2 Years (4 Semesters)
Next Start Dates
- Semester 1: 3 March 2025 (applications close 17 February)
- Semester 2: 21 July 2025 (applications close 7 July)
Full Programme Fees*
TBC. 2024 fees were $10,275.60.
Programme Overview
The Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care delivers specialised training in all aspects of stroke treatment from pre-hospital care through to rehabilitation, return to the community, and research. As the first interprofessional stroke-specific tertiary qualification in Aotearoa New Zealand, this programme is for healthcare professionals engaged in the care of people and whānau with stroke, such as nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech language therapists, clinical exercise physiologists, counsellors, dietitians, medical doctors, optometrists, paramedics, pharmacists, psychologists, and social workers. Throughout this programme, you will learn how to apply and communicate the principles, evidence and practices that constitute evidence-based stroke care at every stage of the patient journey. If you want to learn how to work as a culturally safe, reflective practitioner within an interprofessional team and contribute to improvements in the quality and safety of stroke care, this programme is for you!
Who, What, Why
Professor Cathy Stinear is the Programme Director for the Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care. She completed her PhD in Movement Neuroscience at the University of Auckland in 2004. She then worked for 4 years as a post-doctoral fellow on a large randomised controlled trial of stroke rehabilitation, before joining the Department of Medicine as a Senior Lecturer in 2008. She has been a Professor since 2019 and is currently Pro Vice-Chancellor Equity.
Watch our video to see why this programme could be ideal for you.
There is a growing demand for stroke services and specialised stroke care in Aotearoa New Zealand, as the volume of stroke patients is expected to increase by 40% by 2028.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care is for those who want to gain advanced and specialised knowledge and skills in stroke clinical practice. This evidence-based programme is aligned with contemporary clinical guidelines and practices. It incorporates emerging challenges and solutions to prepare students for the future of stroke care. It is highly relevant and interprofessional, with content coherently integrated across medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech language therapy, optometry, clinical exercise physiology, and psychology. It has real-world impact by equipping students to provide specialised stroke care for the benefit of the thousands of people who experience stroke in Aotearoa New Zealand every year.
A Postgraduate Certificate in Stroke Care is also available for those seeking a shorter qualification.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care comprises 4 courses. Each course runs over a 12-week teaching period, allowing you to complete this programme in as little as 18-months part-time, one course at a time.
Taught by experts in the field of stroke care, the courses are delivered in a specific order that will build advanced knowledge and skills in stroke clinical practice. The programme follows the patient journey, from the onset of stroke symptoms to living with the long-term consequences of stroke. Case studies are threaded throughout all four taught courses, to illustrate the diverse experiences of people and whānau with stroke, and the roles and responsibilities of all members of the interdisciplinary stroke team. As students in this programme, you will ‘walk alongside’ these example patients as the timeline of the patient journey is mapped onto the timeline of this programme of study.
| Course Code | Course | Description | Points |
| HLTHSCI 710 | Acute Stroke Care | Describes and evaluates advanced and applied interdisciplinary knowledge about pre-hospital care, diagnosis and hyperacute stroke care, secondary stroke prevention, stroke pathophysiology and pharmacological management of risk factors. Students will evaluate and critique stroke epidemiology and equity of access to stroke services. Skills in assessment of neurological impairment and rehabilitation needs, as well as discharge planning, will be developed with reference to national clinical guidelines and local contexts. | 30 |
| HLTHSCI 711 | Stroke Rehabilitation | Describes and evaluates advanced and applied knowledge of the biological processes underpinning neurological recovery after stroke. Students will develop interdisciplinary understanding of assessment and interprofessional treatment strategies for impairments in communication, swallowing, vision, sensation, cognition, mood, continence, and movement. Skills in assessing independence and participation using standard scales will also be developed for application in clinical practice. | 30 |
| HLTHSCI 712 | Advanced Stroke Care | Describes and critiques contemporary and evidence-based advanced clinical assessments and decision-making regarding driving, returning to work, and engaging in physical activity after stroke, including the effects of cognition, mood, and fatigue. Students will also develop advanced skills in communicating with patients and whānau on a range of topics, including stroke mechanisms and risk factors, the effects of stroke on interpersonal relationships, self-management and adjusting to life after stroke. | 30 |
| HLTHSCI 713 | Improving Stroke Care | Evaluates and critiques how clinical research is organised and conducted, with specific examples from the stroke research evidence base. Critical thinking skills will be developed and applied to basic research and clinical trials. The role of the healthcare professional in translating research into practice will be explored with reference to contemporary implementation theories, models and frameworks. | 30 |
As a graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care, you will be able to:
- Apply an advanced understanding of contemporary research, theory and practice of interprofessional stroke care at all stages of the patient journey.
- Apply guidelines and knowledge to find culturally safe and practical responses to real-life challenges faced by people and their whānau with stroke
- Identify gaps between best practice and current practice, and potential solutions for improving the quality and safety of stroke care
- Understand the factors underlying inequities in patient experience and outcomes of stroke care.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care is for those who want to gain advanced and specialised knowledge and skills in stroke clinical practice. This evidence-based programme is aligned with contemporary clinical guidelines and practices. It incorporates emerging challenges and solutions to prepare students for the future of stroke care. It is highly relevant and interprofessional, with content coherently integrated across medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech language therapy, optometry, clinical exercise physiology, and psychology. It has real-world impact by equipping students to provide specialised stroke care for the benefit of the thousands of people who experience stroke in Aotearoa New Zealand every year.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care comprises 4 courses. Each course runs over a 12-week semester, allowing you to complete this programme in as little as 2 years part-time, one course at a time.
Taught by experts in the field of stroke care, the courses are delivered in a specific order that will build advanced knowledge and skills in stroke clinical practice. The programme follows the patient journey, from the onset of stroke symptoms to living with the long-term consequences of stroke. Case studies are threaded throughout all four taught courses, to illustrate the diverse experiences of people and whānau with stroke, and the roles and responsibilities of all members of the interdisciplinary stroke team. As students in this programme, you will ‘walk alongside’ these example patients as the timeline of the patient journey is mapped onto the timeline of this programme of study.
| Course & Description |
| Acute Stroke Care (HLTHSCI 710) 30 points Describes and evaluates advanced and applied interdisciplinary knowledge about pre-hospital care, diagnosis and hyperacute stroke care, secondary stroke prevention, stroke pathophysiology and pharmacological management of risk factors. Students will evaluate and critique stroke epidemiology and equity of access to stroke services. Skills in assessment of neurological impairment and rehabilitation needs, as well as discharge planning, will be developed with reference to national clinical guidelines and local contexts. |
| Stroke Rehabilitation (HLTHSCI 711) 30 points Describes and evaluates advanced and applied knowledge of the biological processes underpinning neurological recovery after stroke. Students will develop interdisciplinary understanding of assessment and interprofessional treatment strategies for impairments in communication, swallowing, vision, sensation, cognition, mood, continence, and movement. Skills in assessing independence and participation using standard scales will also be developed for application in clinical practice. |
| Advanced Stroke Care (HLTHSCI 712) 30 points Describes and critiques contemporary and evidence-based advanced clinical assessments and decision-making regarding driving, returning to work, and engaging in physical activity after stroke, including the effects of cognition, mood, and fatigue. Students will also develop advanced skills in communicating with patients and whānau on a range of topics, including stroke mechanisms and risk factors, the effects of stroke on interpersonal relationships, self-management and adjusting to life after stroke. |
| Improving Stroke Care (HLTHSCI 713) 30 points Evaluates and critiques how clinical research is organised and conducted, with specific examples from the stroke research evidence base. Critical thinking skills will be developed and applied to basic research and clinical trials. The role of the healthcare professional in translating research into practice will be explored with reference to contemporary implementation theories, models and frameworks. |
As a graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care, you will be able to:
- Apply an advanced understanding of contemporary research, theory and practice of interprofessional stroke care at all stages of the patient journey.
- Apply guidelines and knowledge to find culturally safe and practical responses to real-life challenges faced by people and their whānau with stroke
- Identify gaps between best practice and current practice, and potential solutions for improving the quality and safety of stroke care
- Understand the factors underlying inequities in patient experience and outcomes of stroke care.
*Our Programme Advisors will provide all official programme information, including regulations about entry, enrolment, course fees, examinations and requirements for degrees, diplomas and certificates as per the University Calendar.
Courses are paid per Semester. Fees are set in advance of each calendar year and will be updated on this website. Fees are inclusive of 15% GST, but do not include the Student Services Fee, course books, travel and health insurance, or living costs. Amounts shown are indicative only. In addition to the tuition fees, there is a Student Services Fee of $4.44 per point (online). Fees will be confirmed upon completion of enrolment into courses.
Award Winning Programme
Significant thought and effort is put into the design of the Stoke Care programme to ensure that busy health professionals can maximise the impact of their learning within their limited availability.
The Stroke Care programme won two platinum awards at the LearnX awards 2023, with “Best eLearning Project (industry specific)” and “Best Learning Model (custom/bespoke industry specific)”.
The level of academic support in Stroke Care exceeded my expectations and allowed me to fulfil my academic potential in the course.
Postgraduate Diploma in Stroke Care – Enquire Now
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