The Nurse Profession and Nursing Science, 16.5 credits

Admitted to the nursing programme. Specific entry requirements: Ma B, Sh A, Nk B (or Fy A, Ke A and Bi A).

The course's aim is that students acquire knowledge of key concepts and theories within the field of nursing and understand their application to the nursing profession. Students should be able to explain basic concepts related to health, suffering, patient lifeworlds, and nursing care. Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of ethical concepts and values of relevance to nursing. Students should be able to explain the scientific and professional development of and the importance of a humanist perspective within the field of nursing.

Learning outcomes

Part 1: Research methodology
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the course, students should be able to:

• describe basic scientific and epistemological terms and concepts 
• identify and explain the scientific research process
• describe ethical principles of scientific research

Skills and ability
On completion of the course, students should be able to:

• retrieve information of relevance to nursing from scientific databases

Part 2: The nursing profession
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the course, students should be able to:

• describe the development of the nursing profession
• describe the key competences within the nursing profession
• understand the roll and importance of interprofessional teamwork
• understand and explain the importance of equal care for all patients
• understand the importance of working according to patient safety guidelines
• explain the basic organisational structure of Swedish healthcare

Skills and abilities
On completion of the course, students should be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the role of the nursing profession in health care organisations
• apply principles of basic hygiene

Values and perspectives
On completion of the course, students should be able to:

• explain the relationship between the values of the nursing profession and relations to patients and colleagues

Part 3: Nursing
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the course, students should be able to:

• explain basic nursing concepts
• recognize a selection of theories and models in nursing science
• understand and explain the importance of ethics in nursing
• explain ethical concepts and values of relevance to nursing
• explain the importance of communication for good nursing

Skills and abilities
On completion of the course, students should be able to:

• apply nursing concepts to health care situations
• apply ethical principles of nursing to health care situations
• demonstrate an ability to write scientifically
• use the APA academic reference system

Values and perspectives
On completion of the course, students should be able to:

• explain the significance of nursing theories for nursing practice
• demonstrate understanding of a humanistic approach and the importance of values in nursing care

The course is divided into three parts:
Part 1: Research methodology
Part 2: The nursing profession
Part 3: Nursing care

science and epistemological concepts and terms

- the research process

- basic research ethics as well as cheating and plagiarism

- information competence

- scientific approach

- the design and contents of the nursing programme
- educational basic view and learning
- the emergence and development of the nursing profession
- competenses
- field studies in the health care
- professional ethical code
- health care's organisation Sweden
- interprofessional teamwork
- professions in the health care
- patient security, aseptic, hygiene and confidentiality
- care on an equal footing

- The main field of study nursing
- Caring sciences and concepts
- Health and suffering
- The patient's world
- The Nursingmeetings and health care relation
- Nursing acts and nursing
- Communication for nursing
- Ethics as a basis for attitude
- View of the human and importance of fundamental value
- Vulnerability and dignity
- ethical theories
- experimental knowledge
- evidence-based knowledge

The course's components are integrated through the use of pedagogical methods that aim to support students'self-led and collaborative learning. Training in the scientific approach is based on thrugh active knowledge acquisition, problem-solving and critical reflection. The pedagogical methods that are used are lectures, seminars, group work, indivdual tasks, discussions (virtual or in writing), workshops, reading and field studies.

Distance learning is based on IT and on independent and collaborative learning. The number of physical course meetings on the course location is limited to at most 2 days/7.5 credits, excluding the introduction week. Teacher support is provided via an IT-based learning management system.

The field studies cover 32 hours / week and are located in the health care. Day, evening, night and weekend shifts occur as well as public holidays, if applicable. Students do not have the right to compress the time of the field studies.

Participation in seminars and field studies is compulsory. Course examiner determines how absences from compulsory learning activities will be compensated for by the student. Until the student has participated in the compulsory parts (or compensated any absence with assigned tasks in accordance with instructions from the course examiner) the final study results cannot be reported. Absence from a mandatory learning activity can mean that a student cannot compensate for the missed activity until the course is offered again.

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For course that has ceased or gone through larger changes or where the reading list has been changed considerably should it be given three additional tests (excluding regular test) on the earlier contents or the previous literature during a time of a year from the time the change take place.

Course evaluation takes place according to the guidelines that are established by the Committee for Higher Education.