Cancer Nursing, 7.5 credits

Admission to semester 5: All courses from the semesters 1-3 Semester 4: Passed assessment from placement 9 credits + 7.5 credits (1SJ024, 1SJ023)

Student who has failed on the clinical placement period as a consequence of that the student has shown so serious deficiencies in knowledge, skills or attitudes that the patient security or the patients' trust for the healthcare have been jeopardised is qualified to new clinical placement period only when the individual action plan has been completed.

The aim of the course is that the student should acquire knowledge and advanced understanding of specific nursing regarding cancer diseases as well as get a preparedness to identify, assess, plan, perform and evaluate nursing needs for patients with cancer diseases. The course should give ability to, as a nurse be able to promote health and well-being for patients with cancer diseases.

Intended learning outcomes
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
Knowledge and understanding

• explain the implications of health science concepts related to different aspects of nursing and care in cancer
• account for principles with respect to primary, secondary and tertiary cancer prevention
• describe and explain reasons to commonly occurring symptoms related to cancer disease and treatment 
• understand and explain different treatment principles at curative and palliative treatment of cancer disease

Skills and ability

• identify, assess, plan, attend to and evaluate symptoms in individuals with cancer disease
• participate in curative and palliative treatment of cancer disease

Judgement ability and approach

• be able to identify and analyse factors that influence the patients´ and significant others´ quality of life.
• assess patients and significant others needs for information, support and coordination of care and suggest actions to meet the identified needs
• discuss socio-cultural aspects related to cancer care

Health science concepts related to cancer disease
Cancer prevention
Symptoms and symptom alleviation
Treatment intentions and different treatments in cancer disease
Patients and significant others reactions and needs during the different stages of the cancer disease
Nursing in cancer disease and cancer treatment
Clinical placement

The course is given as a web-based full-time course and includes 2 compulsory meetings on campus Flemingsberg and/or Solna. The course also includes a clinical placement period. Other time is carried out via the learning platform Canvas.

The teaching is based on a problem-oriented and collaborative approach to learning in which the tasks provide opportunities for the student to take active responisbility for their learning. The used taching is student-activating and aims to develop and increase independence and critical thinking through active knowledge acquisition, problem-solving critical reflection and analysis.

In the course, the following working methods are applied: lectures, literature studies, seminars, virtual discussions and clinical placement. Teaching support is given via the learning platform PingPong.

The clinical placement that corresponds to 3 weeks is located to different cancer care units. The clinical placement includes 40 hours/week (full-time studies) of which 32 hours/week are located at the clinical placement where supervision and reflection are included. Day- evening and possibly night shifts occur. Student are not allowed to compress the clinical placement.

The course is examined through an individual written examination assignment. Participation in seminars is compulsory. In case of absence from compulsory modules, contact the course coordinator.

During the placement, continuous assessment of the student's achievements are taken place. Half-time- and final assessment is carried out. Professional supervisor and/or co-opted clinical lecturer give bases of assessment according to established evaluation form for clinical placement. At risk for failure should, latest at the mid-way assessment, responsible university teacher in consultation with professional supervisor and student establish a written action plan for the continued clinical placement. For clinical placement, two-graded scale applies: Fail/Pass. Grades are assigned by the examiner.

If there are special grounds, or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the syllabus's regulations on the examination form, the number of examination opportunities,  the possibility of supplementation or exemptions from the compulsory section/s of the course etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities may not be changed, removed or reduced.

Grading scale for the course are Fail/Pass. For the grade Pass, it is required that the intended learning outcomes are satisfied which implies passed results of the individual written examination assignment and passed assessment for the clinical placement as well as active participation in compulsory components. Grades are assigned by the examiner.

Students who do not pass a regular examination are entitled to re-sit the examination on five more occasions. Student who lacks passed results after three implemented examinations can however be offered to go parts or the whole course once more if places are available. This is subject to availability

If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examinations are given. Submission of a blank exam paper is regarded as an examination. In case a student is registered for an examination but does not attend, this is not regarded as an examination.

An electronic examination that has been opened via the learning managment system counts as an examination session even if the examination is not submitted.

Late submissions of examinations are not accepted. Students who have not submitted on time are referred to re-examination.

The examiner may, with immediate effect, interrupt a student's clinical placement (or equivalent) if the student demonstrates such serious deficiencies in knowledge, skills or attitude that patient safety or patient confidence in healthcare is at risk. If a clinical placement is interrupted in this way the student is deemed to have failed that element and to have used up one clinical placement opportunity. In such cases, an individual action plan should be set up stating which activities and tests are required before the student is qualified for a new clinical placement on the course. Failed placement may only be carried out once more.

For a course that has been closed down or undergone major changes, or where the reading list has been changed considerably, three additional tests (excluding regular tests) in the previous literature and contents should be given during a period of a year from the date of the change.

Course evaluation takes place according to the guidelines that are established by the Board of Higher Education.