This curriculum is adapted from Nursing, Bachelor Programme according to National Curriculum 2004, Sogn og Fjordane University College. It was adopted by the Dean of the Faculty of Health Studies on 18 September 2006. A revised edition was adopted by the Dean of the Faculty of Health Studies on 15 June 2007.
The study is a part of a Bachelor in Nursing degree.
International nursing students who master the English language
The student shall acquire and use knowledge based on theory and research, especially clinical research in nursing of patients with somatic illness and injury. Nursing documentation shall be integrated in professional activities, based on the nursing process as a method. It is the patient's reaction and situation, and the student's independent professional assessments of these factors that will govern the professional activities.
The student:
- Has a holistic view of the human being and demonstrates this in his/her professional activities
- Has a theoretical basis and knowledge-based reasoning for clinical practice and demonstrates this in his/her professional activities
- Has a knowledge of nursing of patients with somatic illnesses and injuries and demonstrates this in his/her professional activities
- Utilises the nursing process as a problem-solving and interpersonal process in his/her professional activities
- Employs professional, ethical and legal frameworks in nursing documentation
- Has a knowledge and shows understanding of patients' and/or their relatives' experience of and reactions to disease, treatment, nursing and admission to a hospital
- Initiates and follows up prescribed treatment and examinations
- Can perform basic nursing and life-saving first aid
- Performs justifiable administration of medication and demonstrates this in his/her professional activities
- Has a knowledge of hygienic principles and demonstrates this in his/her professional activities
- Shows good dexterity and demonstrates this in his/her professional activities
- Shows the ability to cooperate with patients, relatives and co-workers
- Shows the ability to reflect upon his/her own attitudes, knowledge and behaviour together with the willingness and capacity for self-development
- Has a knowledge of the core values standards and ethical codes of his/her profession and demonstrates this in his/her professional activities
- Shows the ability to reflect upon ethical dilemmas and act in an ethically justifiable manner
- Can plan holistically, follow up and take responsibility for a number of patients over a period of time
- Has a knowledge of and takes part in administrative tasks in the nursing service
- Has a knowledge and understanding of interdisciplinary and interdepartmental collaboration and demonstrates this in professional activities
- Has a knowledge of the nurse's responsibility with regard to problems and needs that arise with illness, suffering and death and demonstrates this in work with patients, relatives and co-workers
- Has a knowledge of instruction and guidance as important factors in coping with disease and suffering and demonstrates this in his/her professional activities
The student must have achieved 90 ECTS credits of a Bachelor in Nursing prior to the exchange. Applicants from institutions with another degree system will be assessed individually. Theoretical knowledge about nursing of somatic illness and injury and a minimum of 8 weeks clinical practice in a medical or surgical ward of a hospital are required.
- Short observation practices in health care institutions/services.
- 8 - 10 weeks (240 - 300 working hours) clinical practice in a medical or surgical ward of a hospital . The student shall mainly follow the nurse mentor when he/she is on duty in order to ensure continuous follow-up and guidance. This means that he/she must follow the duty rota of the nurse mentor with both day, evening, and night duty, plus weekends
In clinical practice it is expected that the student:
- Shows a commitment to professional and personal development
- Is an active participant in the work environment. Among other things, this entails that the student shows a willingness to undertake continuous problem solving
- Actively seeks out learning situations and seeks guidance and assessment
- Gets in touch with the tutor and reports problems that may arise
- Write his/her own formulations of learning outcomes for the clinical practice period. Through the formulations of learning outcomes, the student shall clarify in which specialised area he/she needs to work.
- Is well prepared and participates in an active way in the discussion of expectations, the halfway assessment, the final assessment and tutorial days
- Takes responsibility for setting up a duty rota in keeping with current guidelines
- Complies with requirements for attendance in clinical practice and reports his/her absences
- Carries out compulsory assignments in clinical practice based on the guidelines for the individual compulsory assignments
- Works on preparations for instruction and written assignments, which shall be submitted to the teacher, in addition to the obligatory 30 hrs. per week.
Expectations of the place providing clinical practice training and/or nurse mentor:
- Is a resource person for the student and an instructor in professional matters
- Cooperates with the student on progress in clinical practice in order to achieve the objectives
- Supports the student in organizing learning situations taking into consideration that the student is non-Norwegian speaking
- Gives the student greater challenges and responsibility in accordance with the individual student's development and growth. Makes professional requirements associated with learning situations in clinical practice
- Evaluates the student continuously
- Is well prepared and participates in an active way in the discussion of expectations, the halfway assessment and the final assessment
- Gets in touch with the tutor if problems arise
Expectations of the university college and/or tutor:
- Sees that the field of clinical practice is oriented and informed about the curriculum at all times
- Instructs the students with regard to theory and clinical practice
- Supports the student in organizing learning situations taking into consideration that the student is non-Norwegian speaking
- Instructs the students with regard to written assignments
- Is a support for the student and nurse mentor
- Is obligated to keep oriented about the student's professional development
- Is well prepared and participates in an active way in the discussion of expectations, the halfway assessment and the final assessment
- Approves the duty rota
Guidance, discussions and assessments
The student, nurse mentor and/or representative from the place providing clinical practice training and the tutor shall attend a discussion of expectations and halfway and final assessments. There will also be clinical sessions prepared by the teacher and/or student where various topics are explained, discussed and reflected upon. In addtion the tutor will instruct the student in directly patient-oriented situations on two so-called tutorial days.
The tutor has overall responsibility with regard to instructing the student and arranging good learning situations in clinical practice. The student shall be given continuous guidance by nurses who should have teaching competence and at least one year of experience as a nurse. The nurses in the trainee place are responsible for instructing the student on the basis of the specialties and distinctive characteristics of that particular trainee place.
The clinical practice is graded passed/failed, and in the section "final assessment" the grading of clinical practice is described in greater detail. At the end of practice placement the student should hand in the original assessment form to the student administration at Faculty of Health Studies. The assessment form is considered documentation for approved/not approved clinical practice. The student should keep a copy of the assessment form.
Discussion of expectations
Shall be held during the first 1-2 weeks. The object is to clarify the student's qualifications for learning by letting the student give an orientation on his/her background and/or previous clinical practice, personal goals and learning needs, and to clarify the various parties' expectations of each other. The student shall use previous assessments in his/her formulation of learning outcomes for new clinical practice.
Halfway assessment
Shall be conducted no later than 3 weeks before the end of clinical practice. The purpose is to clarify how far the student has come with regard to formal goals and personal development. The area that the student ought to continue to focus on shall be clarified, and a plan shall be drawn up for further guidance and study effort. It shall be discussed whether there is a risk that the student may not pass clinical practice. In that case, this shall be clearly written on the student's assessment form and also formulated in writing on a separate form for warning of the risk of not passing clinical practice.
Final assessment
Shall be conducted at the end of clinical practice. The purpose is to formally approve or not approve clinical practice. The clinical practice is counted as an examination; cf. Regulations concerning admission, programme of study and examinations at Sogn og Fjordane University College. The assessment follows a specific form, and is based on the level the student has achived through goals for the clinical practice period, criteria for passed/failed clinical practice and the student's own learning outcomes. The student's development shall be assessed with regard to the points that came up in the halfway assessment, and consideration shall be given to what the student ought to continue to work on during the next phase of clinical practice.
Criteria for failed clinical practice
The student's clinical practice can be assessed as failed on the basis of special criteria. A written warning that there is a risk of failing clinical practice shall be issued no later than three weeks before the end of clinical practice, cf. the regulations concerning admission, programme of study and examinations at Sogn og Fjordane University College. The tutor is responsible for informing the Head of Study and International Coordinator if there is a warning of a risk of failing clinical practice. The student can contact the Head of Studies or International Coordinator if there is a need for further guidance. If the student is to be given the assessment of failed clinical practice, the student will be called in for a conversation with the Head of Studies or International Coordinator.
Failed clinical practice is an assessment that will be given on the basis of one or more of the following criteria
The student:
- Violated the duty of professional secrecy or ethical guidelines for nurses
- Failed to show respect to patients or relatives
- Showed insufficient ability to cooperate with patients and staff
- Took actions that exceeded the limits of his/her personal competence and did not request advice and guidance when he/she was uncertain
- Did not have necessary and sufficient professional knowledge relative to the level he/she has come in their education
- Showed little development of practical skills relative to the objectives
- Did not do the compulsory assignments that were assigned in the individual clinical practice period
- Showed insufficient orderliness or poor hygiene in his/her work
- Was not able to administer and organise his/her own work appropriately and efficiently relative to the student's current level.
- Showed insufficient initiative and interest in clinical practice
- Broke agreements or failed to report on time on several occasions
- Did not report his/her absence
- Was under the influence of an intoxicating substance during working hours
- Did not administer medication professionally correctly
- Obligatory attendance of observation practice
- Obligatory attendance of clinical practice in a medical or surgical ward in a hospital. Abscence of a maximum of 10 % due to valid reasons should be approved
- Written nursing care plans for two patients in clinical practice in a medical or surgical ward. The two nursing care plans are used for preparation of each of the two tutorial days in practice. The student selects a patient in agreement with the mentor, and the patient must give his/her permission. The student should be able to give rationales for the nursing care plan orally. The nursing care plan should include:
- Data/ assessment of the patient
- Nursing diagnosis/ problems
- Goals
- Nursing actions
The course requirements must be carried out before marking of SK 104.
SK 104 001 Clinical practice in a medical or surgical ward in a hospital. Passed/failed.
SK 104 Nursing of somatic illness and injury. Portfolio assessment. Individual. Letter grade on a scale from A (highest) to F (lowest), with E as the minimum passing grade.
Portfolio: A diary about experiences, reflections and feelings connected to lectures, practical training, observation practices and clinical practice during the study abroad period. Presentation folder: An essay about an experience extracted from the diary. The writing should lead to a deeper understanding of the experience which the student is free to choose him/ herself. The focus should be on nursing care of patients with somatic illnesses and/ or injuries and may include ethical perspectives.
- Specifications: A short introduction with a presentation of the experience and what will be covered in the essay. The body of the essay should be a systematic reflection upon and discussion of the experience highlighted with theory/research. Finish with a conclusion. Maximum length is 8 A4 pages +/- 10 % (plus front page, table of contest and literature).
- Format requirements: Script Times New Roman 12, headings level 1, text 1.5 spaced, left margin 3.5, right, top and bottom margins 2.5. Paragraphs should be clearly separated. Page numbers should be in Arabic numeral and centred in the top of the page. No page number on the front page. The front page is found in Fronter (the electronic learning system of the university college) and should be filled out.
- References: Standard format for references in text and literature list (e.g. the Harvard System or the Vancouver System of referencing).
- Guidance: The student is entitled to one hours of guidance from the tutor. Guidance on the introduction part of the essay is mandatory.
- Delivering: Three copies of the portfolio should be handed in to the executive officer for exams on a set date at the end of the study abroad period.
- Grading: Grading is done within 15 working days after delivery. After grading a transcript of records will be sent to the student.
Criteria for assessment of the presentation folder:
- Has a clear foundation in nursing
- Shows professional insight
- Reflects upon theory and the experience
- Is able to assess the experience and theory critically
- Shows an ability to systematic thinking
- Argues own opinions
- Uses relevant literature
Literature of the student's own selection, 300 pages