Elderly Care Specialist Nursing Programme, 60 Higher Education Credits

Aim

The objective of the Nursing Programme is to assure that the student acquires the in-depth skills and proficiency necessary to be able to act in relation to elderly people’s state of health. Subsequently the training focuses on providing skills and proficiency related to prevention, diagnostics, medical treatment and rehabilitation, which entails a necessary co-operation in certain fields of medicine and nursing such as geriatrics, neurology and pharmacology.

During the course of training the student will be given the opportunity to further develop her/his ability to independently integrate and use those skills and at the same time intensify her/his ability for handling complex occurrences regarding issues and situations that arise in geriatric nursing care.

Programme objectives

The Elderly Care Specialist Nursing Programme follows the objectives stipulated in the Higher Education Act (HL) and the Higher Education Ordinance (HF).
Training at advanced level shall essentially build upon the skills and proficiency the student acquired from basic level training or equivalent skills/proficiencies.

Training at advanced level means an intensification of the skills, proficiencies and abilities acquired at basic training level and shall, over and above the requirements applied to basic level training;
- further develop students’ ability to independently integrate and make use of their
skills/proficiencies
- develop students’ ability in handling complex occurrences, issues and situations
- develop students’ qualifications for work that demands a high degree of
independency or for research and development work

In order to study for a Nursing Degree, students must show the proficiency and ability required to be able to independently work as a specialist nurse.

Knowledge and understanding:

- show proficiency regarding the field’s scientific basis and knowledge of current
research and development work, as well as an awareness of the connection
between science and well-tested experience and its significance for professional
practice
- show proficiency in planning, leading and coordinating work in health and care
issues

Proficiency and ability:
- show an ability to be able to independently, in co-operation with the patient and
those nearest the patient, identify the need for care and subsequently establish a
care/nursing plan
- show the ability to steer and evaluate nursing procedures
- show a deepened ability to initiate, implement and evaluate health promotion and
preventive work
- show the ability to integrate knowledge and also to analyse, assess and handle
complex issues and situations
- show the ability to take part in and also independently carry out examinations and
treatment including care in life’s final stage
- show a pedagogic nursing ability.

Evaluation ability and attitude
- have self-knowledge and an aptness for empathy
- while taking a comprehensive view of people be able to show the ability to carry
out assessed actions based on relevant scientific, societal and ethical aspects-
showing specific consideration for human rights
- show the ability to present a professional attitude towards the patient and their
nearest – and
- show the ability to identify personal need to acquire further knowledge and
continuous skills development (University Regulations SFS 1993:100,
supplement 2).

In order to study for a Specialist Nursing Degree with emphasis on geriatric care students must also:
- show the ability to independently assess, plan, implement and evaluate the
measures needed to promote physical, mental and social health and prevent the
emergence of illness and complications due to illness
- show an deepened ability to observe and assess elderly patients’ complex needs
of care and rehabilitation.

In order to study for a Specialist Nursing Degree with emphasis on geriatric care students must also, over and above the stated objectives in HL and HF, show:

- an in-depth ability to, based on the fundamental values of nursing, contribute in
providing a worthwhile and meaningful existence for elderly people
- an in-depth ability to deliberate from a personal-centered nursing care
- the ability to work in an inter-professional manner.

Content

Nursing Science MA, Nursing care focused on ageing well (from HiG), 7.5 credits
Nursing Science MA, Specific nursing focusing on geriatric care (from UmU), 7.5 credits
Nursing Science MA, Dignity and wellbeing in old ageand in palliative care (from Ltu), 7.5 credits
Nursing Science MA, Dementia and Person-centered Nursing Care (from UU), 7,5 credits
Nursing Science MA, Clinical assessment and nursing care for elderly, (from Miun), 7.5 credits
Nursing Science MA, Organization, leadership and development in nurses’ work (from Miun), 7.5 credits
Nursing Science MA, Master Degree Project, (from all of the training locations), 15 credits

Entry requirements

Swedish Nurse Registration, Nursing BA (A), Least 90 credits in Nursing Science, of which 15 credits consist of a bachelors thesis.

Description of programme

The Elderly Care Specialist Nursing Programme follows the objectives stipulated by the Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance. The main field of studies is nursing. The Training Programme comprises 60 Credits at advanced level and is divided into both theoretical and clinical studies, e.g. placements.

The Training Programme is effectuated as a national web-based distance learning programme in co-operation with Gävle University College (HiG), Luleå Technical University (Ltu), Mid Sweden University, Umeå University (UmU) and Uppsala Universitet

A Specialist Nursing Degree with emphasis on geriatric care is attained after full completion of the Training Programme.

The specialist nursing profession is practised on the basis of well tested experience and from a scientific perspective with respect for elderly people’s autonomy, integrity and dignity. Geriatric nursing has both a theoretical and practical dimension based on a holistic outlook on mankind. The objective with geriatric nursing is to generate prerequisites for lifelong development, good health and a dignified death. Geriatric nursing is related to issues of health, illness, functional impairment and treatment/care, while taking special consideration for elderly people’s specific needs depending on cultural background, age, gender and social conditions. A specialist nurse’s work demands a significant ability to make critical examination and application of research results as well as an awareness of well tested experiences in geriatric nursing.

The Training Programme has a strong ambition to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge. To achieve this all courses comprise both theoretical and practical elements where students, to a varied extent, mix practical studies at hospitals/health centres, etc (placements) with theoretical studies. The incentive for this strong ambition is to train an efficient specialist nurse and provide her/him with a good theoretical basis for the work ahead. With this we mean a nurse who can make independent assessments and who has the ability for critical thinking and solving problems while developing the skills and proficiencies needed to work in an inter-professional manner.

Scholarly methodology is integrated in all of the compulsory courses.

An independent degree project comprising 15 Credits is included in the Training Programme. The objective of this is to intensify the student’s knowledge in an independently chosen field in the subject of nursing with emphasis on geriatric care. This assignment can e.g. be in the form of a scholarly study, a defined change of work routine or a significant literary survey. Students are provided with a supervisor from one of the departments involved for the course of their assignment, and have the opportunity to choose the supervisor in relation to the assignment’s emphasis.

Selection rules and procedures

The selection process is in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance and the local order of admission.

Programme with restricted admissions

Potential deterrents are noted in the respective curriculums.

Teaching and examination

The modus operandi for teaching and examination follow the respective curriculum.
Training procedure is noted in each respective curriculum.

Title of qualification

Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Nursing

Specialistsjuksköterskeexamen med inriktning mot vård av äldre
translated into
Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Nursing: Elderly Care
and
Magisterexamen med huvudområdet omvårdnad
translated into
Degree of Master of Science (60 Credits) with a major in Nursing Science