MAVIT5000 Advanced Education in Psychological Support for Adolescent and Young Adult Patients with Acquired Diseases Course description

Language of instruction: Norwegian

This course aims to enable the students to actively contribute to holistic psychosocial care for adolescents and young adults with acquired diseases in the age group 13-26 years. The course covers psychological and social support measures and follow-up for young patients and their families in all phases of the care pathway. The course therefore deals with the phases from assessment and treatment in the specialist health service, transfer to the primary health service during and after the conclusion of treatment and measures linked to follow-up and, if necessary, care during the palliative phase and for those left behind. The course emphasises the meeting and interaction between health personnel, the young patient and their family.

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can describe normal development in adolescents and young adults
• can assess the significance of different models in the approach to adolescent and young adult patients with acquired diseases and their families
• can discuss different approaches that promote psychosocial health
• can assess the significance of the patient’s network to psychosocial health
• can discuss the importance of the flow of information between different service levels
• can discuss different coping strategies
• can describe the psychosocial needs of adolescents and young adults with acquired diseases, and analyse them in the context of the functions and responsibilities of health personnel, both as independent professionals and as parties in interdisciplinary cooperation and the patient’s network

Skills

The student

• can plan, organise and implement a holistic plan for psychosocial follow-up throughout the whole course of the illness and treatment
• can mobilise, initiate and participate in binding interprofessional and cross-sectoral cooperation to help to ensure coordinated services 
• can mobilise the patient and family’s private networks
• can function as a coordinator for patients 

General competence

The student

• can analyse the individual family members’ psychosocial needs and the family as a whole
• can analyse and take a critical approach to their own professional competence
• can lead and carry out network meetings

The course will use varied, student-active work methods. The course comprises a combination of web-based and session-based teaching.

Session-based teaching runs over five days, and consists of e.g. lectures, role play, skills training, group work, cases and discussions.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the examination:

• Minimum attendance of 90% in session-based teaching activities
• Written assignment with oral presentation, carried out in groups of up to four students. Scope: 2,000 words (+/- 20%)

Individual home examination over three days. Scope: 2,500 words (+/- 20%).

Pass/fail.

All examination papers are assessed by two examiners. At least 20% of the examination papers will be assessed by an external examiner. The external examiner’s assessment should benefit all students.