Advanced Programme in Theatre Nursing Programme description

The Advanced Programme in Theatre Nursing is based on the national curriculum for further education in theatre nursing and the regulations relating to the national curriculum for further education in theatre nursing adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 1 December 2005 and meets the requirements stipulated in these documents. The programme has a scope of 90 credits, and is taken as a full-time course of study over one and a half years. After completing the programme, the students will have action competence in the field of theatre nursing; see the requirements set out in the national curriculum for further education in theatre nursing with pertaining regulations.

About theatre nursing

Theatre nursing is special expertise in nursing acutely and/or critically ill patients undergoing surgical examination and/or treatment. The theatre nurse plays an important role in the work of organising and coordinating surgical activities, attending to the patient¿s nursing needs and taking part in surgical examinations and/or treatment. The goal of theatre nursing is to fulfil the patient's basic needs through preventive, therapeutic, pain and stress relief and habilitation/rehabilitation measures.

Theatre nursing consists of providing healthcare for acutely and/or critically ill patients of all ages undergoing surgical examination and/or treatment. This will be patients who:

• are admitted for planned surgical examination and/or treatment
• have suffered an injury/accident
• suffer acute onset of illness
• experience an acute exacerbation of a long-term illness
• have chronic conditions/diseases, and where surgical examination and/or treatment will temporarily put them in an acute and/or critical condition

The target group for theatre nursing includes patient's next of kin.

Relevance to working life The Advanced Programme in Theatre Nursing is intended to help to cover society¿s increasing need for specialist nursing skills, primarily in the specialist health service, but also in the municipal health service.

Theatre nurses are in high demand, as they are key personnel in the specialist health service when it comes to providing professionally sound healthcare to acutely and critically ill patients. The specialist health service seeks theatre nurses who practise their profession in a sound manner and on a scientific basis. Today, we can treat many diseases and injuries that could not be treated in the past. Also, the patients admitted to somatic hospitals are sicker than they used to be. This development makes new and stricter requirements of theatre nurses. Society requires theatre nurses to work in an evidence-based manner where their nursing practice is based on knowledge gained from research and experience, in addition to patient knowledge. Theatre nurses shall be capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to existing theories and methods in advanced medical treatment and theatre nursing. Moreover, they shall be able to contribute to new ideas and innovation processes in their own practice, and make independent use of relevant methods for quality-related work (professional development, quality assurance or quality control work) in the field of theatre nursing. Theatre nurses are qualified to take greater responsibility for evidence-based theatre nursing of acutely and/or critically ill patients in and outside a hospital setting.

Most theatre nurses work in surgical hospital departments, day surgery units/surgical outpatient clinics, accident and emergency departments, municipal emergency medical services, emergency response teams, central sterile services departments, offshore and in war and disaster areas.

The municipal health service is also experiencing a growing need for specialist nursing skills. The Act relating to Municipal Health and Care Services, etc. (the Health and Care Services Act) has given the municipalities a greater role in the treatment of acute-onset illness, exacerbation of chronic illness and in follow-up care for patients whose hospital treatment is finished. Therefore, theatre nurses will also be in demand in the municipal health service.

Relevance to further studies

From autumn 2022, it is planned to start a Master`s degree programme in Advanced Nursing to Acute and Critically Ill Patients with several specialisations, also in Theatre Nursing. Upon admission to a new master's program, larger parts of Advanced Programme in Theatre Nursing can be incorporated.

The target group for the programme is authorised general nurses who would like to work as theatre nurses' primarily in the specialist health service, but also in the municipal health service.

Admission to the programme is in accordance with the Regulations relating to Admission to Studies at OsloMet, in force from 1 January 2016, and the national curriculum regulations for theatre nursing adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 1 December 2005.

The academic basis for admission to the programme is a three-year bachelor's degree in nursing or equivalent. Applicants must also hold a Norwegian authorisation as a general nurse and have at least two years' somatic nursing experience from the specialist health service.

Additional points (maximum 2,5 points) are awarded for all relevant work experience beyond the minimum requirement. By relevant work experience is meant professional nursing experience at somatic wards in the hospital / specialist health service.

There is no separate quota for applicants who compete only on the basis of grade points.

Applicants who are admitted to the programme must submit a transcript of police records, cf. the Regulations for admission to higher education Chapter 6.

The use of clothing that covers the face is incompatible with taking the programme.

After completing the Advanced Programme in Theatre Nursing, the student is expected to have achieved the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• has advanced knowledge within a theatre nurse's functions and areas of responsibility
• has in-depth knowledge about surgical examination and/or treatment of acutely and/or critically ill patients
• has advanced knowledge of infection medicine
• has knowledge of scientific theory and research methods
• has in-depth knowledge of the experiences, reactions and needs of patients and next of kin in connection with acute and/or critical illness in an age-related and multicultural perspective
• is capable of analysing problems relating to theatre nursing on the basis of the discipline's history, traditions, distinctive nature and place in society
• has in-depth knowledge of quality work, including methods for quality improvement and quality control

Skills

The candidate

• is capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to different sources of information and using them to structure and formulate theatre nursing argumentation
• is capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to existing theories and methods in advanced medical treatment and theatre nursing
• is capable of preventing complications in connection with acute and/or critical illness, advanced medical treatment and theatre nursing
• is capable of independently perform infection prevention work in surgical hospital departments, hospital and other community institutions where a high level of infection control is required
• is capable of checking and using medical equipment correctly and safely
• is capable of reducing stress, pain and discomfort in connection with surgical treatment and/or examinations and theatre nursing
• is capable of applying pedagogical and subject didactics principles when informing, teaching and providing guidance to patients and next of kin from different cultures,  colleagues and other members of the healthcare team
• is capable of independent work on practical and theoretical problem-solving relating to the theatre nurse's functions and areas of responsibility
• is capable of practising theatre nursing in accordance with healthcare legislation and ethical principles 

Competence

The candidate

• has action competence in the field of theatre nursing and contributes to patient safety
• is capable of carrying out wholly or partly compensatory theatre nursing in the event of serious self-care deficits in relation to a patient's fundamental needs
• is capable of analysing relevant ethical issues in theatre nursing based on relevant discipline knowledge, research, experience and patient knowledge
• is capable of applying his/her knowledge and skills to new fields to carry out advanced tasks and projects in theatre nursing
• is capable of communicating extensive independent work and masters the forms of expression used in theatre nursing
• is capable of communicating about issues, analyses and conclusions in theatre nursing, both with specialists and the general public
• is capable of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary cooperation in patient treatment
• is capable of contributing to new ideas and innovation processes in his/her own professional practice

The work and teaching methods used in the programme are based on a sociocultural perspective on learning. This means that the student participates in and contributes to a learning community where fellow students, lecturers and others are important to his/her learning. The goal of the work methods is to encourage independence, fresh thinking, own activity and reflection. Feedback, formative (continuous) assessment and supervision will be the learning community's key activities to advance learning. Learning is considered a process that involves the whole person and is manifested through the change in the person learning.

Study methods that promote evidence-based practice are used throughout the programme in that the student integrates knowledge from research and experience and patient knowledge.

The programme emphasises student-active methods intended to encourage the students to actively seek relevant and reliable sources of knowledge. The process will alternate between individual work and interaction with fellow students and others in group work, seminars, simulations and practical training.

Lectures

Lectures are primarily used to introduce new subject matter, give an overview and highlight main elements and links between different topics, and also to communicate relevant issues. The lectures in the three common courses for several of our advanced nursing programmes will be held as joint lectures, but joint lectures will also be used in other courses. Most lectures are held in a Scandinavian language, but they can also take place in English.

Group work

Group work, which is compulsory attendance, is used as a teaching method to encourage cooperation between students, support the learning of subject matter and provide training in cooperation and interaction skills, which are necessary skills in professional practice.

Seminars

Seminars, which is compulsory attendance, are held in which students present assignments they have been working on and receive oral feedback from their fellow students and lecturers. The purpose of the seminars is to stimulate each other's learning process, clarify students' own understanding of the subject and develop cooperation skills. The students are given the opportunity to practise their academic formulation skills, and academic discussions between students and lecturers are facilitated.

Simulation

Simulation, which is compulsory attendance, is used to practise procedures and become familiar with equipment and machines. Simulation is also used to gain teamwork experience and skills in relation to rarely occurring and life-threatening situations, particularly complex situations that require prompt and appropriate action. After having had the chance to reflect on their own actions, students can repeat the situation in order to become better prepared to act.

Self-study Not all topics are covered by organised teaching activities, and students are expected to acquire knowledge of the remaining topics through self-study. Students come to this programme with different preconditions for learning, and self-study enables them to prioritise topics and areas they want to focus on. Self-study also helps to encourage independent activity and reflection.

Practical training Practical training, which is compulsory attendance, is an important work method in the programme. See a more detailed description in the chapter on practical training.

The field of practice is an important qualification arena for developing action competence in theatre nursing and evidence-based practice. Professionally sound theatre nursing practice must be learned in direct interaction with patients. This is the only way in which students can gain experience and encounter challenges of sufficient complexity to allow them to achieve the programme¿s learning outcomes. When nursing acutely and/or critically ill patients, decisions must often be made quickly, and through practical training, students acquire the practical experience needed to develop an immediate understanding of the patients' situation and the knowledge and action required.

Practical training in the programme is organised as three courses. The practical training must make up no less than 50% and no more than 60% of the programme, and at least 90% of the practical training must involve patient contact; see the requirements set out in the national curriculum for further education in theatre nursing.

Clinical Studies in Theatre Nursing

• First semester: OPERAPRA10, 20 credits (13 weeks)
• Second semester: OPERAPRA20, 15 credits (10 weeks)
• Third semester: OPERAPRA3, 10 credits (7 weeks)

The practical training is organised such that on completion of the programme, the student will have gained experience of and developed theatre nursing action competence in relation to all common conditions, important forms of treatment and different patient situations.

The practical training must include specialist departments where the patient¿s vital functions are threatened or failing. Students should primarily take practical training in the following areas at the surgical department: 

• gynaecology and obstetrics
• gastrointestinal surgery
• endocrine surgery
• orthopaedic surgery
• thoracic surgery
• vascular surgery
• neurosurgery
• urological surgery

Supervision 

Practical training will be supervised, and the student is guaranteed supervision by a nurse with advanced training or a master's degree in theatre nursing.

Operationalisation of learning outcomes 

The student shall specify the learning outcomes for each course based on his/her own preconditions for learning and the framework conditions at the unit where the course is taken. This must be approved by the practical training supervisor and lecturer. These learning outcome descriptions must be concrete, relevant, realistic and measurable. They must describe observable behaviour, for example actions, performance or skills, or results of an unobservable mental behaviour such as a change in attitude. They are intended to help to clarify what the student needs to learn and which learning situations are required to achieve this. This provides a direction for the supervision/instruction required and indications for use in the assessment.

A conversation between the student, the practical training supervisor and the lecturer will take place within the first to three weeks of a practical training course. The purpose of this conversation is to maintain continuity and progress in the student's learning and development. The lecturer and practical training supervisor must have received the student¿s specification of the learning outcomes in advance so that the conversation can be as constructive as possible.

Shifts 

The practical training courses comprise approx. 32 hours per week. Students must expect to work a certain number of evening shifts during the programme. The student prepares a shift plan for each course for approval by the university and the department where the student is taking the practical training. Continuity in supervision is a goal when preparing the shift plan, and the student should therefore follow the practical training supervisor¿s shift arrangements where possible.

Compulsory attendance at practical training

Attendance is compulsory in areas that are important for achieving action competence as a theatre nurse and where the student cannot acquire knowledge through self-study. This means that attendance is compulsory during practical training courses. In order to pass a practical training course, the student must have attended at least 90% of the planned activities in each course. Students must make up for absence exceeding 10% by agreement with the lecturer and the practical training establishment. If a student¿s absence exceeds 20%, he/she will fail the course. Absence is calculated on the basis of the programme overview/practical training plan for each course.

Elective practical training 

Students have the opportunity to organise a total of 1-5 weeks of elective practical training in the course of the programme. The elective practical training must be completed at a practical training establishment relevant to the target group and/or functions of theatre nurses. The student must contact the practical training establishment him/herself and submit a written application for elective practical training for the university¿s approval. Such approval will not be granted if the student is at risk of failing a practical training assessment. In addition, the student must have passed all previous exams in the programme. Elective practical training must be funded by the student.

OsloMet ¿ Oslo Metropolitan University has established cooperation with universities and university colleges in and outside Europe, and is a member of different academic networks. Students can apply to take parts of the programme abroad, preferably at institutions that OsloMet cooperates with. Students who wish to go on exchanges at other institutions will have to organise the exchange themselves and obtain the university's approval. They must expect to pay their own travel and accommodation expenses.

It is primarily the practical training courses in the second and third semesters that are suitable for exchanges. Only students who have passed all their exams so far in the programme and are not at risk of failing a practical training assessment can take these courses abroad.

The programme uses guest lecturers from foreign partner institutions, and the programme's own lecturers gain knowledge and experience through exchanges with the same institutions.

Required coursework is all types of work and tests that are conditions for being permitted to take the exam. In this programme, the required coursework comprises:

• written assignments induvidually or in groups
• oral presentasions of written work and and each other's assessment of others' work
• documentation of literature selected by the student
• teaching to/or providing guidance to patients, nursing students, theatre nurse and fellow students
• specifying learning outcomes for practical training courses

The main purpose of coursework requirements is to promote the students' progress and academic development in the programme, stimulate students to seek out and acquire new knowledge, and facilitate cooperation and communication in relation to professional issues.

Feedback The students receive written and/or verbal feedback from the lecturer and/or fellow students on their written assignments based on the criteria of relevance, theoretical knowledge, in-depth study, ethical reflection, independence and how the assignment is presented.

Approval Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. Required coursework that is not approved must be improved before re-submission. If the work is not approved on re-submission, the student cannot take the ordinary exam. Students are entitled to a third attempt before the resit/rescheduled exam. If the third attempt at a coursework requirement is not approved, the student cannot take the resit/rescheduled exam and will have to wait until the ordinary exam for the following year. The student will then be entitled to three new attempts with the new class.

Students will encounter different forms of assessment during the programme. The forms of assessment are intended to ensure a continuous process towards a twofold objective: to promote learning and document the competence achieved by the students as sufficient in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. By giving the student qualified and frequent feedback in relation to both processes and products, the information about the competence achieved can motivate the student¿s further efforts and show whether the forms of learning should be adjusted.

Each course concludes with a summative assessment. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course, and what is assessed is whether the student has achieved the stipulated learning outcomes.

The assessments are carried out in accordance with the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet, and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners.

Assessment The grading system in use is pass/fail or a grade scale with letter grades from A to F, where A is the highest grade, E is the poorest pass grade and F is a fail. In connection with group exams, all students in the group are awarded the same grade.

Resit and rescheduled exams Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description. In special cases, resit and rescheduled exams in courses with group exams may be held as individual exams.

Appeals against grades Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. In connection with a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidate(s) who submitted the appeal. The other students will keep their original grade.

Assessment of written work

Written work, such as the required coursework and exam answer papers for ABIO6100 and OPERA6100, is assessed on the basis of the criteria of relevance, theoretical knowledge, in-depth study, ethical reflection, independence and how the work is presented.

Relevance:                                     

The work must have a frame of reference that is relevant to the discipline and show that the student has applied theoretical and practical knowledge of relevance to the issue at hand. It must be linked to the theatre nurse¿s functions and areas of responsibility.

Theoretical knowledge:           

The work must demonstrate knowledge in the independent and delegated functions of the theatre nurse (medicine). It must contain relevant documentation from the course literature and other relevant literature and research.

In-depth study:                            

The student must elaborate on and discuss different factors that have an effect on the issue at hand and discuss how the knowledge produced can be applied in a clinical setting. Experience from practical work and literature should be used as a basis for discussing the assignment. The work must answer the issue in question.

Ethical reflection:                        

Ethical factors relating to the issue must be discussed.

Independence:                             

The work must demonstrate independent assessment, and its content must be objective, critical and analytical with discussions of positions and claims.

How the work is presented:  

The assignment must be well-organised with good written presentation, clear and unambiguous language with use of specialised terminology, and adhere to the prescribed structure and form.

Students are only entitled to feedback if their work is completed within the deadline stipulated.

Assessment of practical training

Students are subject to formativeassessment (continuous assessment) on a continuous basis throughout all the practical training courses. The assessment is intended to provide advice and guidance by determining progress, helping to improve strengths and drawing attention to areas the student needs to continue to work on. It should take account of the student's preconditions for learning, framework conditions at the practical training establishment, the learning outcomes in the course, the student¿s specification of the learning outcomes and the content of the supervision.

Both the student and the practical training supervisor shall prepare written assessments for each practical training course:

• The student must submit at least two written self-assessments per practical training course.
• The practical training supervisor submits written assessments of the student from days or periods of supervision.

Students are expected to show progress through the three practical training courses. The student is expected to demonstrate clear progress, take responsibility and, to an increasing extent, demonstrate the ability to make independent analyses and assessments in theatre nursing practice. The requirement for an increasing degree of independence is expressed in the learning outcomes through the use of the expressions ¿under supervision¿, ¿with some supervision¿ and ¿independently¿. The progress in the student¿s learning is also manifested in the expectation that students should master an increasing number of areas in theatre nursing. On completion of the final practical training course, Clinical Studies in Theatre Nursing, Level 3, the student is expected to have achieved theatre nursing action competence.

The summative assessment (product assessment) takes place at the end of each practical training course. The assessments are based on the learning outcomes for the course, the student's specification of the learning outcomes and the formative assessment made of the student during the course. The purpose of these assessments is to:

• check that the student has achieved the learning outcomes for the course
• discuss the possibilities and limitations that the student has encountered at the practical training establishment
• clarify strengths and weaknesses and the changes that have to be made in order for the student to achieve the learning outcomes when a student has failed the course

The lecturer plans the assessments together with the practical training supervisor. The student writes his/her own assessment based on the programme¿s assessment form. This assessment, together with the assessments from the lecturer and the practical training supervisor, forms the basis for the decision on whether or not the student has passed the clinical course.

The reading list totals approx. 6,000 pages, of which approx. 1,000 pages are chosen by the student. The syllabus selected by the students should be related to the in-depth assignment and the written assignments that make up the required coursework (1,000 pages).

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences: 30 January 2013

Last amended by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences: 8. March 2021