MAHEL4100 Public Health Work on Population, Group and Individual Level Course description

Language of instruction: Norwegian

This course focuses on the public health nurse’s health promotion and preventive work with children, adolescents and their families/caregivers at the population, group and individual level. This takes place in the municipal health service, at children’s health clinics (0-5 years), in the school health service and youth health centres (6-20 years), as well as in environmental health care, infection control and in the refugee health service. This course is based on key theories and methods in public health science. The academic field's history and current place in society are key aspects. The course is based on health policy guidelines, framework conditions and legislation that are crucial to the public health nurse’s professional practice. Knowledge-based practice (research, empirical data, and user perspectives in equal proportions) are key aspects of the course.

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

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 analyse and critically assess key theoretical perspectives in health promotion and preventive work at the population, group and individual level
• can critically reflect on how variation in health literacy affects user groups’ coping skills, and how they understand, assess and use health information
• can explain the public health nurse's role in society
• can describe administrative levels and decision-making processes in society that are of relevance to professional practice and cross-sector public health work
• can critically assess the significance of different cultures for health promotion and preventive work
• can describe the rights of ethnic groups and indigenous peoples
• can discuss ethics in relation to inclusion and equality

Skills

The student

• can use a knowledge-based approach in systematic public health work
• can perform health promotion and preventive work with children, adolescents and their families, including in the refugee health service
• can plan, manage and develop the municipal public health nursing services in accordance with laws, regulations, framework conditions and local conditions
• can identify the need for, assess, initiate and carry out infection control work, including the Childhood Immunisation Programme

General competence

• can contribute to understanding and respect for people’s situations and conditions that affect their life choices, development and health
• can assess, communicate knowledge and demonstrate skills relating to the special needs of indigenous people, migrants and minorities, and take a culturally sensitive approach in their work
• can reflect on ethical dilemmas in the field of practice based on various ethical principles and theories
• can implement measures that help to reduce social health inequalities
• can analyse and critically assess key theoretical perspectives in epidemiology

The course will use varied, student-active work methods. Work and teaching methods used in the course include lectures, oral and written assignments with presentations (individually and in groups), seminars, skills training and self-study.

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

• minimum attendance of 80 % in skills training, seminars and scheduled group work
• a written assignment of up to 1,500 words in groups of up to five students, with an oral presentation of the assignment
• completed and passed digital multiple-choice test, with the possibility of three attempts in the course of a week

An individual five-hour home exam.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

Two internal examiners will assess all exam papers. An external supervision sensor assesses the exam assignment and the sensor instructions.

This course offers an introduction to the practice of writing and reading academic literature. Communicating properly, both in written and oral form, is a cornerstone of research. This course therefore also contains an element of rhetoric and writing techniques. The course will cover common concepts from research methods, such as qualitative and quantitative methods. A brief introduction of the philosophy of science helps us put the vast variations of research in context. Finally, the course introduces research and professional ethics.