SYKP2200B Public Health Course description

The course focuses on evidence-based public health work, with particular emphasis on health promotion and preventive efforts in community health services. Central themes include understanding how health challenges are distributed in the population. Therefore, you will learn how factors such as education, employment, living conditions, and the environment influence disease, health, and quality of life in the population at individual, group, and societal levels. The environment in which children and young people grow up is also part of the course.

In community health services, nurses have a significant responsibility to offer care and guidance to various population groups, including healthy individuals, vulnerable populations, and marginalised groups. One topic of discussion is how the development of service offerings and the use of technology in healthcare impact social, ethical, and political issues.

In this course, you will gain insight into scientific methods and undertake a group project related to practical internship (3 weeks), during which you will plan and execute a project under supervision. This project work provides the group with the opportunity to explore a chosen area of concern and employ suitable methods for data collection and analysis. The results will be presented orally as well as in written form as a project assignment.

In this course, you study together with students who are on exchange to OsloMet and much of the teaching is arranged with English-speaking groups.

To start this course, you must have passed:

• Passed the first year of study.

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

Knowledge

The student

• can describe the purpose, organisation, and coordination of health and social services and be aware of relevant laws and regulations
• can describe the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their significance for public health
• can explain how patients' health literacy affects lifestyle changes and shared decision-making
• can explain the relationship between work, social participation, and health
• can discuss factors influencing the environment in which children and young people grow up, and explain how activity and well-being affect health, well-being, and disease prevention for all population groups
• can describe key issues related to women's health
• can describe key issues related to sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases
• can explain how migration, displacement, and legal status can impact an individual's health
• can reflect on health promotion and prevention work at individual, group, and societal levels, emphasising how digital solutions can support preventive strategies and health-promoting measures
• can describe fundamental concepts, mechanisms, and tools behind digitalisation and explain how digitalisation shapes public and private life
• can describe the impact of digitalisation, technology availability, and the importance of digital competence on people's lives, public health, and social health disparities
• can describe social inequality in health and be aware of national and global consequences of inequality
• can explain how research can contribute to knowledge development to understand public health and societal needs, such as technological advancement
• have knowledge of how different issues guide relevant research methods

Skills

The student

• can reflect on ethical aspects related to public health efforts aimed at behavior change
• can identify various health promotion and preventive strategies and measures and evaluate them considering the Sustainable Development Goals
• can reflect on the Sami people's status as indigenous people related to the design of health and social services
• can provide examples of how digital solutions can affect social determinants related to health and lifestyle
• can apply professional knowledge and scientific methods to plan and execute a project in health promotion and preventive work
• can reflect on quality concepts in qualitative versus quantitative methods such as validity, reliability, validity, and reliability
• can reflect on ethical dilemmas related to the collection and use of health data in various contexts
• can identify ethical challenges in the use of health technology in the health service
• can master general first aid

General competence

The student

• can discuss factors influencing disease, health, and quality of life in groups or the population as a whole
• can discuss how technology and digital strategies can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
• can reflect on health risks in individuals dealing with demanding caregiving tasks, family substance abuse problems, individuals who have experienced neglect and/or violence in close relationships
• can discuss how digital technologies can build and influence interprofessional collaboration in healthcare
• can reflect on how different methodological choices can yield different types of knowledge
• knows measures to preserve life and health in the event of major accidents and in crisis and disaster situations

Lectures, teaching programs from the University Library, project-based practical training (five weeks) group work, first aid course, self-study, and participation with presentations at seminars.

To start this course you must have passed:

• Passed the first year of study.
• SYKK/SYKPPRA21 Nursing Patients with Acute, Critical and Chronic Diseases 1, 15 credits.

or equivalent.

Part 1 Project assignment in group.

• 4-6 student in group.
• Scope of 5,000 words (+/- 10 %).

The assignment can be given in English or Scandinavian language. The individual group must deliver in the same language.

Part 1 must be passed before part 2 oral presentation of the project assignment can be carried out.

Resit exam: A student who fails the ordinary exam, may nevertheless submit a reworked version as a resit.

Part 2 Presentation of project assignment

• In seminar.

The presentation can be given in English or Scandinavian language. The individual group must deliver in the same language.

Part 1 and part 2 must have obtained a pass grade on both parts in order to pass the course as a whole and earn the credits. Part 1 and part 2 appear on the diploma.

In situations where group cooperation does not work as it should, it may be necessary to adjust the group composition. This can be done, for example, by reorganising the groups or letting certain members work with other groups. If collaboration problems cannot be resolved, it may also be an alternative for the individual student to complete the exam alone.

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

Knowledge

The student

• can explain care pathways an in acute, critical and chronic diseases and treatments
• can, under supervision, contribute to nursing services that are of equal value for patients, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, and view of life, functional disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and age
• can explain the significance of nutrition in disease and challenges that can arise from malnutrition, undernutrition, and obesity
• can assess how adverse events can occur, and discuss this in relation to quality improvement, patient safety, and professional adequacy in performance of nursing
• can explain the significance of next-of-kin for the patients’ health and quality of life both when it comes to majority and minority cultures
• can explain key concepts in the nurse’s pedagogical responsibilities: guidance, counselling, health guidance and shared decision-making
• can explain information security in nursing practice
• can explain integrated care pathways in the health service and collaborate with other professionals

Skills

The student

• can carry out and explain person-centered nursing to patients with the most common symptoms, signs of change/deterioration at an early stage, and implementing necessary measures
• can implement national knowledge-based professional procedures and national guidelines
• can apply various pedagogical methods in health education adapted to the individual's needs
• can appropriately adjust communication with patients and next-of-kin from a cultural perspective and across language barriers with the help of an interpreter

General competence

The student

• can show responsibility, commitment, independence and follow professional ethical guidelines in meetings with patients, next-of-kin and colleagues
• can reflect on his/her own professional practice and progression
• has insight into quality indicators in nursing practice
• can safeguard the patient’s dignity and integrity and promoting the patient and next-of-kin’s right of co-determination and autonomy

Practical training consists of both practical training, activities along the way and supervised practical training that takes place during the practical training period. The practical training period (8 weeks) in the specialist health service (medicine/surgery) includes SF-unit, lections and seminars.

For practical training, there is a requirement for 80% attendance in theory, activities and practical training that is marked compulsory in the timetable, as well as 90% attendance during the practical training period itself. The student fills in the self-assessment for the start of the practical training, the rotating schedule during the first week of practical training and the self-assessment form no later than two working days before the agreed mid- and final assessment.

• 5 ECTS overlap with xx1050 Public Health and Health Management, 5 ECTS.
• 5 ECTS overlap with SYKK/SYKPPRA40 Promotion of Health and Prevention of Illness, 5

ECTS.

• 10 ECTS overlap with SYKK/PPRA45 Public Health, 10 ECTS.
• 20 ECTS overlap with med SYK2900 Public Health in a Global Perspective, 20 ECTS.
• SYKK2200x, SYKP2200x and SYKD2200 are fully overlapping.