VERPRA10 Practical Studies in Health Promotion and Health Care Course description

In this course, students are expected to integrate knowledge from previous theoretical courses and apply their knowledge in practice. The students will carry out basic care tasks, administer prescribed medication in cooperation with the practical training supervisor, and acquire a holistic understanding of different care needs. The students are expected to familiarise themselves with the framework for service provision, focusing on user participation and interdisciplinary cooperation.

The course VERPRA10 includes nine weeks of user-oriented supervised practical training in authentic work situations. Two weeks of seminars - one before and one after the period of practical training - come in addition to this. The week before the practical training period is spent preparing. Preparations focus on the role of students in practical training, supervision and synthesising knowledge from different courses taken so far in the programme. The week after the practical training period is spent reflecting on experience gained from the training.

Approved required coursework in the first-year course VERB 1500, and all other first-year courses must be passed

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can describe the practice placement’s professional basis and how the it describes the purpose of its activities
• can describe the practice placement's quality, notification and non-conformity systems
• can describe case processing procedures used at the practice placement
• can explain the practice placement’s reporting and patient record system
• can explain the content and structure of different types of reports used at the practice placement
• can explain symptoms of illness
• can explain how the most common diseases are treated, as well as rehabilitation measures
• can explain the importance of illness to good health
• can explain how environmental factors can influence behaviour
• can reflect on end-of-life care

Skills

The student

• can apply the social educator work model and other relevant tools and methods in planning and carrying out health care in case of illness and failing health
• can administer prescribed medication under the supervision of authorised health personnel
• can use the Norwegian Pharmaceutical Product Compendium (Felleskatalogen) and The Norwegian Medicines Manual for Health Personnel (Legemiddelhåndboka) when administering medicines, with a particular focus on effects, side effects and drug interactions
• can carry out practical procedures independently within his/her field of competence in accordance with VAR-Healthcare
• can carry out basic infection control measures in his/her practice
• can document health care in accordance with applicable guidelines and legislation
• can use health and welfare technology at the practice placement
• can apply basic communication skills such as active listening, asking questions and providing constructive feedback
• can apply up-to-date knowledge and relevant results from research and development work in his/her practice
• can carry out specified literature searches in Norwegian and English in relevant databases
• can communicate the role of the social educator as authorised health professionals to the practice placement

General competence

The student

• can plan and carry out basic care procedures and day-to-day care in a compassionate and professionally sound manner
• can carry out medicine administration in a professionally sound manner
• can identify the resources and needs of service recipients and address them through holistic care work
• can explain laws and regulations that regulate the provision of services to service recipients
• can obtain informed consent and observe the duty of confidentiality
• can exercise caution, respect and good interaction and communication skills in accordance with the suitability assessment
• can apply suitable relational skills that help to promote multidisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation
• can reflect on his/her own professional practice and adjust it under supervision

The teaching and learning methods include external supervised practical training, lectures, group work, group and individual supervision, and self-study. The supervised practical training requires active participation in work at the practice placement.

The following applies to all practical training courses in the proramme:

The programme comprises a total of 30 weeks supervised practical training divided between three practical training courses. All the practical training shall be supervised and user-oriented in authentic work situations. The practical training is compulsory. Compulsory attendance makes up an average of 30 hours a week. Students must expect to engage in independent activity in addition to the time they spend at the practice placement. The ordinary workload for practical training courses is about 40 hours per week. The student and the practical training supervisor must agree on the days and times when the student will take the practical training. This agreement helps to ensure that the student achieves the best possible learning outcome. The university facilitates practical training at different public and private enterprises at different levels of the public administration.

The supervised practical training is intended to help students to develop their assessment, action and decision-making competence by integrating theoretical and practical knowledge. Practical training will also provide experience in multidisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation. A practical training supervisor is appointed. The practical training supervisor helps to support the student's learning process so that he/she achieves the learning outcomes for the practical training courses.

Skills training in the programme will not be divided by gender. Nor can gender separation be expected during practical training.

Each practical training course has its own learning outcomes, described in the individual course descriptions. The supervised practical training gives students experience of:

• interprofessional and inter-agency cooperation,
• habilitation and rehabilitation,
• health promotion, care and health care,
• adaptation, inclusion and participation for persons with impaired cognitive functioning and complex assistance needs, and
• innovation, documentation and quality assurance.

The supervised practical training is assessed with the grade pass or fail by the practical training supervisor in cooperation with the university lecturer. The student and practical training supervisor hold midway and final assessments in the course. The lecturer participates in the assessment as needed.

In connection with the first two practical training courses, there is one week of preparations beforehand and one week of follow-up work after the practical training period has been completed. Attending these weeks is compulsory, and they are included in the number of credits each practical training course is worth.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can receive a final assessment:

• participation in work at the practice placement, minimum attendance of 90%
• participation in teaching activities, skills training, group and individual supervision before and during the period of practical training, minimum attendance of 80%
• submission of completed and signed practical training documents
• assessment in relation to the suitability criteria cf. the Regulations concerning Suitability Assessment in Higher Education
• a reflection assignment of up to 1,000 words linked to the practical training. The students receive feedback on the note.

Assessment of supervised practical training:

The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course and the continuous assessment made of the student's achievement of the learning outcomes for the practical training course. Students can only be assessed if they meet the minimum attendance requirement of 90% for the practical training.

Resits/rescheduled assessment:

Students who fail a period of practical training normally have to retake the whole practical training course.

The following applies to all practical training courses in the proramme:

The supervised practical training is assessed as passed or failed. Three elements must be passed in order for students to pass a period of practical training:

• Compulsory attendance
• Learning outcomes
• Suitability

To pass the supervised practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. A minimum attendance requirement of 90% applies to practical training courses. If the maximum limit for absence is exceeded, the student can make up for the practical training/teaching activities missed if practically possible. If it is not possible to compensate for the absence, the whole period of supervised practical training must be retaken. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

Pass/fail

The lecturer based on the recommendation of the practical training supervisor