Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy Programme description

Etter å ha gjennomført dette emnet har studenten følgende læringsutbytte, definert i kunnskap, ferdigheter og generell kompetanse:

Kunnskap

Studenten

• kan gjøre rede for pasientforløp ved akutt, kritisk og kronisk sykdom og behandling
• kan, under veiledning, bidra til likeverdige sykepleietjenester og likestilling for pasienter, uavhengig av kjønn, etnisitet, religion og livssyn, funksjonsnedsettelse, seksuell orientering, kjønnsidentitet, kjønnsuttrykk og alder
• kan forklare betydningen ernæring har ved sykdom og utfordringer som kan oppstå ved feilernæring, underernæring og fedme
• kan vurdere hvordan uønskede hendelser kan oppstå, og diskutere dette opp mot kvalitetsforbedring, pasientsikkerhet og faglig forsvarlighet i sykepleiepraksis
• kan gjøre rede for pårørendes betydning for pasienters helse og livskvalitet både når det gjelder majoritets- og minoritetskulturer
• kan forklare sentrale begreper innen sykepleiers pedagogiske ansvar; veiledning, rådgivning, helseveiledning og samvalg
• kan gjøre rede for informasjonssikkerhet i sykepleiepraksis
• kan gjøre rede for pakkeforløp i helsetjenesten og samarbeide med aktuelle profesjoner

Ferdigheter

Studenten

• kan utføre og begrunne personsentrert sykepleie til pasienter med de vanligste symptomer, tilstander og tidlig identifisere tegn til endringer/forverringer
• kan anvende nasjonale kunnskapsbaserte fagprosedyrer og nasjonale retningslinjer
• kan anvende ulike pedagogiske metoder innen helseveiledning tilpasset den enkeltes behov
• kan tilpasse kommunikasjon med pasienter og pårørende utfra et kulturelt perspektiv og på tvers av språkbarrierer ved hjelp av tolk

Generell kompetanse

Studenten

• kan vise ansvarlighet, engasjement, selvstendighet og følge yrkesetiske retningslinjer i møte med pasienter, pårørende og medarbeidere
• kan reflektere over egen faglig utøvelse og progresjon
• har innsikt i kvalitetsindikatorer i sykepleiepraksis
• kan ivareta pasientens verdighet og integritet, og fremme pasientens og pårørendes medbestemmelse og autonomi

Praksisstudier: i spesialisthelsetjenesten (medisin/kirurgi) (8 uker), her inngår simulering- og ferdighetstrening og seminar.

Praksisstudier krever tilstedeværelse 90 %. Studenten fyller ut egenpresentasjonsskjema til praksisstart og egenvurderingsskjema til midt- og sluttvurdering. Andre obligatoriske aktiviteter som inngår i vurderingen av praksis er:

• Simulering- og ferdighetstrening.
• Digitalt seminar (ernæring)

After completing the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Occupational Therapy, the candidate is expected to have achieved the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• has broad knowledge of occupational science and key occupational theories and models
• has broad knowledge of how activity analysis and meaningful occupation are used in a targeted and methodical manner to promote coping and independence in everyday life
• has broad knowledge of how people's occupation, participation and health influence each other and form part of their interaction with the surroundings throughout their lives
• has broad knowledge of the occupational therapist’s approach at individual, group and social level in health-promoting and preventive work, habilitation and rehabilitation, treatment and palliative care
• has broad knowledge of the preconditions for occupational performance, including assessment of physical, psychological, cognitive and social functions
• has knowledge of research and development work and can update their knowledge in the field of occupational therapy
• has knowledge of occupational therapy’s history, development, distinctive nature and place in society, nationally and internationally
• has knowledge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and conventions that Norway has ratified

Skills

The candidate is capable of

• mastering activity analysis and occupational therapy work processes through mapping, intervention and evaluation
• analysing and facilitating psychosocial, structural, technological, digital, cultural and attitude-related conditions for promoting inclusion and participation
• adapting everyday activities in order to develop, recover or maintain skills, activity habits and roles
• contributing to universal design and facilitating and adapting the surroundings to promote independence, health and quality of life
• making professional assessments, presenting issues, explaining choices and adjusting actions in line with evidence-based practice and using sources in a correct manner
• taking occupations that are meaningful to the individual as a point of departure for habilitation, rehabilitation, treatment and palliative care

General competence

The candidate is capable of

• using up-to-date knowledge of the national health and welfare system, laws, regulations and guides in the performance of his/her duties
• discussing professional, ethical, legal and socio-political issues
• supervising and teaching clients, students and colleagues individually and in groups
• identifying and acting in accordance with cultural factors that are relevant for good professional practice of occupational therapy in a diverse and globalised society
• following occupational therapy guidelines to promote people's right to occupation and participation
• contributing to service innovation and systematic and quality-improving work processes
• managing and coordinating services, initiating and contributing to interdisciplinary cooperation

The programme is divided into 14 compulsory courses and incorporates both practical and theoretical teaching at the university and external practical training. Each year of the programme has a scope of 60 credits.

The first year of study is divided into seven courses. Three of these courses are common for the students at the Faculty of Health Sciences, and provide an introduction to living and working in a digitalised world, knowledge about the health services, legislation and public health, and evidence-based practice. The four subject-specific courses comprise basic knowledge of human occupation and participation throughout life.

The second year of study comprises four courses focusing on occupational mapping, assessment and intervention in rehabilitation, habilitaton and treatment. Focus will be on how occupational therapists can contribute to bridging the gap between the individual's preconditions and the requirements of the surrounding environment, among other things through occupational rehabilitation, compensation for loss of function, grading and adaptation of activities and the environment.

The third year of study comprises three courses about health-promoting and preventive work locally and globally, project development, innovation and management and explorative and critical reflection of professional practice. The work on the bachelor thesis must be connected to a research or development project at OsloMet or at a partner institution.

The courses build on each other with gradual progress both in terms of theoretical and practical knowledge. All the courses conclude with a final assessment. The figure shows how the courses are organised in the programme. Reference is made to the course descriptions for more detailed information about of the content of the individual courses in the programme.

The academic year is 40 weeks long, and the expected normal workload is 40 hours per week. This includes scheduled activities, students’ own activity, coursework requirements and exams.

Courses and teaching activities taught jointly with other programmes at OsloMet

The Bachelor’s Programme in Occupational Therapy includes the following courses and teaching activities that also form part of other programmes at the university:has the following common courses and common teaching activities:

• ERGOB1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care, 5 credits
• ERGOB1050 Public Health and Health Management, 5 credits
• ERGOB1070 Technology and Society, 5 credits
• INTERACT (Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youth)

In the courses ERGOB1050 Public Health and Health Management (5 credits) and ERGOB1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care (5 credits), different academic environments at the Faculty of Health Sciences join forces to provide the students with a common competence platform in line with national guidelines. In ERGOB1050, focus is on the health services’ organisation, health legislation and administration, and preventive and health promoting work. In ERGOB1060, students learn about the rationale for evidence-based practice, with focus on critical thinking and shared decision-making. For more details, see the individual course descriptions.

The course ERGOB1070 Technology and Society, 5 credits, is a preparatory course that is part of most degree studies at OsloMet. The course provides a fundamental understanding of the digital world and how technology affects people’s lives and the way in which they work, and will help the students to enter working life with a fundamental understanding of technology. The Department of Computer Science at OsloMet has the responsibility for the practical aspects of the course. For a more detailed description, see the course description.

INTERACT (Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youths) is an interdisciplinary teaching activity at OsloMet, where students from both the health and social care subjects and the teacher/kindergarten teacher education programmes meet in interdisciplinary groups. The aim is to ensure that the students acquire the skills needed to meet society’s demands for a better coordination of services that affect children and young people. The teaching activity builds on pedagogical principles of interactivity and spiral learning, with extensive use of digital learning and assessment tools to improve the learning outcomes.

The teaching (INTER1100, INTER1200 and INTER1300) is carried out in the first teaching week each spring semester for students in the first, second and third study year, respectively, and is integrated as a compulsory coursework requirement in the existing courses in the programme description. In the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Occupational Therapy, INTERACT is included in the following courses: ERGOB1200, ERGOBPRA2 and ERGOB3000. See https://www.oslomet.no/forskning/forskningsprosjekter/interactfor a more detailed description of INTERACT.

Study progress

The following progress requirements apply to the programme:

• The first year of study must be passed before the student can start the second year*
• The second year of study must be passed before the student can start the third year

*Exception from the progress requirement:The courses ERGOB1060 and ERGOB1070 are exempt from the progress requirement.

Bestått-Ikke bestått.

Kontaktlærer godkjenner etter innstilling fra praksisveileder. Endelig vedtak om bestått/ikke bestått fattes av universitetet.

Increasing globalisation of the labour market and rapid social changes make international professional experience and knowledge of languages and cultures more and more important. Internationalisation contributes to raising the quality of education and strengthens the academic community in the programme, at the same time as it prepares the students to become global citizens. We understand responsible global citizenship to mean attitudes and values, a way of thinking about ourselves and others, an awareness of how our actions affect others, respect and concern for the well-being of others and a commitment to certain types of actions to meet global challenges (cf. the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Leask, B., 2015).

A focus on multicultural and global issues in the programme prepares the student to work professionally in a multicultural society. International academic literature provides the students with specialised terminology in English and relevant knowledge of international relevant professional trends.

Internationalisation takes place both through activities on campus in Norway and through exchanges to institutions abroad.

Students can normally take up to six months of their programme abroad. Students can go on exchanges in the 4th, 5th and 6th semester in connection with the courses ERGOBPRA2, ERGOB3900, ERGOBPRA3 and ERGOB3000. Similarly, foreign students can arrive in the spring semester and take the courses ERGOB1050, ERGOB1060, ERGOBPRA1 and parts of ERGOB3000 together with first and third year occupational therapy students, in addition to the course Technology and Society, which can be taken together with other students at OsloMet.

Reference is made to the criteria that apply to student exchanges and the information about stays abroad.

The courses ERGOB1060 Evidence-Based Practice in Health Care and ERGOB1070 Technology and Society are taught entirely in English. Other courses can also be taught entirely in English to international students if required. The students can decide whether they wish to write their bachelor’s thesis in English or Norwegian. Students who go on exchanges must write their thesis in English if the exchange stay is in a country outside Scandinavia.

Students who undertake different activities with an international and multicultural angle may qualify for the 'Certificate of International Learning' (CIL). Read more about CIL on OsloMet's website.

Required coursework is all types of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for being permitted to take the assessment/exam and/or complete practical training. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the relevant course description.

The purpose of coursework requirements is to contribute to the students' progress and academic development, and to stimulate the development of the therapy role.

The programme has coursework requirements in the form of compulsory attendance and different types of written assignments. Completion of certain activities can also be a requirement, see the course descriptions for more information.

Compulsory attendance

The programme emphases on a good social learning environment with student-active learning forms. To develop knowledge, skills, suitability and therapeutic competence, the students are required to attend teaching activities. The minimum attendance requirement for scheduled teaching activities is therefore 80%. Some seminars and lectures are not compulsory; these will be marked in the time schedule.

If a student exceeds the limit for absence, the lecturer must assess whether and how the student can compensate for the absence. Whether or not it is possible to compensate for absence depends on the extent of the student’s absence and which activities he/she has missed. If the absence cannot be compensated, the student’s progress in the programme will be delayed.

The practical training courses require at least 90% attendance. For more information about the requirements that apply to the practical training, see ‘Assessment of external practical training’ below.

Written assignments

Several courses have written assignments as coursework requirements. Written work that is not approved must be reworked 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 a piece of required coursework is not approved, this may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

More detailed requirements for written work, deadlines etc. are set out in the teaching plan for the course in question.

Different forms of assessment are used on the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the various courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. During the programme, the students will be given advice and guidance and their performance will be assessed. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that the students receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme's requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

The assessment of exams and practical training is carried out in accordance with the applicable rules set out in 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 at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment are described in each course description. All exams taken and the title of the bachelor’s thesis will be stated on the diploma.

Exams

Each course, except the three practical training courses, is concluded in the form of an exam. 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 grades used are pass/fail or letter grades from A to F, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

Most courses have coursework requirements that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description.

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are assessed by an external examiner, the external examiner's assessment shall benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the rest of the papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 5-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. For a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who submitted the appeal. This means that all members of the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

Assessment of practical training

Practical training is assessed as pass/fail. Assessment of practical training takes its point of departure in the learning outcomes in the course, the cooperation agreement and the formative assessment. The formative assessment, i.e. the assessment of the students’ knowledge, skills, general competence and suitability carried out during the period practical training, is summarised halfway through the period and at the end of it.

To pass the practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. The practical training courses require at least 90% attendance. The attendance requirement includes both the time spent at the practical training establishment and the teaching provided as part of the programme. The following also applies for absence:

• less than 10% absence: The student can complete the practical training course as normal.
• between 10–20% absence: The student can make up for the practical training/teaching missed, if this is doable. This must be agreed with the practical training supervisor and the contact lecturer at the university.
• more than 20% absence: The student must normally retake the practical training course. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

If the student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the practical course will be registered as failed and count as an attempt.

Suitability

Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the physical or mental health, rights and safety of his/her patients and colleagues is not suited for the profession.

Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the students' professional and personal suitability for work as health personnel. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the occupational therapy profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme. Special suitability assessments are used in special cases, cf. the Regulations concerning Suitability Assessment in Higher Education.

Programme Description:

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 21 October 2019.

Most recent amendments adopted by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences on 31 January 2023

Applies to students starting the programme in 2023.