Supplementary education for nurses educated outside the EU/EEC Programme description

In 2017, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, on assignment from the Ministry of Education and Research, developed a complementary education programme for persons with a refugee background who have an education in nursing from a country outside the EU/EEA.

Nurses without refugee backgrounds can also be accepted to the programme if there are vacant places. The students must have a decision from the Directorate of Health stating that they must complete the programme in order for their education to be deemed equal to Norwegian nursing education. The University is awaiting the final adjustments from the Directorate of Health whether a requirement for a trade examination can be implemented as part of the programme.

The complementary education is intended to compensate for these shortcomings so that those who have taken a nursing education can be granted authorisation and thereby use their expertise and find work faster.

This programme description is based on the National Curriculum for Nursing Education (2008) and is intended as a framework that other universities and university colleges can use in order to offer complementary nursing education.

When developing the programme description, we reviewed what was available of education documents from relevant countries outside the EU/EEA. We have seen that the subjects included in the national curriculum's main topic 1 - the nurse's technical and scientific basis, and main topic 4 - the nurse's social sciences basis, stand out as being inadequate in relation to Norwegian nursing education. We also see that practices in care services for the elderly, home nursing and mental health are inadequate as regards both scope and content.

The programme description consists of courses that we deem necessary for persons who have taken their education outside the EU/EEA in order to bring their education on a par with the Norwegian education. Organisation, learning outcomes, work and teaching methods, coursework requirements, assessments and literature in the courses can be adapted to suit courses that are already run at the universities/university colleges in Norway.

All teaching, coursework and assessments will be in Norwegian.

Målgruppen for studiet er primært for personer med fluktbakgrunn med oppholdstillatelse og som har sykepleierutdanning fra land utenfor EU og EØS. Studiet vil også kunne være aktuelt for sykepleiere uten fluktbakgrunn, med utdanning fra land utenfor EU/EØS, dersom det er ledige studieplasser. Målgruppen må ha fått avslag på sin søknad om norsk autorisasjon i sitt vedtak fra Helsedirektoratet og fått beskjed om å gjennomføre kompletterende utdanning for sykepleierutdanning, som en del av et kvalifiseringstiltak for å kunne få norsk autorisasjon.

Admission requirements:

• Administrative decision from the Directorate of Health dated after 1 June 2015 stating that complementary education must be taken in order to achieve a corresponding nursing education as a measure towards being granted authorisation as a nurse in Norway.
• Meet Norwegian language requirements (B2) as stipulated in the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education

http://www.samordnaopptak.no/info/utenlandsk_utdanning/sprakkrav/krav-til-norsk-og-engelsk-for_hoyere_utdannning/index.html

In the event of competition for places on the programme, applicants with documented refugee backgrounds from outside the EU/EEA area will be given priority. Applicants are then ranked in accordance with the provisions set out in the Regulations relating to Admission to Studies at the university.

Applicants who are admitted to the programme must submit a transcript of police records, cf. the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education Chapter 6.

The use of clothing that covers the face is incompatible with taking the programme. During the programme's periods of clinical training, the students must comply with the clothing regulations in force at all times at the establishment where their practical training is taking place.

Students taking the programme have taken nursing education at a higher level in a country outside the EU/EEA. The Directorate of Health considers what learning outcomes applicants need to complete in order to reach the Norwegian nursing education standard. This assessment forms the basis of admission qualification.

After completing and passing the complementary education for nurses who have completed an education outside the EU/EEA, the candidate is expected to have achieved the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge:

The student has knowledge of

• the importance of science and history to general nursing knowledge
• discipline criticism and research ethics
• various methods of collecting and processing data
• ethical theory and different views on values, perspectives on humanity and philosophies of life
• professional ethical values and principles
• communication between professionals and users
• intercultural communication
• the health and social welfare sector and decision-making processes at the municipal, regional and national levels, health and socio-political priorities and the relationship between public and private healthcare
• laws, regulations and agreements that regulate matters that fall under the health and social welfare sector, case processing and funding of services
• cultural diversity in the Norwegian health services
• drug administration
• disorders and illnesses relating to different groups of patients in different contexts

Skills:

The student is capable of

• using knowledge of ethical dilemmas to practise ethical reflection
• applying interdisciplinary cooperation and communication in groups and organisations, including patients, next of kin and employees from other cultures
• reading research reports and making use of research results in professional practice
• observing, assessing, planning, conducting, evaluating and documenting the provision of care to patients and next of kin
• responsible drug administration
• informing, teaching and providing guidance to patients and next of kin about problems that arise in connection with illness, suffering and death
• teaching and providing guidance to colleagues and students
• reflecting on how legislation is applied in the health services

The programme is taken as a full-time course of study over one year. The first theory course ‘The Profession of Nursing and Social Science’ must be taken first. The order of the other courses can be changed according to which clinical training places are available.

The students are placed together in a separate class, but will be taught and take some of the courses together with the other students where appropriate. This applies in particular to the courses SKOMPPRA4 Clinical Studies, Mental Health and Substance-Related Disorders and SKOMP3900 Bachelor’s Thesis, which overlap 100% with courses taken on the full nursing education programme.

The students will also receive follow-up and supervision throughout the year in connection with the courses.

OsloMet emphasises a good and developing learning environment that the students can thrive in. The work and teaching methods have been developed on the basis of a socio-cultural view of learning, where the overriding principle is to make use of your own thoughts, knowledge and experience. The student’s own efforts, individually or together with others, are decisive for good learning outcomes. Students are expected to prepare ahead of organised teaching activities. Varied work methods are used both in theoretical subjects and in clinical training and these can be carried out physically on campuses or on digital platforms.

The programme also prepares students for the labour market’s requirement of lifelong learning. Students are therefore expected to take ownership of their own learning process throughout the period of study, during which they will both learn how to ‘become a nurse’ and ‘learn how to learn’. Students are also expected to contribute to creating a good learning environment for their fellow students through active participation in the different teaching activities.

Self-study and student cooperation

The attainment of the learning outcomes requires a high degree of self-study. Self-study entails both individual work and cooperation with fellow students, as well as an awareness of how you best learn. It is recommended that students take the initiative to form study groups.

Group work

Group work means working with other students. In the groups, students will discuss each other’s contributions and share knowledge and perspectives. They will gain experience of cooperation and of assessing, developing and disseminating relevant literature. The students will give and receive feedback from others.

Digital learning resources

Digital learning resources include publications on the website bokskapet@oslomet.no, or video clips, podcasts, games, academic texts, articles and interactive assignments used as part of the learning methods. Digital co-writing tools are used in some courses for the purpose of sharing knowledge and producing texts together. Digital self-corrected tests (quizzes) provide an opportunity for the students to practise and test their knowledge of the course content. Students receive an immediate response, which can serve as a basis for their continued learning.

Skills training and simulation

The goal of the simulation and proficiency unit (SF unit) is to enable students in the nursing profession to learn and practise different skills and procedures to be prepared to meet the field of practice, both as a student and as a qualified nurse, and to prepare for the trade exam.

Lectures

Lectures are used either to gain an overview of the course’s content or to delve into a specific topic. Lectures are used particularly when introducing new subject matters.

Flipped classroom

Through the flipped classroom, students work on digital learning resources before they attend joint lectures. During teaching sessions, students work on problem-solving activities, often in the form of group work or seminars.

Seminar/workshop

Here, students practise using professional terminology, expressing their own opinions and reflecting on their own attitudes and actions, in addition to presenting and discussing subject matter and assessing other students' academic presentations.

Posters

Posters are a visual presentation where different types of projects are presented in a short and systematic manner.

Interprofessional cooperative learning (TPS)

Interprofessional cooperative learning comprises all ways of working where students participate in clinical training arenas that entail cooperation with professionals from other fields.

Students are expected to prepare ahead of each clinical training period. In preparation for each period, teaching sessions will be held at the university or digitally. The preparatory theory for this group of students in particular will emphasise:

• Communication in clinical training with patients, next of kin and colleagues
• Training and supervision in the university’s simulation and skills unit
• How the learning outcomes for the clinical training can be specified

SupervisionClinical training is supervised. This means that a supervisor from the university follows up the students both individually and in groups throughout their clinical training, in cooperation with a supervisor from the professional field.

Specification of learning outcomesIn the course of the first few weeks of each clinical training period, the students must specify the learning outcomes for the clinical training period/course in relation to their own preconditions for learning and the framework at the clinical training establishment in question. This must be approved by the clinical training supervisor and supervisor at the university. These learning outcome descriptions must be concrete, relevant, realistic and measurable.

Written assignments and logsDuring the course of the clinical training period, the students must write two assignments, as well as keep logs or use equivalent methods of reflecting on their clinical training. The assignments and logs are submitted in the electronic learning platform to the supervisor at the university and form the basis for supervision sessions. The students will receive written or oral feedback. The assignments and logs are an integrated part of clinical training and form part of the assessment of the student’s knowledge/general competence.

ShiftsAttendance at clinical training totals an average of 30 hours a week. Shifts are to be planned for these periods. Study days must be evenly distributed over the course of the clinical training period. Depending on the clinical training establishment and period, the student should do shifts during the day, evening, night and weekend during the period, and he/she should primarily follow the clinical training supervisor’s shift arrangements where possible. The shift plan functions as a contract and cannot be changed without the approval of the supervisor at the university and the clinical training supervisor.

Compulsory attendance and absence from clinical training

Students’ clinical training can only be assessed if their attendance is sufficiently high. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that their absence from clinical courses does not exceed the permitted amount. The rules are as follows:

• Less than 10% absence: The student can complete the clinical course as normal.
• 10–20%: If possible, the student can make up for the clinical training missed. This must be agreed with the clinical training supervisor and the supervisor at the university.
• More than 20% absence: The student must re-take the whole clinical training course.

Illness during clinical training periodsIf students fall ill and their absence from a clinical course exceeds 20%, a medical certificate is required for all days of absence in excess of 10%. The absence will then be deemed to be valid, and the student will have to re-take the clinical course in its entirety. This will lead to delayed progress in the programme.

Coursework requirements are all types of work/activities/compulsory attendance that are conditions for being permitted to take the exam. The course descriptions specify which coursework requirements apply to each course. The deadline for submitting coursework is set by the person responsible for the course or lecturer.

The purpose of the coursework requirements is to:

• promote progress and academic development in the programme
• encourage students to seek out and acquire new knowledge
• facilitate cooperation and communication on nursing issues

Coursework requirements and compulsory activities in clinical training

All clinical training have different mandatory activities and tasks in the implementation. See chapter on Clinical training. In some clinical courses, there may also be requirements for work requirements and activities that must be approved before a final assessment of the subject can be made.

Assessment of coursework requirements

The required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved by the person responsible for the course/lecturer. Fellow students can also participate in providing feedback on some of the coursework.

Validity of required coursework

If more than one academic year passes between when a student¿s required coursework is approved and the exam in the course in question, the faculty can require the student to retake the coursework before being permitted to take the exam.

Not approved coursework

Normally, students are given three attempts to have coursework approved. If a piece of required coursework is not approved, this may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

As far as possible, the second attempt will be given before the ordinary exam, unless otherwise stated in the course description. The student must agree with the person responsible for the course/lecturer in each individual case.

If a second attempt is impossible due to the nature of the coursework requirements (e.g. attendance requirements or taking a first aid course that is only held once), the person responsible for the course/lecturer will consider whether alternative coursework can be set.

Such alternative work has in the past been set in the form of a written assignment, a video recording or similar to demonstrate that the student possesses the knowledge specified in the coursework requirement.

A third and final attempt is normally given before resit and rescheduled exams.

Valid absence documented by e.g. a medical certificate does not exempt students from meeting the coursework requirements.

Different forms of assessment are used in the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the different 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. The students will receive advice and supervision and have their performance assessed during the programme. 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 clinical 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 – Oslo Metropolitan University, and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Passing the trade exam is one of the conditions for being granted authorisation as a general nurse. On 5 June 2019, the Directorate of Health decided that students who complete the programme at OsloMet meet this additional requirement by taking SKOMP3000.

Exam papers and coursework must be written in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language.

AssessmentThe grades used are 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.

Transcript of gradesAll grades will be included in the transcript of grades. An overall grade will not be awarded.The practical examination in nursing must be completed in order to pass the programme and be awarded 60 credits.

Resit and rescheduled examsResit 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 gradesGrades awarded for written exams can be appealed. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. In connection with group exams, 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.

Suitability assessment

The suitability assessment is a continuous overall assessment that takes place throughout the study programme. If a student shows signs of posing a potential threat to patients’ and/or colleagues’ physical and mental health, rights and safety, questions must be raised about whether the person is fit to practise the profession. Staff from the university, the professional field and fellow students may all submit a notification of doubt. Students must be informed as soon as possible that the notification has been submitted. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve or be advised to leave the programme.

The aim is to assess whether the students have the professional and personal qualifications required to work as a nurse. More detailed provisions about the assessment of suitability can be found in the Regulations relating to Suitability Assessment in Higher Education (2006).

https://student.oslomet.no/skikkethetsvurdering

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences

15 January 2017

Last amended by the Vice-Dean on 23. January 2019