Digital transformation and leadership Programme description

The Advanced Programme in Intensive Care Nursing is based on the national curriculum for further education in intensive care nursing and the regulations relating to the national curriculum for further education in intensive care nursing adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 1 December 2005 and meets the requirements stipulated in these documents. The programme has a scope of 90 credits, and is taken as a full-time course of study over one and a half years. After completing the programme, the students will have action competence in the field of intensive care nursing; see the requirements set out in the national curriculum for further education in intensive care nursing with pertaining regulations.

Intensive care nursingIntensive care nursing is special expertise in nursing acutely and/or critically ill patients with overt or potential failure of vital functions. Intensive care nursing involves taking active part in the process of restoring patients¿ health or enabling them to die with dignity. Among other things, intensive care nursing entails implementing life-saving treatment in acute situations and providing compensatory care in cases of serious failure of patients¿ organs or organ systems. The objective of intensive care nursing is to establish a therapeutic relationship with intensive care patients and their next of kin and to strengthen patients¿ physical, mental, social and spiritual capacity through preventive, therapeutic, pain-relieving, stress-relieving and rehabilitative activities.

Intensive care nursing consists of providing healthcare for acutely and/or critically ill patients of all ages. They are:

• patients in or at risk of an acute physiological crisis due to illness or injury
• patients who need to have their circulatory and respiratory balance restored and need relief of pain and other discomfort following surgery and anaesthesia
• patients with chronic diseases who suffer an additional illness or an acute exacerbation of their underlying condition

The target group for intensive care nursing includes patients¿ next of kin.

Relevance to working life

The Advanced Programme in Intensive Care Nursing is intended to help to cover society¿s increasing need for specialist nursing skills, primarily in the specialist health service, but also in the municipal health service.

Intensive care nurses are in high demand, as they are key personnel in the specialist health service when it comes to providing professionally sound healthcare to acutely and critically ill patients. The specialist health service seeks intensive care nurses who practise their profession in a sound manner and on a scientific basis. Today, we can treat many diseases and injuries that could not be treated in the past. Also, the patients admitted to somatic hospitals are sicker than they used to be. This development makes new and stricter requirements of intensive care nurses. Society requires intensive care nurses to work in an evidence-based manner where their nursing practice is based on knowledge gained from research and experience, in addition to patient knowledge. Intensive care nurses shall be capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to existing theories and methods in advanced medical treatment and intensive care nursing. Moreover, they shall be able to contribute to new ideas and innovation processes in their own practice, and make independent use of relevant methods for quality-related work (quality improvement and quality control work) in the field of intensive care nursing. Intensive care nurses are qualified to take greater responsibility for evidence-based intensive care nursing of acutely and/or critically ill patients in and outside a hospital setting.

Intensive care nurses primarily work in specialist units such as intensive care units, medical intensive care units, postoperative units and accident and emergency departments. Other potential workplaces include intermediate care units, dialysis units, cardiology laboratories, the ambulance service and the air ambulance service. Intensive care nurses are also qualified to work in disaster and war areas.

The municipal health service is also experiencing a growing need for specialist nursing skills. The Act relating to Municipal Health and Care Services, etc. (the Health and Care Services Act) has given the municipalities a role in the treatment of acute-onset illness, exacerbation of chronic illness and in follow-up care for patients whose hospital treatment is finished. Therefore, intensive care nurses will also be in demand in the municipal health service.

Relevance to further studies

The Advanced Programme is identical to the first three semesters of the Master¿s Programme in Intensive Care Nursing at OsloMet ¿ Oslo Metropolitan University. Students who complete the Advanced Programme in Intensive Care Nursing in accordance with this programme description, will only have to write the master¿s thesis to be awarded the degree of Master of Intensive Care Nursing, provided that they meet the admission requirements for the master's degree programme.