MINTPRA20 Clinical Studies in Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, Level 2 Course description

The students will undergo practical training at intensive care units where ventilator treatment is performed, medical intensive care units, postoperative/recovery units, anaesthesia/surgical departments and/or accident and emergency departments. With some supervision, the students will attend to the functions and areas of responsibility of an intensive care nurse. The students are expected to demonstrate clear progress, take responsibility and, to an increasing extent, demonstrate the ability to make independent assessments in intensive care nursing practice.

Students must have passed INTENPRA10 Clinical Studies in Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, Level 1 in order to start this course.

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

Knowledge:

The student

• has in-depth knowledge of complications in connection with acute and/or critical illness, advanced medical treatment and intensive care nursing
• has in-depth knowledge about maintaining and restoring vital functions if they are threatened

Skills:

The student

• is capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to existing theories and methods in advanced medical treatment and intensive care nursing

• is capable of observing, assessing and identifying a patient's general and special needs, resources and problems through communication and cooperation with the patient and his/her next of kin
• is capable of preventing complications in connection with acute and/or critical illness, advanced medical treatment and intensive care nursing
• is capable of reducing stress, pain and discomfort in connection with advanced medical treatment and intensive care nursing
• is capable of maintaining and restoring vital functions if they are threatened
• is capable of applying knowledge of nutrition in connection with acute and/or critical illness
• is capable, with some supervision, of work on practical and theoretical problem-solving relating to the intensive care nurse¿s functions and areas of responsibility

• is capable of carrying out wholly or partly compensatory intensive care nursing in the event of serious failure of patients¿ organs or organ systems, including assisted respiration, circulation and nutrition and renal replacement therapy
• is capable of identifying acute situations
• is capable of administering and evaluating pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain relief to intensive care patients
• is capable of administering and evaluating sedation of intensive care patients
• is capable of checking and using medical equipment and has a reflective attitude to the possibilities and limitations of technology
• is capable of practising intensive care nursing with respect for patients¿ autonomy, integrity and dignity
• is capable of cooperating with patients¿ next of kin, showing respect and care, and safeguarding their rights
• is capable of critical reflection when making choices and acting in an ethically and legally satisfactory manner
• is capable of ensuring continuity in patient treatment through written and oral documentation
• is capable of documenting, evaluating and quality assuring his/her own work

Competence:

The student

• is capable, with some supervision, of analysing relevant ethical issues in intensive care nursing based on relevant discipline knowledge, research, experience and patient knowledge

• is capable, with some supervision, of carrying out wholly or partly compensatory intensive care nursing in the event of serious self-care deficits in relation to a patient's fundamental needs
• is capable of cooperating with members of his/her own profession and across professions in patient treatment

Simulation and supervised practical training

The following coursework requirements must be met before a student can receive an assessment for the course:

• The student¿s specification of learning outcomes for the course.
• The student must submit at least one written assessment per month
• Attendance in compulsory activities
  • Simulation

The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course, the student's specification of the learning outcomes and the formative assessment made of the student during the practical training period.

An attendance requirement applies to practical training. In order to pass a practical training course, the student must have attended at least 90% of the planned activities in each course. Students must make up for absence exceeding 10% by agreement with the lecturer and the practical training establishment. If a student¿s absence exceeds 20%, he/she will fail the course. Students who fail a period of practical training must retake the whole training period.

Not relevant.

Pass-Fail.

In this course, the students are expected to acquire advanced knowledge of intensive care nursing in relation to acutely and/or critically ill patients in a vulnerable, critical and life-threatening phase. The students should acquire in-depth knowledge of intensive care patients' psychosocial and existential needs and methods for reducing stress and suffering.

Moreover, students are expected to develop in-depth knowledge of relevant research and quality-related work (quality improvement and quality control work) in the field of intensive care nursing, and thereby understand the importance of research and quality-related work in clinical intensive and critical care nursing. This is intended to enable the students to document, develop the quality of and quality-assure intensive care nursing.

The students are expected to develop an awareness of hoe organisational, financial and legal factors influence nursing and the specialist health service and be able to see this in relation to their responsibility to practise intensive care nursing, be a leader in their field and work in a team. This course also covers knowledge of the working environment in a specialist unit and how stress factors in a working environment can be prevented and reduced.

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

Knowledge

The student

• has advanced knowledge of the intensive care nurse's functions and areas of responsibility
• has in-depth knowledge of the experiences, reactions and needs of patients and next of kin in connection with acute and/or critical illness in an age-related and multicultural perspective
• has knowledge of nursing ethics and different ethical guidelines
• is capable of analysing intensive care nursing problems on the basis of the discipline's history, traditions, distinctive nature and place in society

Skills

The student

• is capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to different sources of information and of using them to structure and formulate intensive care nursing argumentation
• is capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to existing theories and methods in intensive care nursing
• is capable of using relevant methods for research and quality-related work in an independent manner in the field of intensive care nursing

Competence

The student

• is capable of analysing relevant ethical issues in intensive care nursing based on discipline knowledge, research, experience and patient knowledge
• is capable of contributing to new ideas and innovation processes in clinical practice