Course content

The course will help the student develop a broad and in-depth understanding in order to be able to practice intensive and critical care nursing for a wide range of patients.

Intensive and critical care as a subject and profession

• Communication and guidance of patients and relatives of different ages and cultural backgrounds
• Patient and relative participation in intensive and critical care
• Physical, psychological, social, cultural and existential aspects in acute and/or critical illness for patients of all ages and their relatives

Clinical observation, assessment, decision-making and action skills

• Holistic intensive and critical care for patients with complex medical conditions
• Crisis management and disaster preparedness
• Intensive and critical care for patients with both mental and somatic illnesses
• Health literacy and health pedagogy

Quality, patient safety and innovation

• Professional development and improvement work
• Sustainability
• Quality assurance of intensive and critical care patient treatment and the intensive and critical care nurse in the interdisciplinary team around the patient
• Change processes

Professional leadership, collaboration and communication

• Team management
• Non-technical skills
• Pedagogical principles and methods

Technology and digital competence

• Digital tools

• Medical technical equipment (MTU)

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Clinical observation, assessment, decision-making and action competence

The candidate has advanced knowledge of:

• long-term physical and psychological effects after critical illness
• the patient's and relatives' experiences, reactions and needs in acute and/or critical illness from an age and/or linguistic and multicultural perspective
• communication, health education and adapted information for critically ill patients and their relatives of all ages
• children as patients and relatives with their own unique needs and rights
• The candidate has in-depth knowledge of:
• the role of the intensive and critical care nurse in emergency and crisis management
• ethical reflection and can analyze professional ethical issues

Professional leadership, collaboration and communication

The candidate has in-depth knowledge of:

• leadership, organization and change processes of interprofessional services relevant to intensive and critical care
• non-technical skills; situational awareness, decision-making, problem solving and teamwork
• communication tools and what promotes and inhibits interprofessional collaboration

The candidate has advanced knowledge of:

• pedagogical principles in teaching and mentoring colleagues and students

Quality, patient safety and innovation

The candidate has in-depth knowledge of:

• systematic quality work to improve health services and prerequisites for successful change processes
• patient safety culture in health services, principles and measures to increase robustness and patient safety in intensive and critical care units
• the importance of language and cultural competence, to contribute to increased quality and patient safety, in the practice of intensive and critical care nursing

Skills

The candidate can:

Clinical observation, assessment, decision-making and action competence

• analyze the patient's and relatives' health competence and use this as a means of communication to promote user participation and adapted services
• apply health pedagogical principles in information, teaching and guidance to patients and relatives to promote coping and learning

Professional leadership, interaction and communication

• apply pedagogical principles and methods to guide and teach students and colleagues

Quality, patient safety and innovation

• apply relevant methods to obtain, systematically assess and apply knowledge in professional development and improvement work
• analyze adverse events and contribute to systematic learning

Technology and digital competence

• apply digital competence, assist in the development of and use suitable technology at the individual and system level

General competence

The candidate can:

Intensive and critical care nursing as a subject and profession

• analyze professional issues and take an active role in discussions about the development of the profession and its place in the health service
• communicate and promote the function and responsibility of the intensive and critical care nurse in professional contexts and to the general public
• analyze, assess and handle complex situations in accordance with health legislation and professional ethics
• analyze and apply knowledge and skills that contribute to coping and job satisfaction in an environment with high demands for quality and restructuring

Clinical observation, assessment, decision-making and action competence

• analyze ethical issues and apply ethical reflection to safeguard the intensive and critical care patient and relatives
• apply knowledge and skills for critical reflection, to seek, assess, and apply new knowledge

Professional management, interaction and communication

• analyze, critically assess and reflect on interaction and communication that can affect the patient's course and/or the work environment, as well as implement measures that stimulate interaction

Quality, patient safety and innovation

• apply and disseminate knowledge-based practice to safeguard patient safety and quality improvement/service improvement
• contribute to new thinking and innovation processes to improve the service offering in general and the nursing offering in particular

Technology and digital competence

• analyze ethical and legal challenges when using technology and digital solutions that are relevant to intensive and critical care

Learning methods and activities

The course consists of lectures, self-study, and various student-active learning and teaching methods. Teaching takes place both digitally and on campus.

Compulsory assignments

• Written or oral assignment

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

SYG3530 Intensive and Critical Care Nursing 1

Course materials

Announced at the start of the semester.

Credit reductions