Degree Programme in Emergency Care: K12ENSI-1044

Description

Degree Programme in Emergency Care
Bachelor of Health Care

240 credits (cr) and 4 years
Full-time study

Kuntokatu 3, 33520 TAMPERE
Head of programme Irma Salokoski

The graduates are authorised as nurses and in addition they will be granted the degree certificate of emergency nurses. The degree is comparable with equivalent degrees in other EU countries. Bachelors of Health Care are authorised by National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health.

Competences developed
Emergency care nursing is based on nursing science and medicine, application of their nursing practices and other disciplines, such as social and behavioural sciences. Emergency nurses have good cooperation skills (human relations, management and communication skills). Emergency nurses work in a client/patient-oriented manner and are experts of emergency care and acute nursing with extensive technical and operational basic knowledge and skills related to the diverse phases of the care chain.

Professional status
Emergency nurses provide high quality patient care in critcal care situations outside hospitals and work in outpatient departments as well as emergency duty, first aid, intensive care and monitoring units of hospitals and health centres or in other care, planning, education, administration and development tasks demanding emergency care expertise. Emergency nurses also work as nurses in diverse health care units.

Structure of degree programme and key contents
The degree programme consists of core studies, professional studies in nursing and emergency care, which include clinical training to enhance professional skills, bachelor’s thesis and elective studies.
The key contents of the education are nursing of children, adolescents and families, maternity nursing, medical-surgical nursing, mental health and substance abuse nursing, perioperative nursing, geriatric nursing, emergency care, acute care and intensive care. Clinical training (91 credits) is a central part of the professional studies, integrated into the different phases of the education.

Teaching methods
The Degree Programme in Emergency Care uses the problem-based learning approach. Learning is understood as active processing of information. Starting points for learning are based on the key know-how needs of the professional field and working life. The curriculum integrates subjects needed in professional emergency care and nursing to core theme entities. Learners are expected to be active, responsible and information seeking and they are required to commit themselves to target-oriented, self-controlled learning and active work contribution to attain the targets. Teachers are facilitators, supervisors and coordinators of learning but also experts of their own field.

Structure of degree programme | Curriculum

Common core studies 10 cr
Professional studies 210 cr
-including clinical training 91 cr
Bachelor’s thesis 15 cr
Elective studies 5 cr
In total 240 cr

Learning outcomes of Degree Programme in Emergency Care / academic year

After the first study year, emergency care students know the basics of nursing and emergency care. Students can follow the legislation and ethical codes of nursing and health care in their own work. They can recognise and predict health risks in individuals and communities. Students can monitor basic vital functions, recognise patients´ needs for nursing and safely use nursing interventions suitable for the patient’s situation.

They are capable of safe medication management and master medical calculations. Students are able to give first aid in cases of emergency. They can take into account the meaning of different cultures in nursing. Students can follow the ethical instructions and values of emergency care.

During the second-year studies, students develop their clinical skills in different fields of nursing. They are able to specify nursing needs of patients / clients of different ages as well as plan, implement and evaluate nursing interventions with patients/clients and their families. Students use scientific information of diverse fields as the basis of their actions. Students are able to guide and support patients / clients in self-care. They know how to work in multiprofessional cooperation according to the interests of patients and clients.
Students are capable of critical reflection on their own work. Students master the use of basic level emergency care technology, equipment and instruments. Students can examine the patients´ vital functions, assess the situation and start emergency care with the basic level equipment.

During the third-year studies, students develop their know-how in health promotion. They are able to prevent health problems in individuals and communities and take care of patients in different environments. Students are able to use scientific and theoretical information to evaluate and develop their own practice as well as the practice of work communities. When preparing the bachelor´s thesis, they are able to focus their interest on the key development areas of emergency care. Students can care for patients that have fallen ill acutely in emergency care departments and intensive care units. Students can assist in emergency deliveries and care for newborn children.

During the fourth-year studies, students will develop their knowledge and skills in emergency care, acute care and intensive care. Students can independently assess patients that have fallen ill acutely or become disabled, restore and maintain patients´ basic vital functions, improve patients´ prognosis and improve or ease their condition.
Students can start patient care with higher level emergency care. Students can develop their professional skills and emergency care work. Students know the operative management relations between authorities in diverse accident situations and can lead emergency care situations. Students know usual fault situations and can work in hospitals and outside hospitals in unusual conditions.