Study Guide

Objective

1) Professionalism and ethics
The student
- can work in nursing care of the elderly in accordance with the values and ethical principles of nursing care and can assess and develop their implementation in their own work and in the work community.
- is familiar with the legislation in force and the main recommendations for ensuring good ageing.
- can grow in their professional identity as nurses and in the responsibility that comes with their specialist role.
- takes account of patient safety, collegiality, well-being and personal well-being and ability to cope at work in his/her work.
- takes into account the older person as an expert in his or her own life.
- supports older people's agency.
- takes into account the elderly person's relatives as part of the elderly person's holistic care and active daily life.
- is able to work with clients and colleagues from different cultures.

2) Communication and information technology
The student
- can communicate professionally in oral and written form.
- is capable of multi-professional and multi-disciplinary co-operation and networking in identifying, planning, implementing and evaluating the service needs of older people.
- understands his/her own and other actors' responsibilities and duties in caring for older people and providing quality services.
- complies with data protection and safety requirements and the relevant legislation in the field of social and health care in all his/her work.
- is able to keep appropriate records in accordance with the nursing process and to assess and improve the timeliness, consistency and quality of the information recorded in the patient information system.
- can use health information technology, electronic databases and reporting tools in their work.

3) Health promotion and guidance skills
The student
- can apply evidence-based, up-to-date research knowledge in nursing care of older people and in the development of nursing care.
- can identify the main risk factors for the health and functional capacity of older people due to ageing changes and target early support to those in need.
- is aware of the importance of well-being promotion and preventive services in ensuring good ageing and is able to design and implement interventions to support health and functional capacity.
- can apply evidence-based, up-to-date research knowledge in the care of older people and in the development of care work.
- can identify the main risk factors for health and functional capacity of older people due to ageing changes and target early support to those who need it.
- is aware of the importance of well-being promotion and prevention services in ensuring good ageing and is able to design and implement interventions to support health and functional capacity.

4) Leadership, employee skills and entrepreneurship
The student
- can work independently, manage his/her own work, organize and prioritize tasks flexibly according to the situation.
- can work in a cost-conscious and sustainable manner.
- considers the members of the working community in an equal and collegial manner.
- is able to mentor students and colleagues and is willing to share his/her own knowledge and expertise.
- is able to develop and adapt his/her work in line with changes in the social and health care sector.
- understands the concept of internal entrepreneurship and is committed to applying it in their work
- is able to apply the principles of cost awareness in his/her field of activity and works in an economical way.
- is able to identify, in reflection with the work community, areas for improvement and needs for change in his/her own work.
- is able to participate as a member of a team in development, innovation and research processes.
- is aware of the importance of continuous professional development.

5) Clinical nursing
The student
- can plan, implement and evaluate individual holistic care of an elderly client in cooperation with the elderly client, his/her relatives and a multidisciplinary cooperation network.
- possesses and applies the key knowledge and skills required in the care of the elderly.
- master the principles of asepsis and infection control in different settings.
- has a good understanding of the specific features of medication for older people and the overall management of medication.
- can apply nutritional and therapeutic recommendations for different age groups and target groups.
- knows how to use different methods to support the psycho-social and conscientious needs of older people and their relatives.

6) Evidence-based action, research and decision-making
The student
- can plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based nursing care safely and reliably.
- can contribute to the development of evidence-based practice in their own work and in the work community.
- is able to search for information from reliable databases and to use scientific knowledge in clinical decision-making and in the development of care for older people.

7) Social and health care service system
The student
- understands the organisation of social and health care, the ways in which services are provided and organised, and the principles of supervision and control from the point of view of services for older people.
- understands the role of the main services and service units in the care and service chain for older people.
- knows how to use electronic services as part of the overall care of the client/patient and how to implement service management.

8) Patient and client safety
The student
- takes patient and client safety into account in all phases of his/her work and is able to promote patient safety and prevent incidents through his/her own actions.
- is able to act immediately and appropriately in the event of an incident.
- can identify potential incidents, is able to make an incident report and understand the incident reporting process.
- can critically assess the quality of care for older people with a view to improving the care provided to the client and their own work.
- participates in quality assurance as a member of the work community.
- is aware of the impact of his/her own actions on the quality of the organisation.
- understands the use of patient safety reports as part of the organisation's quality control.

Content

Personal expertise and resources in caring for older people
Being a member of a multidisciplinary and multiprofessional team
Ageing programmes and quality recommendations to ensure good ageing
Biological, physical, psychological and social ageing
Functioning and assessment of functional capacity of older people
RAI assessment, interpretation and meaning of assessment data
Use of RAI assessment data in the development and management of care for older people
Promoting and supporting older people's well-being, health, functioning and agency
Memory disorders
Planning, rehabilitation and implementation of care for the elderly client
Creative expression in support of care for older people
Specific aspects of drug therapy for older people
Drug calculations

Qualifications

Basics of Clinical Nursing
Evidence Based Clinical Competence Modules 1-3
Safe Medication and Fluid Therapy Skills
At least 150 ECTS basic studies

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

1-2
The student
-has a narrow surface understanding of the role of nursing scientific knowledge in clinical decision-making.
-uses nursing scientific concepts in a limited way, without an understanding of their meaning or connection to the practice of nursing.
-information seeking skills are limited and he/she does not know how to seek information in the most important health science databases.
-the learning assignments are poor in relation to the instructions, with limited use of sources and considerable errors in the referencing system.
-work is unplanned and of poor quality.
The student is passive in seminars, with little or no contribution.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

3-4
The student
-understands the role of nursing scientific knowledge and uses contemporary nursing scientific sources in decision-making.
-uses nursing scientific concepts and understands their meaning to the practice of nursing.
-knows how to seek information in the most important health science databases.
-follows instructions given on learning assignments and, when writing references, observes the Seinäjoki UAS guidelines on written assignments.
-works in a deliberate, mostly self-directed manner and in a responsible, planned way.
-prepares for and uses visual aids in presentations of learning assignments.
- prepares for and provides peer feedback in a constructive way.
- actively takes part in seminar discussions.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student
-demonstrates interest in and understands the role of nursing scientific knowledge and applies contemporary nursing scientific sources in decision-making.
- uses nursing scientific concepts extensively, analytically and critically.
-knows how to seek information in the most important health science databases.
-applies the information extensively and critically.
-follows instructions given on learning assignments and, when writing references, observes the Seinäjoki UAS guidelines on written assignments.
-works in a deliberate, self-directed, responsible and planned manner.
-carefully prepares for presentations of learning assignments, uses visual aids and distinctive and creative solutions.
-actively takes part in seminar discussions and widens the perspective on the concept under discussion.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Failed = 0
The student
- demonstrates no understanding of the role of nursing scientific knowledge in decision-making.
- does not know nursing scientific concepts, their meaning or connection to the practice of nursing.
- does not know how to seek information in the most important health science databases. The learning assignments are poor in relation to the instructions, with major errors in the referencing system. The student's work is unplanned and of poor quality. The presentations on learning assignments are inadequate or the student fails to deliver the presentations. When giving feedback to peers, it becomes apparent that he/she has a limited understanding of the concept of peer feedback, or he/she completely fails to give feedback.
- is passive in seminars, with little or no contribution.
Patient safety is compromised.

Further information

Study methods
Contact teaching, study visits, skills workshops, independent study, drug calculations, written assignment related to the internship
Course assessment
Written examination, numerical assessment of the clinical placement