Master's Degree Programme in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing (englanniksi): EMECC Nursing

Kuvaus

The Erasmus Mundus Master programme in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing (EMECC
NURSING) is the first international joint degree in advanced nursing available in Europe. The programme offers a highly specialized education in nursing, with an advanced perspective, focusing in two of the areas of the highest technological content and professional requirements: Emergency and Critical Care.
The EMECC NURSING is promoted by a consortium coordinated by the University of Oviedo
(Spain) and counting with the partnership of the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), the University of Algarve and the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém
(Portugal). The programme offers a 90 ECTS (one and a half year) Postgraduate course leading to an international joint degree and diploma supplement recognized by all the participating institutions. As befits a multinational initiative, students will have the advantage to receive their education in 2-6 specialized institutions across many countries, and the added value provided by cultural and language side-activities offered during the Programme.
The EMECC NURSING shall prepare nurse clinicians to provide advanced nursing care across the continuum of acute care services. The Master shall also prepare nurses to elaborate a research project (Master thesis) related with care of acutely ill patients or emergency care. The Master’s Degree Programme EMECC NURSING is based on a previous bachelor’s degree in nursing, as well as at least three years’ work experience in a relevant field after the final higher (tertiary) education. The Polytechnic Act (351/2003) and The Polytechnic Decree (352/2003) as well as their amendments (A 411/10.6.2005 and A 423/16.6.2005) apply to polytechnic bachelor and master’s degrees.
The EMECC NURSING Master main objective is to provide a structured and methodologically sound training programme that will cover the shortage of specially trained staff that burdens our health systems’ intensive and acute care services. The programme combines theoretical teaching, research methodology and activities, communication and management of critical scenarios and advanced evidence-based practice, using state of the art clinical technologies.
Technological evolution and service needs are increasing the professional requirements for emergency and intensive care nurses; they must be prepared to deal with life-threatening problems and complex situations in extreme environments, reasons why they should be endowed with specific knowledge, skills and attributes to provide care to critically ill or unstable patients and their families. Emergency nurses must be able to prioritize patient care and to provide accurate assessment and effective on going management for a diversity of patient populations. Nursing practice in emergency departments and intensive care units may range from life-saving interventions to providing health promotion and injury prevention information or managing critical situations. The target of this programme is to provide graduate nurses the possibility to obtain them in the course of their education, thus increasing their preparedness and employability before entering the market.
The objective of the master’s degree programme is to meet the increasing requirements regarding competence rising from the needs of the work and social environment. The requirements for emergency and critical care nurse competence are derived from the changes in social structures, population and the service structures in health care as well as the balance between the increase in costs and reduced assets. Nationwide policies require developing new cross-administrational and -sectional services in social and health care (Government Policy Programme 2007).
The EMECC NURSING Master will prepare clinician nurses to provide advanced nursing care within acute care services. To ensure students' preparedness and employability, the Master will grant them a solid theoretical background, evidence-based training and clinical hands-on internships. The Master will also prepare nurses to elaborate a research project (Master Thesis) related with care of unstable or acutely ill patients, therefore it will also qualify students in research methodology and train them in use of quality scientific literature to enhance their professional skills, to consider research as a relevant part of their professional practice, to motivate them to undertake additional studies to access a Doctorate degree and to understand the concept of Lifelong Learning. The learning outcomes are equivalent to level 7 in the European Qualifications Framework.

Opetussuunnitelman kehittäminen ja työelämäyhteistyö

In the EMECC Nursing curriculum Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences has been responsible for the plans of Research Methodology, Crisis Resource Management, Emergency simulation practicum, and Advanced evidence based practice. The courses have been planned in collaboration with Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, City of Helsinki Health Centre, and Helsinki City Rescue Department on the basis of the requirements of labour market.
The curriculum has been sent for comments to the advisory board of Master’s Programme on January 16th 2012.
Since then, the curriculum has been on the agenda of the Advisory Board in their meeting at University of Algarve in September 2013. No ammendments were suggested.

Lisätiedot

Coordinator of Degree Program, Marianne Pitkäjärvi, +358 503624306