Prerequisites for the admission.

Admission to the degree programme is subject to the possession of a secondary school diploma or equivalent suitable qualification obtained abroad.
Admission to the programme is subject to the passing of an entrance exam set in line with the laws in force concerning health professions and the nationally programmed access (Law 264/99) and the relative call for admissions issued by UNIMORE.
Knowledge required for admission is deemed to be appropriate for all candidates obtaining a minimum of 20 points in the entrance exam, as laid down in Ministerial Decree no. 85 of 5 February 2014.
Candidates not achieving this score shall be assigned additional learning requirements (OFA) to be completed by attending the remedial courses indicated by the degree programme.

Skills associated with the function

Nursing graduates are health professionals with the responsibilities laid down in the Ministry of Health Decree no. 744 of 14 September 1994 and amendments; they are responsible for all general nursing care activities. The nursing care activities are based on prevention, cure, palliative care and rehabilitation, covering all technical, interpersonal and educational aspects. Nurses perform their professional activity autonomously focusing on prevention, cure and the protection of personal and collective health. In addition to the above regulatory requirements, nurses perform their functions according to precise legislative and ethical regulations and the health code of conduct: - Italian law no. 42 of 26/02/1999, "Provisions concerning Health Professions” which abolishes the definition of "auxiliary health profession” and states that "the field of activity and responsibilities of the health professions listed in article 6, paragraph 3 of legislative decree no. 502 of 30 December 1992 and amendments, establishing the contents of the ministerial decrees determining the professional profiles and teaching regulations of the relative university and post-secondary training programmes as well as the specific codes of conduct”; - Italian Law no. 251 of 10 August 2000 “Regulation of the nursing, technical, rehabilitation, prevention and midwifery professions” underlining the concept of autonomy of the nursing profession, which must be assured using methods based on planning by care objectives; - the Nursing Code of Conduct (IPASVI, 2009).
Nurses must be familiar with:
- biomedical sciences to understand the physiological and pathological processes of health and illness in patients of different ages;
- psychological, social and humanistic sciences to understand normal and pathological interpersonal dynamics and personal defence and adaptation mechanisms relating to situations of mental and social stress and physical suffering;
- theories of learning and change to understand the educational processes of patients and the community;
- general and clinical nursing sciences to understand the fields of nursing intervention, clinical method, intervention techniques and the available evidence underlying decision-making;
- ethical, legal and social sciences to understand the organisational complexities of the health system, the importance and utility of acting in compliance with laws and directives and the respect of values and ethical dilemmas; they shall also understand professional autonomy, as well as the areas of interaction and interdependence with other workers in the team;
- hygiene and preventive sciences to understand the determinants of health, risk factors, prevention strategies
on both an individual and collective level, and the interventions used to promote the safety of health workers and users;
- computer studies and languages, with a particular focus on the English language to understand scientific literature, both on paper and on-line.
Nurses must possess the following skills:
- use a corpus of theoretical knowledge deriving from nursing sciences, biological behavioural and social sciences and other disciplines to recognise the needs of patients of different ages;
- integrate theoretical and practical nursing knowledge with biological, psychological, social and humanistic sciences to care for individuals of all ages, groups and the community;
- use theoretical models and role models to facilitate growth, development and adaptation in promoting,
maintaining and recovering health among the population; SECTION A2.b The programme trains for the profession of (IS codes - - interpret and apply the results of research to nursing practices and link research processes to the theoretical development of the nursing profession;
- carry out a full and systematic assessment of the care needs of individuals, their families and the
community;
- analyse and carefully interpret the gathered data;
- plan nursing care activities in cooperation with users and the interdisciplinary care team;
- deliver safe, effective and evidence-based nursing care by integrating knowledge, skills and attitudes;
- assess the progress of care in cooperation with the interdisciplinary team;
- facilitate the development of a safe environment for patients, ensuring constant nursing surveillance.
Nurses must be able to make judgements, demonstrated by the following skills:
- decision-making concerning care issues;
- deciding on priorities for groups of patients;
- deciding on the tasks to be allocated to support staff;
- deliver customised nursing care according to the similarities and differences of the patients in terms of values, ethnic background and socio-cultural practices;
- decide on the appropriate care activities considering the regulatory, legal, ethical, social, economic and organisational aspects;
- critically assess the outcome of care decisions on the basis of patient outcomes and
care standards;
- take on responsibility and respond for their own professional actions in line with the profile, code of conduct and ethical and legal standards;
- make decisions based on a scientific approach to problem-solving;
- analyse any organisational problems and propose solutions;
- take decisions in situations marked by differences in position (conflicts or dilemmas).
Nurses must possess the following skills:
- use appropriate (verbal, non-verbal and written) communication skills with people of all ages and their families and/or other healthcare professionals;
- use appropriate communication methods in the interdisciplinary team;
- use teaching and learning principles for specific information and education interventions targeting single users, families, groups and other professionals (support staff, nursing students, nurses);
- support and encourage patients towards healthy choices, strengthening coping skills, self-esteem and increasing the available resources;
- manage conflicts deriving from different positions;
- facilitate care coordination to achieve agreed health care results;
- collaborate with the care team to apply and develop protocols and guidelines.
Nurses must possess learning skills, which translate into:
- ability to study independently;
- ability to cope with doubts and uncertainties deriving from studies and practical work;
- ability to question and reflect on care activities, posing pertinent questions in appropriate situations and to the appropriate people;
- ability to continuously seek self-learning opportunities;
- self-assessment skills and identification of their own learning and development needs;
- cooperative learning skills and the ability to share knowledge with the working team;
- autonomy in searching for the information required to solve problems or uncertainties in their professional practice, critically selecting the evidence found in scientific literature.

Function in a work context

Nursing graduates are health professionals with the responsibilities laid down in the Ministry of Health Decree no. 744 of 14 September 1994 and amendments; they are responsible for all general nursing care activities. The nursing care activities are based on prevention, cure, palliative care and rehabilitation, covering all technical, interpersonal and educational aspects. Nurses perform their professional activity autonomously focusing on prevention, cure and the protection of personal and collective health. In addition to the above regulatory requirements, nurses perform their functions according to precise legislative and ethical regulations and the health code of conduct: - Italian law no. 42 of 26/02/1999, "Provisions concerning Health Professions” which abolishes the definition of "auxiliary health profession” and states that "the field of activity and responsibilities of the health professions listed in article 6, paragraph 3 of legislative decree no. 502 of 30 December 1992 and amendments, establishing the contents of the ministerial decrees determining the professional profiles and teaching regulations of the relative university and post-secondary training programmes as well as the specific codes of conduct”; - Italian Law no. 251 of 10 August 2000 “Regulation of the nursing, technical, rehabilitation, prevention and midwifery professions” underlining the concept of autonomy of the nursing profession, which must be assured using methods based on planning by care objectives; - the Nursing Code of Conduct (IPASVI, 2009).
The main functions of the nurse are the prevention of disease, care of the sick and the disabled of all ages, and health care education. Nursing graduates take part in the identification of personal and collective health care needs, establishing the relative objectives; they plan, manage and assess nursing interventions; they ensure the correct application of diagnostic and therapeutic instructions; they work both individually and in cooperation with other health and social professionals, where necessary with the services of support staff; they perform their professional activity in public and private health facilities, in the community and providing home care, on both an employee and free-lance basis; they contribute to training of support staff and directly manage their own lifelong learning and research activities.

Educational goals

At the end of the programme, graduates are able to:
- manage prevention and care activities for patients, families and the community;
- collaborate with other professionals, plan and implement information and education programmes to control individual and group risk factors;
- educate people to a healthy lifestyle and to modifying risky lifestyles;
- define the priorities of the interventions according to care needs, organisational needs and the optimal use of the available resources;
- collaborate with others, design and manage nursing care for a group of patients (including night-time care);
- distinguish the care needs of patients, differentiating the contributions of support staff from those of nursing staff;
- assign and supervise care activities performed by support staff;
- manage paper-based and computer-based information systems supporting the care activities;
- document the nursing care delivered in compliance with ethical and legal principles;
- give patients and their families thorough information on their health status, as it relates to their position as nurses;
- together with the nursing team, manage patients’ discharge;
- guarantee continuous care through work shifts;
- use professional integration tools (meetings, team meetings, case study discussions);
- work efficiently in a team;
- develop constructive professional relations, cooperating with other health professionals aware of the specific character of each role within the healthcare team;
- supervise support staff and/or students;
- effectively use verbal, non-verbal and written communication to convey nursing-related evaluations and decisions to the team members;
- verify nursing care needs using ascertainment methods and instruments;
- use the nursing care process to manage patients, considering the cultural, religious, ethnic, ideological, gender values, whatever their social or economic condition or the cause of the disease;
- forecast the development of needs/problems affecting the patients and redetermine the nursing care according to such developments;
- assess the results of the care delivered and adapt the nursing plan according to the observed developments;
- ensure an effective physical and psycho-social environment for the safety of the patients;
- comply with provisions concerning protection against physical, chemical and biological risks in the work place;
- adopt precautions for manual handling of loads;
- take standard preventive measures against the risk of infection in hospitals and community settings.
- manage relationships with patients, their families and other caregivers;
- together with other colleagues, assess and manage patients’ discomfort and behaviour, such as mental confusion, disorientation, and restlessness;
- together with the team, support patients and their families during terminal phases of disease and grief;
- together with other colleagues, contribute to managing situations of mental distress, particularly during stabilisation;
- provide nursing care to patients (children, adults and the elderly) with priority health issues including: acute and chronic respiratory problems, cardiovascular, metabolic and rheumatological, acute and chronic kidney, acute and chronic gastrointestinal, liver, neurological, oncological, infectious, orthopaedic and traumatological, obstetric-gynaecological, haematological problems;
- verify and manage nursing care for patients with chronic problems and disabilities;
- manage perioperative nursing care;
- promote and support patients' residual abilities to adapt to the limitations and alterations caused by their disease and the modification to their life styles;
- identify patients' nursing care needs and their reactions to the disease, the treatments, institutionalisation, modifications to their everyday activities and their quality of life;
- monitor the clinical and psycho-social situation of patients, identifying signs and symptoms of deterioration in advance;
- ensure the care required to manage acute and/or critical situations;
- identify and prevent factors triggering relapses in chronic patients;
- ensure the safe administration of treatment/s and monitor their effectiveness;
- implement the nursing techniques defined in the degree programme standards;
- take decisions based on the patients' conditions, vital parameters, medical reports and laboratory data;
- together with colleagues, manage diagnostic paths ensuring appropriate patient preparation and subsequent monitoring;
- integrate nursing care into multidisciplinary care paths;
- establish informal care networks to support patients and families in long-term care projects;
- design educational projects together with patients and their families to develop self-care skills;
- support patients in learning to manage their own problems/treatments/devices;
- educate relatives and/or significant others concerning the management of the problems affecting the patient;
- research and critically analyse effectiveness tests in scientific literature based on the issues emerging from clinical practice;
- disseminate and use the best evidence in practice, according to the values, beliefs and preferences of the patients, the available resources and the clinical opinion.
During the three years, through tutorial-based teaching the students are stimulated to develop critical and diagnostic thought, promoting the correlations between different types of knowledge and learning from experience. Moreover, students have the chance to develop self-assessment skills and self-learning strategies through the use of specific tools helping them to fill any learning gaps.
The teaching activities in year I aim to provide basic biomedical, hygienic and preventive knowledge and the foundations of nursing, as a requisite for safely managing their first professional experiences. The main objective of this experience is to orient students in the specific professional fields and acquire basic care, interpersonal and technical competences.
The teaching activities in year II focus on physio-pathological, pharmacological, clinical and care knowledge to tackle the priority problems of medical and surgical health, based on prevention, care and education, focusing on the acute phase of disease, educational support, palliative care and psycho-social aspects of chronic disease and end of life. For this purpose, students will perform internships to apply the technical, managerial and interpersonal knowledge and skills learned during the programme.
The teaching activities in year III focus on specialist learning and the acquisition of knowledge and methodologies of professional activity, working in a multi-professional team in complex organisational contexts. The educational value of the internship increases, allowing students to experiment patient management with increasing levels of responsibility and autonomy.
For the whole three-year programme, students are accompanied to learn care planning and management through thought on their experiences and structured discussions of clinical cases, respecting the gradual increase of complexity according to the programme year, recognising specific professional competences and responsibilities. In order to use scientific evidence in the best possible way in future professional practice, specific learning activities are envisaged in each year, to develop methodological skills in scientific nursing research.
In line with the logic of the curriculum, the credits allocated to the internship experiences increase gradually from year 1 to 3.

Communication skills

Nursing graduates must develop the following communication skills:
- use appropriate and effective communication skills with patients of all ages and their relatives within the care process and/or with other health professionals, in appropriate verbal, non-verbal and written form;
- use the principles of teaching and learning to provide specific information and education to single patients, families and groups, aiming to promote healthy behaviour, reduce risk factors, promote self-care, particularly for chronic illness sufferers;
- support and encourage patients towards healthy choices, strengthening coping skills, self-esteem and increasing the available resources;
- effectively use verbal, non-verbal and written communication to convey nursing-related evaluations and decisions to interdisciplinary healthcare teams;
- develop professional relations, working with other health professionals aware of the specific character of each professional role within the healthcare team;
- act as a guide for support staff and/or students, including the delegation and supervision of care activities delivered by other professionals and ensuring compliance with quality and safety standards in the planning and management of care;
- contribute to the management of conflicts deriving from different positions;
- facilitate care coordination to achieve agreed health care outcomes;
- cooperate with the care team to agree operational methods and apply and develop protocols and guidelines.
Learning methods and activities and teaching tools to develop the learning outcomes:
- lectures;
- videos and critical analysis of films, simulations, narration and testimonials;
- discussion of case studies and paradigmatic relations in small groups, with presentations to the class;
- internship supervised by tutors in different contexts with debriefing sessions to reflect on and develop the relational experience with users and stakeholder teams.

Making Judgements

Nursing graduates must demonstrate the ability to make judgements using the following skills:
- provide nursing care, acknowledging and respecting the dignity, culture, values and rights of individuals and groups;
- adapt nursing care by understanding the similarities and differences of patients, considering the values, ethnic groups and socio-cultural practices of the patients and their families;
- integrate their knowledge of cultural diversity, legal aspects, ethical principles to deliver and manage nursing care in a variety of contexts and health services;
- analyse directives and operational practices of health services and identify appropriate nursing actions considering the legal, political, geographical, economic, ethical and social influences;
- use critical thought to deliver effective nursing care to patients of different ages;
- take on responsibility and respond for their own professional actions in line with the profile, code of conduct and ethical and legal standards;
- recognise the differences in tasks and responsibilities of nursing graduates, support staff and other health professionals.
Learning methods and activities and teaching tools to develop the learning outcomes:
- lectures;
- guided reading and practical exercises;
- videos, slides, diagrams and graphs,
- construction of cognitive maps;
- discussion of case studies in small groups and presentations to the class,
- internships supervised by tutors in different contexts and the progressive undertaking of autonomy and responsibility;
- debriefing sessions to reflect on and process the experience of professional practice.
Assessment tools for verifying the achieved results:
- project work, reports on specific research projects;
- tutorial supervision of internships (using the "self-assessment sheet for acquired competences”);
- active participation in project work and debriefing sessions.

Learning skills

Nursing graduates must develop the following learning skills:
- develop the ability to study independently;
- demonstrate the ability to cope with doubts and uncertainties deriving from studies and practical work as a source for new learning;
- develop the ability to question and reflect on care activities, posing pertinent questions in appropriate situations and to the appropriate people;
- demonstrate the ability to continuously seek self-learning opportunities;
- demonstrate their self-assessment skills and identify their own learning and development needs;
- demonstrate cooperative learning skills and the ability to share knowledge with the working team;
- demonstrate autonomy in searching for the information required to solve problems or uncertainties in their professional practice, critically selecting primary and secondary sources of scientific evidence;
Learning methods and activities, teaching tools to develop the learning outcomes:
- problem-based learning (PBL);
- use of cognitive maps;
- use of contracts and self-learning plans to increase students' responsibility in planning their own internship and self-assessments,
- workshops on methodologies of paper and electronic bibliographic research;
guided reading for the critical assessment of scientific and professional literature in both Italian and English.
Assessment tools for verifying the achieved results:
- project work, reports on specific research projects;
- tutorial supervision of internships (using the "self-assessment sheet for acquired competences”);
- active participation in project work and debriefing sessions;
- punctuality and quality of presented assignments.

Knowledge and understanding

BASIC AREA AND METHODOLOGY
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- biomedical sciences to understand the physiological and pathological processes of health and illness in patients of different ages;
- general and clinical nursing sciences to understand the fields of nursing intervention, clinical method, intervention techniques and the available evidence underlying care-based decision-making;
- computer studies and languages, with a particular focus on the English language to understand scientific literature, both on paper and on-line.

CLINICAL CARE AREA BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVENESS
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- biomedical sciences to understand the physiological and pathological processes of health and illness in patients of different ages;
- general and clinical nursing sciences to understand the fields of nursing intervention, clinical method, intervention techniques and the available evidence underlying care-based decision-making.

CARE RELATIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- psychological, social and humanistic sciences to understand normal and pathological interpersonal dynamics and personal defence and adaptation mechanisms relating to situations of mental and social stress and physical suffering.

HEALTH PREVENTION AND PROMOTION
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- hygiene and preventive sciences to understand the determinants of health, risk factors, prevention strategies and collective level, and the interventions used to promote the safety of health workers and users;
- theories of learning and change to understand the educational processes of patients and the community.


ORGANISATION, ETHICAL AND LEGAL AREA
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- ethical, legal and sociological sciences to understand the organisational complexities of the health system, the importance and utility of acting in compliance with laws and directives and the respect of values and ethical dilemmas; they shall also understand professional autonomy, as well as the areas of interaction and interdependence with other workers in the team;

Applying knowledge and understanding

BASIC AREA AND METHODOLOGY
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- use a corpus of theoretical knowledge deriving from nursing sciences, biological behavioural and social sciences and other disciplines to recognise the needs of patients of different ages;
- deliver nursing care directly and safely to individuals and groups of patients, using evidence-based practices, nursing practices and caring principles to assess and diagnose health conditions, plan objectives, implement and assess the care provided, considering the physical, psychological and socio-cultural dimensions of care;
- use assessment techniques to gather data precisely on the key health problems of their patients;
- analyse and carefully interpret the data gathered from the patient's case history;
- assess the progress of care in cooperation with the interdisciplinary team.
Learning methods and activities and teaching tools to develop the learning outcomes:
- lectures;
- practical exercises with application;
- videos, slides, diagrams and graphs;
- construction of cognitive maps;
- discussion of case studies in small groups and presentations to the class;
- internships supervised by tutors in different contexts and the progressive undertaking of autonomy and responsibility.
Knowledge and skills are assessed in the following learning activities:
Human Anatomy
Biochemistry
Applied Biology
Scientific Evidence for Nursing
General Pharmacology
Systems Pharmacology
Applied Physics
Physiology
Computer science
Scientific English
Histology
Dietary Sciences
Clinical Methodology
Nursing Methodology
Nursing Semiotics
Medical Statistics
Mandatory learning activities Workshop Year 1 - Internship year 1.

CLINICAL CARE AREA BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVENESS
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- integrate theoretical and practical nursing knowledge with biological sciences to understand individuals of all ages, groups and the community;
- integrate knowledge, skills and aptitudes of care to design and implement safe, effective and evidence-based nursing programmes;
- carry out a full and systematic assessment of the care needs of individuals;
- interpret and apply the results of clinical research to nursing care and link research to the theoretical development of nursing care;
- facilitate the development of a safe environment for patients, ensuring constant nursing surveillance.
Learning methods and activities and teaching tools to develop the learning outcomes:
- lectures;
- practical exercises with application;
- videos, slides, diagrams and graphs,
- construction of cognitive maps;
- discussion of case studies in small groups and presentations to the class,
- internships supervised by tutors in different contexts and the progressive undertaking of autonomy and responsibility.
Knowledge and skills are assessed in the following learning activities:
Midwifery
Anaesthesiology and Pain Therapy
General and Emergency Surgery
Image Diagnostics and Radio Therapy
Gerontology and Geriatrics
Nursing Applied to Diagnostics and Treatment
Surgical Nursing
General Nursing
Medical Nursing
Nursing in Oncology and Palliative Care
Paediatric Nursing
Mental Health Nursing
Nursing in Intensive Care and Territorial Emergencies
Locomotor diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
Skin and Venereal Diseases
Infectious Diseases
Internal and Emergency Medicine
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Neurology
Medical Oncology
Midwifery - Gynaecology
Clinical Pathology
General Pathology
Paediatrics
Psychiatry
Intensive Care
Urology
Mandatory learning activities Workshop years 2 and 3 - Internship years 2 and 3

CARE RELATIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- integrate theoretical and practical nursing knowledge with psychological, social and cultural sciences to understand individuals of all ages, groups and the community.
Learning methods and activities and teaching tools to develop the learning outcomes:
- lectures;
- practical exercises with application;
- videos, slides, diagrams and graphs,
- construction of cognitive maps;
- discussion of case studies in small groups and presentations to the class;
- internships supervised by tutors in different contexts and the progressive undertaking of autonomy and responsibility.
Knowledge and skills are assessed in the following learning activities:
Cultural Anthropology
General Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Care Relations
Sociology of Health and Families
Mandatory learning activities Workshop years 1 2 and 3 - Internship years 1 2 and 3

HEALTH PREVENTION AND PROMOTION
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- use theoretical models and role models to facilitate growth, development and adaptation in the promotion, maintenance and recovery of health among the population;
- evaluate the patient’s self-care progress in cooperation with the interdisciplinary team.
Learning methods and activities and teaching tools to develop the learning outcomes:
- lectures;
- medical humanitis;
- videos, slides, diagrams and graphs;
- construction of cognitive maps;
- discussion of case studies in small groups and presentations to the class;
- internships supervised by tutors in different contexts and the progressive undertaking of autonomy and responsibility.
Knowledge and skills are assessed in the following learning activities:
Epidemiology and hygiene
Nursing for chronic care and therapeutic education
Community nursing
Occupational Medicine General and Clinical Microbiology
General Pedagogy
Safety in Nursing Care
Mandatory learning activities Workshop years 2 and 3 - Internship years 2 and 3

ORGANISATION, ETHICAL AND LEGAL AREA
Nursing graduates will have solid knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
- responsibility for providing and assessing nursing care in compliance with professional and quality standards considering the legal implications and ethical responsibilities, as well as the rights of the patient;
- management of a variety of activities involved in the provision of nursing care to patients in different care contexts, hospitals, the community and residential facilities.
- planning of nursing care activities in cooperation with users and the interdisciplinary care team;
- assess the progress of care in cooperation with the interdisciplinary team.
Learning methods and activities and teaching tools to develop the learning outcomes:
- lectures;
- medical humanities;
- videos, slides, diagrams and graphs;
- construction of cognitive maps;
- discussion of case studies in small groups and presentations to the class;
- internships supervised by tutors in different contexts and the progressive undertaking of autonomy and responsibility.
Knowledge and skills are assessed in the following learning activities:
Labour Law
Health Economics
Ethics and Code of Conduct
Legal Medicine
Organisation of Care Processes
Mandatory learning activities Workshop years 2 and 3 - Internship years 2 and 3