2011-2012 bachelor of Nursing study programme

The three-year bachelor of nursing programme is worth 180 ECTS credits. An ECTS (European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System) credit is a standard unit to express the study load of each course unit and course programme. Each ECTS credit of the nursing programme equals between 26 and 30hrs of teaching, study and assessment activities. The programme complies with the competence profile of a bachelor of nursing and with the European legislation, which reinforces our international dimension.

Extract from the Decision of the Flemish Government dated 4 February 2011

Art 1. The university colleges of the Flemish Community that offer the study programme resulting in the degree of bachelor of nursing, will comply with the conditions of the European Directive 2005/36/EC, in particular article 31 related to the study programme which will result in “responsible general nurses”.

Art. 2 The study programme resulting in the degree of bachelor of nursing which grants direct access to the registered profession of responsible general nurse, is comprised of at least 4,600 hours of theoretical and clinical training, while the theoretical training must at least represent one third and the clinical training at least half of the minimum duration of the study programme.

First course year

A solid basis is a good start to being successful in the nursing programme. These fundamentals will be covered during your first course year. The course units can be broken down into 4 learning areas:

• Nursing sciences
  Nursing basics will teach you the basic principles of hygiene, nutrition and nursing activities, which you can practice in our skills lab in a supervised setting or independently. In the coursework of Basic Concepts of Nursing you will acquire an understanding of nursing methods and the related scientific background knowledge, as well as how to develop a nursing approach.
  The biomedical sciences are translated into a nursing context. Which nursing actions are required? Why? Which core nursing elements are essential in this regard?
  Communication skills will remain a permanent element throughout your education and your career. We will offer guidelines in order to effectively deal with all communication aspects with regard to patients/clients and team members.

• Human sciences
  These course units approach nursing from various perspectives. It includes a legal and ethical framework, next to concepts of psychology and developmental psychology, and focus on social and cultural diversity, while constantly linking back to the nursing practice.
   
• Biomedical sciences
  Do you want to understand our body functions, all kinds of pathologies, how medication works and learn medical terminology? You will get all the answers in the course units Anatomy and physiology, Surgical pathology, Pharmacology, ....
   
• Work placements
  To round it all off, you will have the chance to experience real patient care during 2 periods of work placement.
  You will experience real nursing and you are allowed to perform simple care activities under close supervision. You will use all your acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is quite an experience!

Below you will find an overview of all first-year course units. The ECTS course abstracts can be found on https://portaal.khleuven.be.

Second course year

Acute and chronic care: opposites? Not at all. Acute care and chronic care complement each other and will be the focus of the 2nd course year.

• Course units acute care
  Providing acute care is one of the core tasks of a nurse. These course units offer three different perspectives: the biomedical aspect, the nursing theory, and the nursing skills, which you can practice in our skills lab either independently or in a supervised setting. The areas covered are very varied: gastroenterology, neurology, traumatology, orthopaedics, psychiatry, geriatrics, as well as blood draw, infusion and transfusion therapy.

• Course units chronic care / palliative care
  Chronic diseases and caring for chronically ill people has become a major aspect of our health care system. So, it is worthwhile to become a nurse specialised in chronic care. By means of problem-based education, students are actively involved in their learning process and cooperate in small teams. Evidence-based nursing and communication skills are an integral part of the course unit. In the history of nursing, palliative care has been a relatively new area. Society's need and the fact that it has become the subject of multiple debates have evolved in such a way that it has become a structural part of the initial nursing training.
   
• Placements
  The placements of the 2nd year will give you the opportunity to build up your practice experience during a longer period of time. Placements and theoretical course units are harmonised in such a way that knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired can be used in an integrated way. Are the placements identical to the placements during the 1st year? Of course not. At this point you are able to handle more complex care, and even the total care of a patient, and to convert theory into practice. A true challenge!
   
• Exploring your path of choice
  In this course unit, you will combine a placement related to your path of choice with a project. You will develop your information gathering and research skills.

Below you will find an overview of the course units of the 2nd year. The ECTS course abstracts can be found on https://portaal.khleuven.be

Third course year (common programme)

The common programme of the 3rd course year will focus on the competences expected of a bachelor of nursing.

In the course unit "Working as a nurse in health care" you will start with a clinical case in order to discuss the organisation of health care, quality assurance, humanitarian and nursing background, primary prevention and much more .... In the course unit "Portfolio" you will offer a personal reflection about attaining the desired competences. Feedback related to your placement and supervision feedback are the cornerstones of critical self-analysis.
The bachelor test will combine information and research skills based on the quality and quantity of scientific articles. You will use these to develop your planning and coordination activities related to care while focusing on the patient from a holistic point of view.

Common course units

Elective course units

Third course year (paths of choice)

The Leuven University College nursing programme offers 5 paths of choice.

• Geriatric nursing
  Does it appeal to you?
  The population is ageing and thus the demand for geriatric care is rising. Do you want to provide appropriate care for elderly and a dignified and comfortable living environment for them? If so, you might be the right person to instill independence in elderly with health problems and to support them in their communication with their environment and their relatives.

• Paediatric care
  Does it appeal to you?
  You have a special connection with babies, young children and adolescents. During their illness, you want to support them as much as you can together with their parents, while helping them at the same time with growing up. You are not afraid of a varied and responsible job, nor of new medical techniques.

• Psychiatric care
  Does it appeal to you?
  The human mind is tremendously fascinating .... yet sometimes fragile as well. We will teach you how to create a safe environment for people with a psychological disease or people in an emotional crisis. You will support them to such extent that they are able to be in charge of their lives again, and you will involve the family in the therapy, together with a team of care providers.

• Social nursing
  does it appeal to you?
  Those who become ill, can also get into trouble in other areas of their life. Do you want to support the client and his/her environment, socially as well as psychologically? In that case you will help them to maintain or regain their position in society.

• Hospital nursing
  Does it appeal to you?
  Providing complex care? You will have the choice between a clinical path or a medical technological path. Both paths will include follow-up of patients requiring complex treatment and care and providing adequate nursing care in a multidisciplinary environment.