About the study program

Study program for basic vocational studies for gaining a title BACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCE IN NURSING is a first level education program, lasting 3 years (6 semesters) and totaling 4060 lessons and 180 ETCS.

The structure of the study program includes theoretical and practical teaching in the form of lectures, exercises, seminars, video presentations, demonstrations in the faculties of the faculty (institutes, laboratories, clinics, institutes). Contemporary curriculum, highly professional and renowned teaching staff with great clinical and pedagogical experience, guarantee the optimal education of the profile of a professional nurse.

The total number of hours in the study program is 4060 hours, 2250 hours of active teaching (900 hours of theoretical and 1350 practical lessons), 665 lessons of other forms of instruction, 1025 lessons of professional practice and 120 hours for final work. Student engagement on each subject of the study program is indicated by the number of ETCS. The scope of the study program is expressed by ETCS and amounts to a total of 180 points.

Curriculum of the study program contains a list and structure of compulsory and elective subjects and modules, as well as their description.

• In the first semester, theoretical and practical teaching of the six compulsory subjects is carried out (Anatomy and histology, Medicine and Society, Medical Informatics and Management, Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Hygiene and Pharmacology with Toxicology) and 1 elective course (English language or Medical Legislation).
• In the second semester, the curriculum provides theoretical and practical instruction in 4 compulsory subjects (Medical Physiology and Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Pathophysiology and Pathology and Health Care).
• In the third semester, theoretical and practical teaching of the five obligatory subjects is carried out (First aid, Fundamentals of neurology with care, Basics of pediatrics with care, Fundamentals of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Basics of internal medicine with care).
• In the fourth semester, the curriculum provides theoretical and practical instruction from 6 obligatory (Dietetics, Basics of Radiology and Oncology, Geriatrics with Care, Basics of Surgery with Care, Fundamentals of Infectious Diseases with Care and Health Care Organization) and 1 elective subject (Communication Skills or Labor Medicine ).
• In the fifth semester, theoretical and practical teaching is carried out 3 compulsory subjects (General Anesthesiology and Reanimatology, Fundamentals of Psychiatry with Medical Psychology and Basics of Gynecology and Obstetrics with Care) and one of the subjects of the elective module (Elective Module 1 - Dermatovenerology, Palliative Care and Therapy, Neonatology , Family medicine and Interprofessional Education and Elective Module 2 - Urgent Medicine, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Acute Poison Clinics).
• In the sixth semester, the student has the opportunity to choose an elective subject from the list of professional-applicative subjects, within which he is advanced from the offered field through theoretical and practical teaching. Through the process of nursing during the pre-syllabus, it adopts the prescribed practical skills. At the end of the lectures taught and passed by all the program of the envisaged exams, the student approaches the final exam, that is, the preparation and defense of the final professional work.

The final exam consists of written work and his defense. By studying the subject in a selected professional subject, the student shows the knowledge of the theoretical basis and practical aspects of the problem. The topic of final professional work refers to the process of nursing within a selected professional-applicative subject. The elective subject at the final exam and the elective module determine the narrower professional profile of the student and are shown in the Diploma Supplement.

During the study program, summer professional practice is envisaged, which is done after the first and second year of study. Annual professional practice is carried out from the following subjects for the first year: Health Care and Dietetics - only for the field of Nursing Care. For the second year in one of the following subjects: Basics of pediatrics with care, Basics of neurology with care, Basics of internal medicine with care, Basics of surgery with care, Basics of infectious diseases with care. For the third year, professional practice is carried out in the sixth semester (and before defending the final work) from one of the elective subjects of the electoral block.

During the performance of the professional practice, the student is involved in the work process for the last 10 weeks in the semester during the shift work, so that he practices in the first, second or third shift. Once a week, engagement in the third shift is 5 hours (from 19h to 24h). Total number of hours of professional practice 1025.

Other classes on most subjects in the curriculum include engaging students, regardless of the hours of active teaching, in the form of independent work after the demonstration of certain method units. In this way, the student acquires the necessary skills through independent forms of instruction. This activity of the students is coordinated by the doctors of specialists in a certain field who are employed in the teaching bases of the Medical Faculty of the University of Nis.

Given that new approaches to health and health policy prioritize preventive medical activities, the study program also enables the acquisition of knowledge from the Health Care, the Organization of Health Care and Health Systems in practice, as well as education in the field of communication with health care users.

The main goal of this study program is the education of students in the field of nursing, training for care, nursing and adequate assistance to the patient in overcoming the illness, helping the patient to independently care about himself, identifying the basic symptoms and signs of the disease, and then for monitoring the safety, cost-effectiveness of nursing, safe handling of equipment, medicines and medical devices, quality care of nursing care, education of third parties in terms of health care, health promotion and prevention. In addition to acquiring the foreseen knowledge and skills, the student develops the awareness and the need for continuous, continuous learning and improvement through the mastering of the program.

At the time of the realized changes in global society, as well as in the field of health, they require a new professional staff who possesses knowledge and skills for applying new technology in the care process of the patients, as well as in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that require more complete and diverse professional knowledge of health workers.

The education of this profile resulted from harmonization of the real needs of the society and the health care system in accordance with the adopted human resource development strategy as well as from the harmonization of the higher education system with the system applied in the countries in the region and throughout Europe. In this way, students in Serbia would be allowed to transfer points during studying between different, but complementary study programs, and to the experts the possibility of employment in the European educational area.

The study program of basic vocational studies is a professional nurse / technician based on the Law on Higher Education of the Republic of Serbia, the principles of European higher education contained in the Bologna Declaration, the views and recommendations of international professional and academic associations in this field and, above all, the needs of the society for highly educated personnel who can follow the rapid development of the profession, science and practice.

Apart from a good knowledge of nursing care skills, this study program trains staff to organize the management of nursing services, both in primary health care, both in secondary and tertiary, starting from work in outpatient clinics, to highly professional work in intensive care units.

The purpose of this study program is to educate staff (professional nurse) who will fully manage professional skills at the end of their three-year education. optimal and efficient procedures, methods and techniques of patient care. The program is also designed to ensure quality in accordance with international standards by introducing a quality control system in education. Based on the provision of standardized evaluation of knowledge and skills, the level of professional competences is achieved. Also, through the implementation of defined standards in the process of evaluating knowledge, skills and professional competence of students, which are comparable to the standards of the European Union, this study program will provide graduates with equality with colleagues in the European area.