With the Dual Cooperative Study Program in Nursing (B.A.), the current three-year vocational training program in adult, pediatric, or geriatric nursing is combined and supplemented with a university of applied sciences education. The program connects three different learning environments: nursing school, university, and on-the-job practical experience. The program has been fully accredited with the official seal of the Accreditation Council and has been offered since Summer Semester 2012.

Program Aim

The program is oriented on the future occupational demands of dynamic and developing professional field of nursing. Students are given a comprehensive theory-driven and evidence-based understanding of the nursing profession and its associated preventative and health-promoting, palliative, and rehabilitative task areas. Further professional qualification in the area of office management or management of a nursing team or functional unit is also offered. In addition to technical, methodological, social-communicative, and personal skills, competency in the scientific method is especially encouraged.

Program Organization and Structure

This eight-semester program includes a total of ten modules. Each module concludes with a final module exam.

The first phase of the program (semesters 1-5) is integrated with student’s vocational training or work. During this phase, students attend courses at the university for one set day per week. The focus lies in deepening the educational/program content in the areas of nursing, health, and social sciences. In addition, students acquire the basics in taking patient information, counseling, and educating patients (“Patient Education”), health promotion, and (care) prevention.

After the completion of the student’s vocational training program in nursing, the second phase of the program (semesters 6-8) is comprised of full-time studies. The focus lies in advancing and furthering the program content learned during the first phase, as well as in conducting nursing and health-related research projects, obtaining qualification in the areas of office management, nursing- or functional team management, as well as writing the Bachelor’s thesis.

Degree

After successfully completing the program with 180 ECTS credit points, graduates are awarded the academic title of “Bachelor of Arts” (B.A.). The program qualifies students for the following career fields:

• Specialist in nursing care.
• Direct care: assessment, diagnostics, evidence-based intervention, and evaluation in complex nursing situations.
• Development and implementation of programs for specific clinical issues / standards and guidelines.
• Application-related nursing issues, e.g. pain, nutrition, continence and incontinence.
• Educating and counseling people from all age groups, including patients, residents, and caregivers.
• (Care) prevention and health promotion.
• Health Care Management (case and discharge management).

Elective Module with Certificate

Elective Module W1: Nurse Instructor

or

Elective Module W2: Nursing or Functional Unit Management

The requirements of the Rheinland-Pfalz regulations governing the further educational training of medical office managers and/or managers of nursing teams or functional units are fulfilled with the respective module.