Curriculum 2011 – SYG411SJ (in English)

LAUREA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Degree Programme in Health Promotion, Leadership in Family Work and in Family Health Care (Laurea Ot,
SYG411SJ

Ylemmät ammattikorkeakoulututkinnot

1 BACKGROUND TO THE DEGREE PROGRAMME

In recent years, the operating environment of social services and health care has undergone constant change.
Changes are increasingly affected by international operating environments, international mobility, a growth in life
expectency and and increase in the number of healthy years. Thus, the social service and health care sector is
faced with both challenges and new opportunities. The aging of the population and changes in municipal and
service structure bring their challenges to the public economy. On the other hand, this enables to develop new types
of innovative services, where health promotion should play a central role. In order to promote the welfare of the
population, social and health impacts need to be considered extensively in the decision-making of different
administrative fields. Supporting participation by residents can prevent social problems and promote health,
functional ability and welfare.

The municipal and service structure reform requires developing new methods, solutions and knowledge base;
evaluate service impact; prevent problems; improve customer processes; good management; and measures that
promote coping at work. Versatile use of technology and R&D activities increase the prospects of the social service
and health care sector. Service quality can be improved through research and development. Networking among
different professional groups and instances provides a way to plan the distribution of work and services. Methods of
early intervention should be developed and implemented when working with people of different ages.

The challenges and opportunities of the welfare sector apply to all operating environments in the social services and
health care field. The welfare of families has been reduced by marginalisation, increased need for child protection,
domestic violence, rise in substance abuse, lifestyle changes and mental health issues. In addition, the living
conditions and situations of families are undergoing strong change. So far, social and health care services have not
adequately managed to address the changing needs. Supporting the daily lives of families is a challenging task.
Further challenges and opportunities include new operating methods and services, such as developing low-
threshold support services, increasing presence in encounters for adults and children, developing presence in
encounters in interactive virtual environments and creating different support networks for everyday life.

The Degree Programme in Health Promotion seeks to address the challenges and opportunities of the health care
and welfare field. The main focus of the Master's degree is on management skills in family health care. Graduates
gain the degree title: Master of Health Care (Nurse), Master of Social Services, Master of Health Care (Public Health
Nurse) or Master of Health Care (Physiotherapist, only at Laurea).

2 OBJECTIVES OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMME

The degree programme is founded on research knowledge on health promotion, family health care and social
service and health care management. The Quality Recommendation of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
(2008), the Finnish Government's Child and Youth Policy Programme 2007–2011 (2007) and Child and Youth
Welfare Policy Programme (2010) as well as the Health 2015 public health programme serve as a background for
the degree programme. The degree programme adopts a broad approach to health promotion and family and family
care and its management.

The objective of the Degree Programme in Health Promotion is to enable students t become experts in the field. In
addition, the studies enable students to become experts in issues relating to workplace development, service
systems and social service and health care management. Graduates are able to develop and reform health
promotion activities of organisations in the fields of social services, health care, sports and the church on both
national and international levels. Graduates can work in management and development roles in the public sector,
organisations and as entrepreneurs. The studies provide advanced skills in research competence and enable
students to participate in different workplace development projects. Solving the challenges of the social service and
health care sector requires multidisciplinary research, development activities, expertise and national and
international cooperation.
The Master's degree in Health Promotion is aimed at graduates of social services or health care or other applicable
higher education institution degree in the field, and persons with work experience in the field of at least three years.
In social sciences, health and sport, a polytechnic Master's degree title is linked to the polytechnic basic degree title
(Decree on Polytechnics 423/2005)

3 STUDIES IN THE DEGREE PROGRAMME

3.1 Starting Points for Pedagogical Activities

Pedagogical activities of the Degree Programme in Health Promotion are based on principles that have a student-
and workplace-orientation. Students are active researchers, developers and evaluators of information structures,
experiences and competence. Students examine and evaluate the practices of health promotion and management
from different perspectives. In addition, R&D projects support both students' learning and the development of
operating models and methods for social services, health and work of the church.
The curriculum has been drawn up in accordance with level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework(EQF,
2008). In the National Qualifications Framework, level 7 and the national generic competences describe the level of
competence of Master's graduates.
• Understands comprehensive and highly specialised concepts, methods and knowledge corresponding to the
special competence in his/her field, which are used as the basis for independent thought and/or research.
Understands questions pertaining to the field and interfaces between various fields and evaluates them and new
knowledge critically.
 • Possesses the capability to solve demanding problems in research and innovation activities, where new methods
and procedures are developed and knowledge from various fields is applied and combined
• Possesses the capability for independent work in demanding expert duties in the field or as an entrepreneur.
Possesses the capability to manage and develop complex, unpredictable and new strategic approaches. Possesses
the capability to manage work and/or people.
• Possesses the capability to evaluate the activities of individuals or groups. Possesses the capability to accumulate
knowledge and practices in his/her field and/or take responsibility for the development of others.
• Possesses the capability for continuous learning. Knows how to communicate verbally and in writing both to
audiences in the field and outside it.
• Possesses the capability to communicate at an advanced international level and to interact in one official language
and at least one foreign language.

The generic competences lay a foundation for the person's participation and collaboration in working life as well as
for his/her professional development. Generic competences include: learning competence, ethical competence,
work community competence, innovative competence and international competence.

The basis for the professional growth of students lies in degree programme competences in health promotion (Table
1).

Table 1. Objectives of the Degree Programme in Health Promotion
Learning Process and Implementation of Teaching

The learning approach of the degree programme focuses on contextuality and social interaction. Learning can be
described as the relationship between experience and context. Students are seen as self-directed, active
participants, and learning targets correspond to workplace challenges. Learning is influenced by the way information
is interpreted, reflection, selection and transference, as well as evaluation of learning and evaluation of the learning
process as a whole. Continuous evaluation is a vital element of the learning process throughout the studies.
The studies are provided in the form of blended learning. Face-to-face instruction provides an opportunity for
collaborative learning and emphasises the expertise of students. The work experience of students is benefited from,
and their competence and experiences are transferred and cumulated into learning for the rest of the group.
Collaborative learning is also implemented in accordance with the principles of e-learning in an online environment.
Collaborative learning can expand into communal learning in the work communities of students. This is sought
through diverse assignments carried out in work communities. Development projects create innovative operating
and service formats as well as work and evaluation methods, which should provide maximum usability.
The students' previous studies, work experience and professional competence are the foundation for creating a
personal study plan (HOPS). Personal study planning takes place throughout the studies, as students can align
assignments according to their learning, work community needs and personal development project. In addition, the
degree programme provides a chance to advance and increase international and multicultural skills by using
international sources for assignments and participation in student exchanges. There may also be international
visiting lecturers and teachers.


STRUCTURE OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMME

Management in Family Health Care (90 cr) of the Degree Programme in Health Promotion comprises advanced
studies, elective studies and the thesis. Themes/ modules are divided into study units. ( Table 2). The aim of
advanced studies is to deepen the students' substance and R&D competence in health promotion and in the
management of family health care. (7 a § 16.6.2005/423). The thesis constitutes a vital development task, and the
advanced and elective studies should be linked to the thesis in accordance with the students' personal study plan.
Modules progress according to themes, and are integrated into R&D activities through the thesis. The thesis is a
process that spans the entire duration of the studies. Some of the studies are elective studies in line with the
student's personal study plan. (Decree 423/2005)

Table 2. Themes/Modules and Study Units
ASSESSMENT

• The degree programme implements assessment in accordance with competences as well as assessment in
accordance with the evaluation criteria of Laurea and DIAK.
• Modules with a pass are principally graded on a scale of 1 – 5
• In accordance with collaborative assessment, competence evaluation also takes into account self-evaluation and
peer evaluation of students.
• The evaluation criteria of the relevant university of applied sciences are adopted for the thesis
• Evaluation of curriculum contents and structure, student services and development project guidance is carried out
during the degree programme.


                                                                          1. year        2. year        3. year
OP               STUDIES                                                            90
0323             ETHICS AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES IN
                 FAMILY WORK AND FAMILY HEALTH CARE AND
                 IN LEADERSHIP OF IT
0324             FAMILY WELFARE AND HEALTH PROMOTION
01074            Promotion of the welfare and health of the family                   5
0325             RENEWING LEARDERSHIP
01075            Leadership and welfare of the work community                        6              4
01076            Ethics of leadership                                                4              1
01077            Communication and interaction in the leadership                     5
0326             RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
01078            Research and Development Methods                                    4              1
01079            Research and development in the promotion of the                    4              1
                 welfare and health of families
125              ELECTIVE STUDIES
01080            CRM Competence Methods in Diverse Operating                         5
                 Environments
JAT14            THESIS AS A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
00415            Thesis                                                             20             10
01072            Ethics in family work and family health care                        4              1
01073            Scientific approaches in family work and family                    10
                 nursing
                                                                                    90              0             0
0323 ETHICS AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES IN FAMILY WORK AND FAMILY HEALTH CARE AND IN
LEADERSHIP OF IT, 15 cr


0324 FAMILY WELFARE AND HEALTH PROMOTION, 5 cr


01074 Promotion of the welfare and health of the family, 5 cr

The student is able to:
•   Analyse, apply and integrate information on the health and wellbeing of people of different ages with health-
    promoting activities
•   Apply health promotion strategies on community, family, regional and national levels
•   Forecast health impacts in a preventive way
•   Function in management tasks in a way that promotes health


Contents of the study unit:
•  Health promotion approaches and methods
•  Forecasting methods in health promotion and welfare
•  Social and health policy strategies and development programmes


Study unit description:
•   Participatory work through face-to-face instruction and small group presentations, written assignments



0325 RENEWING LEARDERSHIP, 20 cr


01075 Leadership and welfare of the work community, 10 cr

The student is able to:
•   Participate in multidisciplinary organisations, work communities and networks in management tasks
•   Evaluate the field of social services, health and the work of the church as a whole as well as its processes, and
    apply this knowledge to strategic decision-making
•   Apply diverse competence management methods in work communities and organisations
•   Develop structures and methods that support the welfare of a work community or organisation
•   Improve the impact of activities by developing evidence-based practices for work, work communities and
    organisations
•   Plan, implement and evaluate the economy of operating units in social service, health care and church
    organisations


Contents of the study unit:
•  Strategic thinking, and the starting points and challenges of change management
•  Management in work communities and organisations
•  Self-management at work and in the work community
•  Management that supports the welfare of a work community
•  Supervision in work communities and organisations
•  Competence management in a diverse work community
•  Performance reviews and building a feedback culture in a work community
•  Applicable legislation
•  Financial management, economy of social services and health care in practice
•  Management thinking in family health care


Study unit description:
•   Participatory work through face-to-face instruction, assignments and presentations, workshops, management
    portfolio
•   Participation in work supervision in student groups for the duration of the studies



01076 Ethics of leadership, 5 cr

The student is able to:
•   Reflect on the values that steer their work and work community, and observe and solve ethical questions and
    problems in supervision and management work
•   Possess self-motivation and motivate the work community and team to analyse ethical activities from the
    perspectives of employee, work community and society
•   Be aware of their social responsibility, develop and evaluate ethically sustainable solutions from the
    perspectives of both individuals, organisation and society


Contents of the study unit:
•   Management ethics and values - diversity management
•   Fairness, equality and power in management
•   Ethical activities and law in family health care management
•   Ethical dimension of social responsibility
•   Study group as work community development method


 Study unit description:
•   Participatory work through face-to-face instruction, reflection diary and dialogue exam, starting a study
    group at workplace



01077 Communication and interaction in the leadership, 5 cr

The student is able to:
•   Act in diverse management situations requiring communication and interaction
•   Listen and hear others
•   Organise and create professional networks
•   Understand the principles of group and team work, work with others in multidisciplinary teams and manage
    such teams
•   Utilise information and communication technology in their work


Contents of the study unit:
•  Personal communication skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing; information and communication technology
   competence)
•  Network management and social media
•  Day-to-day communication
•  Communication in groups, teams and negotiations
•  Communication in problematic work community situations (”sore spots”)
•  Orientation to community and mentoring
•  Change communication
•  Providing and receiving feedback
•  Collaboration with media
•  Managing, planning and developing a community's integrated communication (internal and external
   communication, monitoring and perception, and internal marketing)
•  Monitoring, evaluating and developing communal communication


Study unit description:
•   Literature, personal development plan, workshops offering creative methods and video recording
0326 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, 10 cr


01078 Research and Development Methods, 5 cr

The student is able to:
•   Understand the significance of research and development in the welfare sector
•   Manage the stages of project work and plan a project
•   Understand the scientific-philosophical assumptions of research and development
•   Use interviews, observation and surveys as information gathering methods
•   Analyse qualitative and quantitative research materials appropriately
•   Know the main principles of research writing
•   Come up with development ideas and share them with others


Contents of the study unit:
•  Project management
•  Scientific-philosophical approaches
•  Descriptive qualitative and quantitative research methods
•  Research writing
•  Creating a research proposal and poster
•  Coming up with development ideas and innovations


Study unit description:
•   Reserach literature workshop, online learning, written assignments, exam



01079 Research and development in the promotion of the welfare and health of families, 5 cr

The student is able to:
 Evaluate their research and development competence
 Identify, analyse and plan development needs
 Select an appropriate strategy for a research and development project
 Apply scientific knowledge in the research and development process
 Draw up a theoretical framework for the R&D project
 Implement suitable research and development methods and analyse the results
 Critically evaluate information and activities and identify potential risks in R&D activities of the welfare sector
 Assess the impact and significance of a projectAssess the status of health, welfare and measures as well as their
impacts

Contents of the study unit:

· Action research


· Evaluation research


· Future studies


· Narrative approach
·
Study unit description:

•   Lectures, small groups, written assignments, exam



125 ELECTIVE STUDIES, 10 cr

Description:
Students use elective studies to deepen and broaden their competence in various themes and ge-neric
competences. Students should choose study units to align the content of their studies with their own personal
interests and career objectives.

Content:
Each curriculum contains a theme consisting of elective studies. In the students’ personal study plans, the theme
should be made up of the study units chosen by the student from Laurea’s language studies, Laurea’s shared
studies or another degree programme’s curriculum. Any studies completed at another higher education institution
(university of applied sciences, university, Online University of Applied Sciences, foreign institution) that cannot be
recognised for the degree programme but that the student wishes to include in the degree should be classified
under this theme. The number of credits from elective studies can be set separately for each degree programme,
tak-ing into account recommendations for the field of study. The aim is to have at least 15 cr of elective studies in
each degree programme


01080 CRM Competence Methods in Diverse Operating Environments , 5 cr

The student is able to:
yhdessä oppimisen ja opitun jakamisen erilaisissa asiantuntijayhteisöissä
-toimia erilaisissa vuorovaikutustilanteissa sekä osaa organisoida ja luoda ammatillisia verkostoja

Contents of the study unit:
sosiaali- ja terveysalalla käytettyjen työmenetelmien teoreettisten sekä käytännöllisten näkökulmien läpikäyntiä


JAT14 THESIS AS A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, 30 cr


00415 Thesis, 30 cr


01072 Ethics in family work and family health care, 5 cr

The student is able to:
•   Reflect and develop the values and attitudes that steer their own work as well as their sensitivity in observing
    ethical questions and problems in family work
•   Analyse their ethical activities in their work with individuals, families and work communities
•   As workplace developers, master the principles of ethical activities in family health care
•   Take ethical responsibility in regional partner networks as social service and health care experts




Contents of the study unit:
•  Values and attitudes
•  Ethical activities in family health care
•  Relationship of ethical theories towards family health care
•   Ethics of fairness and caring in family health care


Study unit description:
•   Participatory work through face-to-face instruction, online learning, reflection diary and dialogue exam



01073 Scientific approaches in family work and family nursing, 10 cr

The student is able to:
•   Establish their activities on theoretical and scientific approaches in family health care
•   Reflect on the role of family through various knowledge interests
•   Function communally, taking into account different cultures and social changes in family health care
•   See the resources of the customer and family as the starting point for health promotion activities
•   Evaluate the impact of activities and develop evidence-based practices in the operating environments of family
    health care
•   Establish their management activities on health promotion theory


Contents of the study unit:
•  Scientific approaches in family health care
•  Development theory, interaction and system theory as approahces
•  Family health care concepts
•  Internal and external structures and dynamics of a family
•  Different cultures, communities and society as challenges for family health care
•  Resource-orientation and empowerement in family health promotion (e.g. family centre work)
•  Evaluation methods and evidence-based practices


Study unit description:
•   Participatory work through face-to-face instruction, online learning, written assignments/exam