Module categories and module content: Master of Nursing Science

8 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

This module is focused on a conceptual and theoretically informed examination of Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP). The aim is to develop a nuanced, scientifically grounded understanding of professional identity and the specific role profiles of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) within complex healthcare systems. Experiencing and contextualizing these role profiles is an important aspect of this module. Starting from Hamric and Hanson's framework model of Advanced Nursing Practice competencies, we systematically explore the core competencies: clinical expertise, counselling and coaching, evidence-based nursing, leadership, interprofessional collaboration and ethical practice. We examine the relevance of these competencies for the field of chronic care and apply them to this context.

A key element of these modules is the participatory approach to learning content. Based on their professional interests and intended role profiles, students identify their own thematic priorities and actively shape selected content within the module. This individualisation allows to link theoretical concepts with issues that are relevant for practice in the field of ‘chronic care’ and supports sustainable competence development.

Furthermore, we specifically promote self-directed learning as a key prerequisite for APNs in the sense of ‘reflective practice’. Reflective learning formats, self-study (supported by lecturers and mentors) and collaborative learning in peer groups enable students to critically navigate the learning process and to shape it on their own. The aim is to foster a learning culture that embeds autonomy, critical reflection and lifelong learning as fundamental elements of professional practice.

This module provides an in-depth understanding of key concepts relating to health equity in the context of Advanced Nursing Practice. It is focused on groups of people who experience disadvantages in healthcare, particularly LGBTQIA+ persons, people with a history of migration or refugee experience as well as persons with chronic conditions and specific experiences within the healthcare system and the social security system. The topics of racism, discrimination and intersectionality are systematically addressed and reflected upon. Students explore strategies allowing them to address inequalities in healthcare and to actively contribute to reducing them. They learn how to develop and implement approaches that promote inclusion and participation. Particular emphasis is on the role of the Advanced Practice Nurse as health advocate and representative of patients’ interests.

The courses are practice-oriented and structured in a participatory manner. Experts by experience are actively involved as teaching coaches and bring in their perspectives. Students gain insight into existing care programmes for disadvantaged groups and build networks. The module strengthens the students’ ability to advocate for health equity and to actively shape healthcare – in the spirit of an inclusive and needs-based practice.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

This module is centred on exploring APN profiles and roles. You are equipped to develop and justify your own areas of responsibility and practice within the field of Advanced Nursing Practice. You learn about frameworks that support role development, implementation and evaluation. Furthermore, you analyse exemplary innovative and integrated care models. Together with mentors, you develop ideas for future models of healthcare. 

9 ECTS, for the Master's program with 120 ECTS

The modules convey key competencies for the clinical practice of Advanced Practice Nurses. The focus is on addressing complex nursing situations guided by the nursing process.

Students advance their skills and abilities in systematic history-taking and clinical examination. They record and organise relevant information and findings concerning key organ systems as well as common somatic and mental health conditions – with a focus on chronic disease trajectories. Furthermore, they learn to analyse findings in a nuanced manner, interpret them clinically and draw well-founded conclusions for further care. Building on basic pharmacological knowledge, students deepen their pharmacological competence. They learn to critically analyse drugs and combinations. Assessing effects and side effects also receives attention. Students learn to reflect therapeutic decisions on the basis of evidence and to justify their decisions.

A further focus is the targeted development of communication skills. This involves practising and reflecting on audience-specific communication with patients and their relatives, as well as collaboration on an equal footing within interprofessional and collegial teams. The modules are case-based. They combine analogue and digital simulations. In this way, students are confronted with complex, realistic situations. They analyse and elaborate them. The practice-oriented learning environments promote clinical reasoning, decision-making skills and confidence in taking action. These competencies contribute to the quality of care for people with complex and chronic conditions.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

This module takes an in-depth look at the complex care for people with chronic conditions. When we examine chronic care models, our awareness of the experiences of people with chronic conditions extends beyond purely clinical symptoms. We obtain a holistic, existential perspective of the illness experience. In this way, we can explore how the persons affected perceive the significance of their chronic condition. This enables us to lay the foundations for an authentic and professional relationship.

Working with concept analyses and understanding their practical value has a central role in this context. 
To address existential phenomena, we explore intervention approaches from palliative care, existential care and spiritual care. Effective and sustainable measures to promote self-management require a consistent focus on the lived experience of the persons affected. It is also essential to systematically take into account the existential phenomena they experience. We outline a holistic life-world-oriented approach to promoting self-management in people with chronic conditions and their relatives – based on the three key dimensions of ‘knowledge, attitude and skills’. 

4 ECTS, for the Master' program with 120 ECTS

In this module, students learn to use professional communication as a key tool for efficacy and 
relationship-building in their role as Advanced Practice Nurse. They more deeply understand how to use communication techniques in complex clinical and social situations in a goal-oriented and person-centred way. They train and reflect on strategies and methods for person-centred conversation and needs-based counselling. 
This enables them to provide continuous nursing care for people with chronic conditions. They practise and reflect on strategies and methods for person-centred communication and needs-based counselling. This enables them to ensure continuous nursing support for people with chronic conditions. Furthermore, they also learn how to effectively promote health-enhancing behaviours and preventive measures. They develop a reflective and sustainable culture of feedback. Thereby, they meet the communication requirements of an APN role. This role promotes intra- and interprofessional collaboration. It has a positive impact on clinical decision-making, quality assurance and team development.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this workshop module, students systematically develop their ethical sensitivity. The aim is to analyse as a future Advanced Practice Nurse the moral relevance of situations and to identify ethical conflicts at an early stage. Building on their advanced competencies and skills, students learn to assess and address such situations effectively. In doing so, they take on an active and central role in ethical decision-making by providing competent professional support, advice and guidance to patients, their relatives and the interprofessional team.
Possible workshop topics include: ethical reasoning and conduct, Advance Care Planning, ethical responsibility, the tension between ethics and law, attitudes and ethical conflicts in person-centred care for people with dementia, dignity, care ethics and ethical leadership. The workshop with a focus on ‘Ethical reasoning and conduct’ serves as a foundation and is therefore compulsory. Students may select three further workshops according to their own interests. Each workshop lasts two days and is worth 1 ECTS credit. To pass the module, it is necessary that students attend three to four workshops during the course of their studies.

To strengthen the transfer to practice and to ensure the acquisition of clinical competencies, our Master’s program includes three targeted clinical internships. They offer you the opportunity to tailor your practical experience to your individual needs and to align the internships to your personal career plans and development goals. It is particularly important for the orientation of the clinical profile that you complete these internships in your specific clinical field. This ensures that you gain practical experience directly adjusted to your future professional activities as an Advanced Practice Nurse. The internships are integrated into a supervising process that offers you comprehensive practical guidance. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to reflect your experiences in a structured supervision. This combination of practical experience and reflective guidance enables you to develop your clinical skills in a targeted manner. It also ensures that you are optimally prepared for your professional future.

Practice 1*

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 120 ECTS

During your first internship, you gain exemplary practical experience at one of our partner institutions in the field of long-term care. The focus is on applying and reflecting on the nursing process associated with Advanced Nursing Practice in a real-life care situation. Under the professional supervision of Advanced Practice Nurses and nursing experts, you acquire the competence to systematically assess and elaborate complex nursing situations. This includes in-depth history-taking, physical examination, as well as clinical reasoning and clinical decision-making. Shared decision-making, person-centred communication and evidence-based care planning are also part of the internship.

Practice 2 (in-depth internship)

6 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

As part of your studies, you have the opportunity to engage intensively with new professional roles, competencies and tasks. It is our aim that you transfer the theoretical knowledge of your studies to a self-selected field of practice, where you can apply, extend and deepen it. You can gain this valuable experience either at home or abroad. Possible fields of deployment include Advanced Nursing Practice in all areas of healthcare, empirical research, teaching or specific organisations of the healthcare and nursing system.

Practice 3 (specialisation internship)*

5 ECTS, for the Master's program with 120 ECTS

During the specialisation internship, you spend 15 days at a healthcare institution. Here, you refine the skills you have trained in the module ‘Advanced clinical assessment, clinical decision-making and pharmacology’. You decide for yourself in which specialist area you wish to refine your clinical skills. Mentors from the institution and lecturers from the university support you in this process.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, we offer you a comprehensive introduction to the world of evidence synthesis. You learn how to formulate a precise research question, to select the appropriate study design and to conduct a systematic literature search. You also receive an introduction to the critical appraisal of studies, to data analysis and synthesis. Furthermore, you make yourself familiar with the management and dissemination of evidence syntheses. Our aim is that, by the end of the module, you are familiar with various types of evidence synthesis, you can apply selected methods, are capable to interpret the results and to use them to inform clinical decision-making.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

The APN’s research-based approach requires a sound understanding of descriptive and inductive statistical methods, particularly multivariate methods. In this module, you acquire the ability to apply statistical methods in practice. This ensures that you are well prepared to critically evaluate research findings and to present or explain the results of your analysis in a way that is appropriate for the target audience.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

An in-depth understanding of various research methods is essential for APNs to conduct and evaluate studies or projects on their own. In this module, you receive a basic introduction to methodology and methods in qualitative nursing research. Together, we discuss the fundamental principles of qualitative research. You have the opportunity to learn, apply and critically reflect on various qualitative and interpretative research methods. Furthermore, we offer workshops that address topics and issues relating to the entire qualitative research process – from planning to data collection and analysis. We also explore overarching questions and approaches together.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, you familiarize yourself with the theoretical foundations for understanding the variety of quantitative research designs and methods. You find out how to formulate precise quantitative research questions and how to move from a theoretical construct to measurement. You explore commonly used quantitative research designs. In addition, you critically examine the quality criteria of methods and studies. Another key focus is on the interpretation of research findings and on their implications for practice and research.

4 ECTS, for the Master's thesis with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, you are equipped to effectively and sustainably integrate the latest research findings into various healthcare structures. The focus is on analysing and adjusting the factors that are conducive or obstructive to the implementation context. The module also covers the development of appropriate strategies for implementation and de-implementation. It bridges the gap between theory and practice, offering you valuable insights to actively, critically and responsibly influence practice development and transformation processes.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, you make yourself familiar with the analysis and impact of health-related behaviours – at an individual and collective level. You explore the psychosocial foundations of illness and coping. The aim is to equip you with knowledge and skills to support people in maintaining or regaining their mental health in the long term. The focus is on various concepts that provide you, as nursing professionals, with the necessary foundations and skills for your clinical practice. Through self-experience as well as learning and practising skills and techniques (e.g., mindfulness and self-efficacy), you contribute to the health of others – while also promoting your own mental health.
 

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, you gain an in-depth understanding of the crucial role of communication in the context of adherence therapy. A practice-oriented approach enables you to acquire comprehensive skills for effectively communicating with people and thereby strengthening therapy adherence. You learn the basic principles of patient-centred communication. You also practice culturally sensitive conversational techniques and apply motivating interview approaches. Furthermore, you learn how to use technology for supporting adherence and how to strengthen interprofessional communication to ensure holistic care. There is a particular focus on developing your communication skills, on strengthening the therapeutic relationship, on managing non-adherence and developing strategies for communication in crisis situations. 

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 120 ECTS

In the multi-faceted professional worlds of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs), abilities and skills for developing nursing practice are of fundamental importance. In this module, you focus on shaping the nursing process according to the principles of person-centred care. Thereby, the care and support of people with chronic conditions, of their families, and of the nurses themselves are at the centre of nursing practice.

One of the core competencies is initiating change in response to the needs of people requiring care. In this module, you are encouraged and supported to perceive, understand, evaluate, and actively shape practice settings as critically thinking, reflective and autonomous experts, 

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, you learn to understand the relationships between health, healthcare systems, and economic framework conditions. The growing cost pressure in healthcare requires knowing how to manage scarce resources to meet as many healthcare needs as possible. The discipline of “health economics” addresses issues related to the production, distribution, and consumption of limited healthcare services. To be effective in an APN role, it is essential to understand what drives the supply and demand for healthcare services. 

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

For you as an Advanced Practice Nurse, the guiding ideal of this module is to form visionary and competent leaders who can make a lasting impact in the complex and ever-changing world of healthcare. 
The module is intended to prepare nursing professionals with a strong leadership responsibility to shape and improve nursing organisations of the future.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, you acquire political and legal knowledge in the specialised field of health law. You learn how to navigate legal regulations, particularly in the areas of professional law and social law. In addition, you become familiar with the relevant legal bases for claims. You can classify legal issues in the context of interdisciplinary collaboration.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, you gain an overview of leadership support tools such as coaching, mentoring, supervision, various forms of communication, facilitation, workshops, etc. You can assess which tools are appropriate for a given situation. Furthermore, you understand the importance of respectful and balanced intercultural communication that takes place as a dialogue. You recognise that interprofessional aspects require special consideration. In this context, you are able to critically examine and reflect on your own communication behaviour within multi-professional teams. You can give constructive feedback and to accept and act on feedback regarding your own behaviour.

4 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

Technologisation, digitalisation, and robotisation have a significant impact on living and working environments in the healthcare system. This module offers you the opportunity to explore in-depth whether and how digital, technical, and robotic approaches can be integrated into complex care situations and everyday life. You examine and discuss the effects of this integration on the relationships between people needing care, their relatives, and professionals. There is a particular focus on opportunities and challenges arising from the use of new technologies. The aim of the module is to develop a deep understanding of the dynamic changes taking place in the healthcare sector and to elaborate practice-oriented approaches to solutions.

The content of this module will be provided shortly. 

The content of this module will be provided shortly. 

5 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

In this module, you acquire the necessary competencies to plan a research or evaluation project that is based on your own research question. This serves as the ideal preparation for the research project of your Master’s thesis.

15 ECTS, for the Master's program with 90 ECTS and 120 ECTS

Within the framework of this module, you make your own contribution to application-oriented research and development in the field of nursing. Thereby, you prove your ability to be self-reliant in developing solutions to problems on a scientific basis. In your Master’s thesis, you show that you are able to develop a research question and to investigate it scientifically. You present the results of your analysis in written form and defend them orally.