Child and Adolescent Care

• Cognitive Development in Children According to Piaget's Stages Model
• Motor development in children
• Language Development in Children
• Psychosocial Development
• Care of Newborns and Infants
• Observation of healthy children (vital signs, skin color, sleep patterns, digestion)
• Clinical Assessment in a Pediatric Setting
• SIDS Prevention
• Fever and fever-reducing measures, febrile seizures
• Crying—Crying Baby
• Adjustment disorders in newborns
• Bonding in Newborns
• Transition from the role of a couple to the role of parents
• Care measures for mildly ill children, including guidance for caregivers
• Accident prevention and first aid for children (e.g., aspiration, poisoning, and falls)
• Friedemann, Viewing the Family from a Systemic Perspective
• Communication and counseling aspects
• Complementary care and complementary medicine interventions in pediatric and adolescent care

• Students define the concept of family in the context of child and adolescent care, understand the importance of the family, apply this knowledge in various care situations, in doing so, they discuss theories and concepts related to the family as the foundation for family care, recognize the connection between the family system and a child's behavior, and respond to the problems that arise from this in the context of care

• Students describe the individual stages of cognitive, linguistic, motor, and psychosocial development from birth to age 18 and illustrate their significance for the child and his or her caregivers. They apply this knowledge of development to their daily nursing practice and base their nursing interventions on it.

• Graduates describe developmental delays, differentiate these from age-appropriate development, design care according to principles that promote development and guide caregivers in this regard.

• The graduates name vital signs in all age groups, determine values at the different palpation points depending on the age of the child and evaluate the results obtained; they recognise the change in skin colour or skin changes in newborns and describe assessment criteria in this respect, define the physiological body temperature of a child, assess fever signs and are able to evaluate these in relation to fever and set appropriate care measures.

• Students provide professional, needs-based care for newborns and infants. This includes, in particular, ensuring a safe sleep environment and SIDS prevention, supporting digestion, and identifying the causes of an infant's crying, handling, managing adjustment difficulties, promoting bonding, accident prevention, health-promoting measures, and supporting caregivers as they transition into parenthood.

• Graduates are familiar with selected complementary care and complementary medicine interventions in the context of pediatric and adolescent care and can explain their mechanisms of action, indications, and possible contraindications in a professionally sound manner.

• Students will be familiar with and understand the fundamentals of pediatric clinical assessment, practice the systematic collection and evaluation of relevant clinical findings, and apply the assessment to children and adolescents independently, in a structured manner, and in an age-appropriate way.

Mainly activating methods

Final exam

• Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding Support
• Formula Feeding
• Administration and Preparation of Formula
• Solid Foods
• Administration of Complementary Foods
• Baby-led weaning
• Food for Toddlers
• Healthy Nutrition in Childhood
• Special Diets for Children (gastroenteritis, celiac disease, metabolic disorders such as PKU, etc.)
• Communication and Counseling Regarding Nutrition

• Students describe the importance of breast milk and breastfeeding, and provide advice and guidance to mothers on breastfeeding management

• Students analyze healthy, age-appropriate nutrition (formula, complementary foods, children's nutrition) from birth through age 18; they are able to prepare these foods and apply this knowledge when counseling and guiding caregivers.

• Students distinguish between different types of diets for children and ensure compliance with applicable regulations when administering them

• Students assess the child's nutritional status and conduct a counseling session with the child and caregivers regarding healthy, age-appropriate nutrition during childhood

Mainly activating methods

Final exam

• Prenatal Development
• Preterm Birth: Epidemiology, Causes, Characteristics, and Complications
• Monitoring Parameters in Neonatology
• Pharmacology in Neonatology
• Stress and Pain Management in Preterm and Sick Newborns: Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Care Measures

• Students describe prenatal development, identify aspects of preterm birth based on this information, recognize causes, and cite epidemiological data.

• Students assess the vital signs of premature infants, taking into account the physiological characteristics of prematurity

• Students explain pharmacological interventions in neonatology, calculate drug dosages, and administer medications while taking into account the specific characteristics of neonatology.

• Students explain the specific characteristics of pain and stress perception in preterm and newborn infants, assess and evaluate pain and stress using appropriate observation and assessment tools, identify indicators of pain and stress as well as possible consequences, and explain pharmacological and non-non-pharmacological measures for reducing pain and stress.

Theory input through various media tools (presentations, video clips, etc.)

Predominantly activating methods (case analyses, discussions)

Final exam

• A Life-World-Oriented Approach for Children with Chronic Illnesses
• Care Models for Chronic Illnesses, e.g., Corbin & Strauss
• Explanatory Models of Illness
• Effects of the illness on daily life (striving for autonomy vs. dependence)
• Effects of the illness on the family system (risk of poverty, leisure activities, isolation)
• Coping strategies of families
• Psychosocial resources of children and adolescents
• Discharge management in a pediatric setting
• Children with polyarthritis—nursing considerations related to chronic pain (perception, assessment, non-pharmacological measures for pain relief)

• Drawing on a selected theoretical model, students analyze the effects of chronic childhood illnesses on the child and his or her support system across all areas of life. Using the example of a child with bronchial asthma, students work with the family to develop appropriate support options and accompany family processes throughout the course of the illness, assess these processes, and support the family system within the framework of the systemic process in coping with the illness (doubts, fears, feelings of guilt), in developing self-determination and a desire for autonomy, and, together with the child, develop age-appropriate and context-oriented strategies

• Students plan theory-based nursing interventions for chronically ill children according to systemic, age- and development-related criteria based on current scientific findings, implement these interventions professionally, and evaluate them.

• Students analyze the coping strategies used by families with children and adolescents who have chronic illnesses and deduce their significance for coping with the illness and family adjustment

• Students identify and assess nursing phenomena, the psychosocial resources of children and adolescents, and their support system, and take these factors into account when planning supportive interventions

• Students analyze the requirements for professional discharge management in a pediatric setting and, together with the relevant professional groups and families, plan the necessary measures to ensure continuity of care

• Students describe and assess the effects of chronic pain—using the example of a child with polyarthritis—on the child and his or her support system; they plan appropriate interventions as part of an interprofessional team, implement them, evaluate the interventions, and adjust them as necessary.

Mainly activating methods

Continuous assessment

• Nursing care for selected medical conditions, such as inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) disorders, seizure disorders, hydrocephalus, infantile cerebral palsy, and spina bifida/meningomyelocele.
• Care for infants, children, and adolescents following the placement of a cerebral shunt or related surgical correction.
• Specialized management of spasticity and dysphagia in infants, children, and adolescents with neuropediatric conditions
• Needs assessment, education, and counseling for family members regarding the provision of care for children and adolescents with neuropediatric conditions in both inpatient and outpatient settings
• Discharge planning and coordination with mobile services
• Assessment of alertness, cognition, and perception, and recognition of signs of increased intracranial pressure
• Assessing the need for support in cases of visual and hearing impairments and determining appropriate nursing interventions, as well as identifying educational and counseling needs for patients, their families, and caregivers
• Measures for neuropediatric rehabilitation, remobilization, and resocialization of infants, children, and adolescents
• Family-oriented rehabilitation
• Inclusion of children and adolescents with physical and/or intellectual disabilities
• Family adaptation management in cases of long-term stress
• Aspects of transcultural nursing and ethical considerations related to neuropediatric conditions

• Students assess the nursing resource and need areas of infants, children, and adolescents with physical and/or intellectual disabilities in selected neuropediatric conditions (such as meningitis, seizure disorders, hydrocephalus, infantile cerebral palsy, and spina bifida/meningomyelocele, including signs of alertness, cognition, perception, and increased intracranial pressure), and plan and evaluate nursing interventions in collaboration with their families or caregivers and based on current scientific evidence; they identify existing resources and support needs in family adaptation management, take transcultural aspects into account, and assess educational and counseling needs in both inpatient and outpatient care settings

• Students distinguish between the concepts of rehabilitation, remobilization, and resocialization, and discuss the resulting needs and potential resources of infants, children, and adolescents, as well as their families and caregivers.

• Graduates assess the cognitive development of infants, children and adolescents, compare the assessments with the age-appropriate developmental level and understand the vulnerable life situation of infants, children and adolescents with mental and/or physical disabilities and develop strategies to represent the needs and requirements of the cared for persons and their family and reference systems on a social level, thus promoting inclusion.

mainly activating methods, group exercises, practical exercises, problem-based learning

Final exam

• Fundamentals of Developmental Psychology, with a Special Focus on Cognitive and Social Developmental Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Behavior Disorders
• Hospitalism and deprivation
• Child Endangerment and Removal of Children from Care
• Early childhood attachment disorders, colic, and shaken baby syndrome
• Emotional abuse, parentification, and the phenomenon of young carers
• Outpatient counseling and support services and facilities for the protection of child welfare, using the example of family support workers
• Care for Infants, Children, and Adolescents in the Context of Out-of-Home Placement, Crisis Intervention, and Institutional Care in Children's Homes
• Nursing care for substance abuse and support for the family and support system, including drug prevention
• Nursing Care for School Absenteeism and Support for the Family and Social Network, Including Bullying Prevention
• Nursing care for enuresis and encopresis, and counseling and education for families and support networks regarding related nursing care
• Nursing care for selected clinical conditions in child and adolescent psychiatry, such as eating disorders and personality development disorders, as well as the resulting nursing care based on the DBT-A concept
• Acute crises in children and adolescents, suicidal behavior and suicide prevention in childhood and adolescence, and the resulting nursing care
• Minors and adults, legal capacity, liability law, legal competence, and the legal framework for youth welfare, including the Placement Act and measures restricting liberty in childhood and adolescence
• Professional roles within interprofessional and multiprofessional teams in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including historical developments
• Family crises and family-dynamic adjustment processes in the wake of crises
• Family adaptation management in the face of long-term stressors affecting children with disabilities, children with chronic illnesses, and children with psychosomatic or psychiatric disorders
• New media and digitalization as health risks and their associated potential for health promotion

• Students distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate behavior in children and adolescents by referring to theories in developmental psychology; assess the risks and evaluate the effects of defensive family dynamics on infants, children, and adolescents; and are familiar with prevention strategies and options for crisis intervention.

• Students assess acute crises in infancy, childhood, and adolescence and apply counter-regulatory measures in accordance with the legal framework governing youth welfare and liability law; they assess the needs of infants, children, and adolescents who are in institutional care in children's homes, derive needs-based care measures from these assessments, and plan and evaluate these measures while taking family dynamics into account

• Students assess the nursing resource and need areas of infants, children, and adolescents with psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders (e.g., enuresis, encopresis, school absenteeism, bullying, and substance abuse); they are able to plan and evaluate needs-based nursing interventions that incorporate the family and social support systems, based on current scientific findings, and discuss preventive and health-promoting strategies in their various living environments at the individual, family, and societal levels, with reference to the various stages of prevention

• Students reflect on and discuss their role in interprofessional and multiprofessional teams, drawing on contemporary developments in both the intramural and extramural sectors.

• Students compare the advantages and disadvantages of new media and digitization and engage in a nuanced discussion of their effects on children, adolescents, and their families and support systems

Predominantly with active methods through lectures, group work, discussion, work assignments with feedback, case solutions, problem-based learning.

Continuous assessment

• Introduction to the Academic College Course and the Learning Environment
• Overview of the Curriculum and Semester Schedule
• The ECTS System and Workload Planning
• Team Building and Communication Guidelines for the Cohort
• Presentation of the HCW Guide to AI Applications
• Overview of Common AI Tools Useful for Everyday Academic Life
• Data Protection Principles for Using AI Tools
• Critical Reflection: Opportunities (efficiency, learning support) and Limitations (susceptibility to errors and lack of context sensitivity) of AI in the Learning Process
• Historical Milestones in Pediatric Nursing
• Current Job Profile for Pediatric Nursing in Austria: Legal Foundations (e.g., GuKG), Areas of Practice, Competency Profile
• Overview of Different Nursing Qualification Profiles in an International Comparison

• Students establish targeted (cross-program) learning networks at the new learning location and define roles, communication channels, and rules for collaboration within their cohort.

• Students analyze the curriculum and course structure, determine the workload and milestone schedule, and create a semester plan (ECTS conversion, buffer times).

• Students are familiar with the HCW's guidelines on AI use and apply selected AI tools in a thoughtful and compliant manner (e.g., with regard to data protection and ethics), critically assessing their potential and limitations for their own learning and skill development.

• Students outline the historical development of pediatric nursing and describe the current job profile as well as its key areas of practice within a national context.

• Students compare the national job profile for pediatric nursing with international developments and standards.

• Interactive Introductory Session
• Group Work / Team Building (across university programs, including psychiatric health and nursing)
• Peer learning

Continuous assessment

Overview of nursing focal points in the context of pediatric oncological diseases

• Significance of an oncological disease for the child/adolescent and his/her reference system in physical, psychological, emotional and social terms (bullying, regression, loss of developmental milestones, cancer survivor)
• Effects of oncological therapies on ATLs (nutrition, mucositis, excretions...)
• Specifics of pain management in pediatric oncological care
• Observation, recognition of reactions as well as nursing interventions in bone marrow depression (immunosuppression), stem cell transplantation
• The care of central venous catheters in oncological pediatrics (Broviac catheter or Hickman catheter, Port-à-Cath (PAC))
• Guidelines for the handling of cytostatic drugs as well as special features during administration
• Advice, training and guidance for families

Psychosocial care in a multi-professional and interdisciplinary context (e.g. school, kindergarten teachers, music therapy, social workers) with a focus on the entire family.

Humour concepts in paediatric nursing in the context of a life-threatening illness

• Students describe the effects and side effects/consequences of various oncological treatment methods and use this information to determine the nursing care needs (e.g., nutrition, mucositis, infections, special hygiene rules, central venous access, chemotherapy) for a child with cancer

• Students prepare children, adolescents, and their family members for any potential long-term effects and describe the psychosocial care provided to a child with cancer and his or her family

• Students describe forms of support that facilitate a positive coping process in the context of pediatric oncology

Mainly activating methods

Continuous assessment: Written or oral final examination

• perioperative care of children
• Peripheral venous access
• drains, catheters and probes in children
• distancing of the child including shame
• Perioperative anxiety of children
• Acute pain including assessment tools
• Administration of medication in children
• Non-violent restraint of children during medical and nursing interventions
• Monitoring of operated and cardiac children
• Observation criteria of the cardiovascular system in children and resulting nursing measures
• Specific nursing measures for children with heart disease
• Role of the nurse in diagnosis and therapy of operated and heart diseased children

• The graduates explain nursing actions in perioperative care, relate them to the developmental stages of children and explain the requirements of perioperative care to caregivers.

• The graduates analyse the differences and similarities in peripheral venous access, surgical interventions, acute pain conditions (including pain management), drains, catheters, probes and medications of adults and children and derive the nursing measures for children from this.

• The graduates describe the distance zones in adults and relate this to children, explain the significance of fear of surgical interventions, apply suitable compensation options for this and describe non-violent restraints in medical and nursing interventions and apply these in nursing situations.

• Graduates perform the criteria for assessing the cardiovascular system in connection with respiration, pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation and apply resulting nursing measures

• The graduates analyse differences and similarities in the diagnosis and therapy of adults and children with heart disease, derive resulting nursing measures and define the role of the nurse.

Mainly activating methods

Final exam

• Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in the 21st Century from the Perspective of Pediatrics
• Cultural, religious and intra-familial diversity, social factors and their influence on child health
• Hereditary factors/congenital malformations/pregnancy-related diseases and their influence on child health
• Communication, physical examination, developmental assessment
• Pain - assessment and management
• "Classic" childhood illnesses and other common infectious diseases of infancy
• Adaptation and health-promoting measures in the healthy newborn or mother
• Family-centered care of the infant (in the 1st year of life)
• Family-centered care of the toddler and preschool child (1-6 years of age)
• Focus topic Special problems of early childhood
• Family-centred care of the school child (6-14 years)
• Family-centered care of the adolescent
• Family-centered care of the child with chronic/complex illness, disability, life-limiting and life-threatening condition
• Impact of cognitive/sensory impairment (disability) on child and family
• The child in the inpatient setting of the hospital
• The child with renal dysfunction
• The child with a gastrointestinal disorder

• The child with a respiratory tract disorder

• The child with heart disease
• The child with a (benign) haematological or immunological disease
• The transplanted child

• The child with cancer
• The child with (acute) neurological symptoms
• The child with an endocrine disease
• The child with a metabolic disorder

• The child with a skin disease
• The child with a musculo-skeletal disease, joint disease
• The child with a (neuro-)muscular disease
• Global challenges-Outlook
• A better future for children (data WHO, Unicef, Statistik Austria)

• Students describe the most common health problems in childhood, their causes, diagnostic steps, therapeutic interventions, and treatment pathways, and explain the immunization schedule and vaccination recommendations.

• Students describe the effects of acute, chronic, and complex diseases, disabilities, and life-limiting and life-threatening conditions on children and their families; apply knowledge from general pathology to pediatrics; and distinguish between disease-related and treatment-related differences between children and adults

• Students identify various clinical presentations in a pediatric setting (kidneys, heart, brain, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal tract, transplants, respiratory tract, congenital anomalies, endocrinology, infections, and acute, life-threatening, and chronic diseases). They acquire fundamental knowledge of procedures for selected pediatric medical and surgical conditions in an inpatient setting and, in doing so, define their role within the multidisciplinary team.

• Students describe the specific challenges associated with pain in childhood and distinguish them from the challenges associated with pain in adults

• Students identify the effects of poverty, displacement, and migration—including cultural, religious, and intrafamilial diversity—on a child's health and their support system

• Students examine the effects of social media on children's health and their social environment and identify global challenges to the health of children and adolescents in the context of pediatrics

Mainly activating methods

Final exam

Scientific thinking and research:

< Deepening scientific thinking, argumentation and working methods

< Translating complex practical problems into precise, scientifically based research questions

< Reflection on responsibility and integrity in the scientific knowledge process

Information literacy and literature evaluation:

< Strategic and efficient literature research in subject-specific and interdisciplinary databases

< Assessing scientific sources according to quality and relevance criteria (level of evidence, methodology, topicality, peer review)

< Structured organization of literature with the help of literature management tools

< In-depth understanding of scientific citation logic and its ethical, methodological and institutional significance

Scientific text production and communication:

<Planning, structuring and writing scientific text samples in compliance with international citation and formatting standards

< Application of argumentation-logical and evidence-based writing techniques

< Developing a coherent scientific line of argument in your own specialist context

Digital and AI-supported tools in science:

< Critical reflection on the use of AI-based and digital tools in the research process

< Application of AI-supported systems for research, structural and text support, taking into account transparency, traceability and scientific ethical principles

• Students reflect on responsibility, integrity, and the ethical dimensions of scientific inquiry and apply the guidelines for good scientific practice independently and in accordance with established standards in their own work.

• Students conduct strategic research in subject-specific databases, critically evaluate sources based on quality and relevance criteria, and document their selection in a transparent manner.

• Students write structured, logically coherent academic texts and cite sources in accordance with the applicable guidelines.

• Students use digital and AI-supported systems to assist with research and writing processes in a critically reflective manner, ensuring transparency, traceability, and ethical responsibility.

Mainly activating methods

Continuous assessment

Deepening Evidence-Based Decision-Making Processes in a Profession-Specific Context

• Application and reflection on evidence-based decision-making models in specific settings

• Critical evaluation of evidence in the context of practice, organization, and resources

• Dealing with incomplete or heterogeneous evidence

Evidence-Based Decision-Making Processes

• Structured questions

• Decision-making logic in EBN

Evidence integration

• Combining multiple studies (“narrative synthesis light”)

• Dealing with conflicting evidence

Deriving recommendations

• From evidence → action

• Rationale

Development of practical products

• Development of guidelines for action / recommendations

• Adaptation to target groups

Contextualization

• Setting-specific requirements (psychiatry, child and adolescent, geriatrics, etc.)

• Organization, resources, feasibility

• Students analyze complex, profession-specific problems and use appropriate formats (e.g., PICO) to formulate structured, evidence-based research questions with a clear reference to the clinical setting.

• Students synthesize the findings of several relevant studies into a well-reasoned overall conclusion and evaluate the quality, validity, and generalizability of the evidence for the respective care scenario, including how to handle conflicting or limited evidence.

• Students independently derive context-specific, clearly justified recommendations for action and reflect on them within the context of evidence, professional expertise, and organizational and ethical frameworks.

• Students develop evidence-based practice guidelines tailored to specific audiences and settings, and reflect on their feasibility in the respective care context as a basis for further elaboration.

Lecture using interactive teaching methods

Continuous work on a real-world problem
Preparation for the thesis

Final exam

• Basal Stimulation in a Pediatric Setting
  • Components (Attitude, Competence, Technique) of Basal Stimulation® in Children
  • Experiences and basal stimulation interventions in the somatic, vibratory, vestibular, auditory, audiorhythmic, oral/olfactory, tactile-haptic, and visual domains
  • Basic principles and aspects of high-quality touch, consistency of touch, and contact intensity in children
  • Programs that foster self-expression, support development, and accompany periods of withdrawal
  • Boundary-setting positioning
• De-escalation measures and communication strategies for psychiatric disorders in pediatric settings, involving caregivers: ADHD, borderline personality disorder, and anorexia
• De-escalation strategies for pediatric patients with psychiatric disorders and their caregivers in the context of psychopharmacological treatment
• Skills to Promote Adherence
• Trauma-Informed Care
• Sensory Integration

• Students apply skills in a nursing setting to promote adherence among pediatric and psychiatric patients and their caregivers in a situation- and case-specific manner as part of a simulation.

• Students identify symptoms and challenging behaviors in pediatric patients, associate them with a specific clinical picture, and use this information to determine the necessary interventions for pediatric nursing (using ADHD, anorexia, and borderline personality disorder as examples).

• Students select appropriate concepts—such as basal stimulation, sensory integration, and trauma-informed care—tailored to the situation, age, and patient in pediatric and psychiatric settings; apply these concepts; and evaluate the impact of the implemented measures in terms of well-being, orientation, body awareness, communication, and patient safety, and reflect on their own nursing practice.

• When working with pediatric patients with psychiatric disorders and their caregivers in the context of psychopharmacological treatment, students communicate in a de-escalating, respectful, and situation-appropriate manner. They recognize signs of tension and escalation early on, apply appropriate de-escalation strategies, and take into account the individual developmental level, autonomy, and needs of the patients as well as their caregivers.

• Students assess the appropriateness of their own communicative and de-escalation strategies, taking into account patient safety, autonomy, developmental stage, and relationship-building.

Simulation and Skills Training

Continuous assessment

• ERC Guidelines for Pediatrics
• Pediatric Emergencies
• Paediatric Life Support
• Emergency carts, emergency kits
• Specialized pediatric skills
• Fundamentals of Professional Communication with Children and Caregivers
• Developmentally Appropriate Communication with Infants, Children, and Adolescents
• Family-centered care and communication in an interprofessional care setting
• Communication models, evidence-based conversation techniques, and the promotion of participatory decision-making processes (e.g., active listening, shared decision-making
• Verbal and nonverbal communication
• Conducting, analyzing, and reflecting on realistic case studies from pediatric nursing practice and one's own communication using structured debriefing methods
• Transferring simulation experiences to clinical practice
• Kinesthetic infant handling: Principles of kinesthetic infant handling
• Process of active motor learning
• Handling during movement in bed, positioning, movement of the pelvis and upper body, sitting, transfers, and mobilization of children

• Students apply their existing knowledge of BLS and ALS in adult care to the pediatric setting, are familiar with current guidelines regarding pediatric emergency management, recognize emergency situations, and act in accordance with established standards (e.g., selecting age-appropriate equipment)

• Students choose appropriate ways to communicate with their caregivers

• Students define the sequence of a simulation training session, including stressful emergency situations; apply “closed-loop” communication during the simulation in a respectful manner, define the components of Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support and apply them in the simulation, reflect on their behavior (their own and that of others) during the simulation, and identify areas for improvement

• Students plan, design, evaluate, and analyze professional communication situations and processes in challenging care settings involving children and their caregivers, taking into account developmental psychological, family-related, ethical, and nursing aspects.

• Students apply evidence-based communication models and conversation techniques in a manner appropriate to the situation

• Students recognize emotional stress responses in children and caregivers and use appropriate communication strategies to provide support and help them stabilize

• Students use structured simulations and debriefings to analyze, reflect on, and further develop their own communication skills

• Students explain the principles of the Kinesthetic Infant Handling concept and its relevance for children, apply techniques from this concept in accordance with the child's needs and resources, train caregivers in its implementation, distinguish it from adult care, and compare the methods.

Primarily using active methods

Continuous assessment

• The 6 R Rule – Patient Safety
• Risk Management and Communication in Acute Care Settings
• CRM (e.g., Speak Up, Closed Loop)
• Medication Safety
•  

• Students identify and analyze potential sources of error in medication administration and use this information to identify risks to patient safety

• Students evaluate the administration of medication in terms of compliance with safety standards and reflect on their own actions

• Students evaluate the quality of their own communication and the effectiveness of closed-loop and speaking-up communication in relation to patient safety

• Students apply the 6-R rule when preparing, checking, and administering medications in simulated nursing situations

• Students analyze and evaluate complex requirements for medication administration in pediatric settings, taking into account the responsibilities associated with initiating and carrying out treatment, and plan these procedures while considering age- and development-related understanding, individual needs, and the increasing autonomy of children and adolescents.

• Students develop and design evidence-based guidance, instruction, and training programs tailored to specific target groups and situations instructional, and training programs in the context of medication administration for children, adolescents, and their caregivers, and evaluate their effectiveness in terms of medication safety, treatment adherence, and self-management skills.

• Students analyze and assess specific risks associated with drug therapy in children and adolescents—particularly off-label use, age- and weight-based dosages, as well as medication errors—and use this analysis to develop evidence-based measures to ensure medication safety in pediatric settings.

Simulation/Skills Training (KIH)

Continuous assessment

• Initial Care of Preterm and Newborn Infants
• Neonatal care with a focus on the specific aspects of caring for premature infants, including thermoregulation
• Specific clinical conditions in neonatology, in particular:
  - IRDS (Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome)
  - Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
  - Pulmonary Hypertension
  - NEC (Neonatal Enterocolitis)
  - Intracranial Hemorrhage
  - Hyperbilirubinemia

• Students explain the principles of initial care for preterm and newborn infants, identify the priorities of postnatal stabilization, list the essential measures for maintaining respiration, circulation, and body temperature, and use this information to determine appropriate monitoring measures.

• Students describe the unique aspects of nursing care in a neonatal intermediate care unit, recognize the importance of development-promoting nursing models and concepts, and structure the daily nursing routine to meet the needs of preterm and newborn infants.

• Students make nursing diagnoses for premature infants and, taking into account their developmental stage, level of maturity, and reference system, develop individualized, situation-appropriate nursing interventions to maintain and promote their health.

• Graduates describe the most common clinical presentations in premature and newborn infants, recognize their typical characteristics, and explain basic nursing interventions.

Theory input through various media tools (presentations, video clips, etc.)

Predominantly activating methods (case analyses, discussions)

Final exam

• Dysphagia in a Pediatric Setting
• Extracorporeal therapeutic measures (ECMO, hemofiltration, CAPD, Berlin Heart)
• Changes in breathing patterns, including non-invasive respiratory support and home ventilation with tracheostomy care
• Advanced Monitoring: Blood gas analysis, laboratory tests
• Near-drowning
• Apalic syndrome
• Renal failure

• Students identify extracorporeal therapeutic interventions (e.g., ECMO, hemofiltration, CAPD, Berlin Heart) for selected pediatric conditions and describe the associated nursing interventions for managing these conditions. [IMC]

• Students identify changes in breathing patterns and determine the necessary nursing interventions based on these changes (non-invasive respiratory support, home ventilation with tracheostomy care

• Students interpret specific monitoring data (blood gas analyses, laboratory tests), can identify changes in these data, and respond with appropriate interventions.

• Students are familiar with the various causes and symptoms of a pediatric patient who has suffered a near-drowning incident and can recognize the resulting emergency situations and determine appropriate interventions.

• Students recognize the symptoms and understand the causes of dysphagia in pediatric patients and can identify the necessary nursing interventions

• Students identify the needs of the family, communicate empathetically, clearly, and in a manner appropriate to the situation, involve families in nursing interventions, and develop support measures in the IMC setting. [IMC]

• Students communicate in a structured manner within the interprofessional team at the IMC Pediatrics (nurses, physicians, therapists, and others), use standardized handoff tools, and thereby ensure continuous, error-free care for critically ill children.

Theoretical input using various multimedia resources (presentations, video clips, etc.)
Primarily interactive methods (case studies, discussions)

Continuous assessment

• E-Health—Quality Criteria, Possibilities, and Opportunities Through Digitalization
• The Role of the Caregiver in an Intraprofessional Context
• Transition
• Examples of Innovative Measures and Strategies in the Care of Chronically Ill Children (e.g., peer nursing rounds, educational concepts; ANP counseling for families with chronically ill children, …)
• In-Depth Coverage of Nursing Care for Children and Adolescents with Diabetes Mellitus: Content of Diabetes Education, Use of Pens, Insulin Pumps, etc.
• Nursing care for children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis
• In-depth study of family-centered assessment methods using the example of a family system with chronically ill children and adolescents: the Calgary Assessment and the Calgary Intervention Model
• Factors and components (structure, development, function) of the assessment
• Applying specific techniques and tools such as genograms, ecograms, ecomaps, and the 15-minute family interview (circular questioning, showing appreciation during the 15-minute family interview)
• School Nursing
• Obesity, care model for overweight children and adolescents
• Parentification and the phenomenon of young caregivers
• Extramural care financing, using the examples of the care allowance classification and the increased child allowance
• Support services (MOKI, self-help groups) within the context of community-based pediatric care
• Introduction to Nursing Care for Children and Adolescents with Diabetes Mellitus, Selected Nursing Phenomena

• Students analyze and evaluate transition models, contribute to their development, critically reflect on their own role within the multidisciplinary team in relation to the child and the child's support system, and develop self-management strategies.

• Students describe methods and technical options in the field of e-health and their significance for the child and his or her family; they apply quality criteria when selecting appropriate tools and provide advice on them. (Digitalization)

• Students work together with families and their children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus to develop appropriate support options; they accompany and assess family processes throughout the course of the disease and support the family system in coping with the illness, taking into account any doubts, fears, and feelings of guilt.

• Working together with those affected, students develop age-appropriate and real-life-oriented strategies to promote self-determination, autonomy, and self-management, as well as needs-based training and support measures for children and adolescents with chronic conditions such as obesity.

• Students empower families, through a 15-minute family interview (the Calgary Assessment Instrument for Family Interviews, based on Wright and Leahey), to cope with crisis situations and health-related problems on their own; they identify the network of relationships within the family and the patterns of interaction among family members, pinpoint key areas for intervention, and incorporate these into their daily work

• Students recognize the network of relationships within the family and the patterns of interaction among family members, identify key areas relevant to their practice, and apply these in their daily work (e.g., using family intervention tools such as circular/linear questioning and reframing).

• Students describe innovative nursing interventions and strategies for caring for chronically ill children and explain the goals and tasks of educational approaches, peer nursing visits, and Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP)

• Students plan nursing interventions for children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis to support secretion management, nutrition, and treatment adherence, and guide children, adolescents, and their families in coping with disease-specific challenges

• Students recognize signs of parentification and the situation of young caregivers in care settings, and identify support services and respite care options for affected families

• Students explain the basics of outpatient nursing care financing for children and adolescents in Austria and inform families about the requirements and basic criteria for financial assistance

• Students analyze, with reference to a selected theoretical model, the effects of chronic childhood illnesses on the child and his or her support system across all areas of life. Using the example of a child with diabetes mellitus (including diabetes education), graduates work with the family to develop appropriate support options and accompany family processes throughout the course of the illness; they assess these processes and support the family system within the framework of the systemic process in coping with the illness (doubts, fears, feelings of guilt), in the development of self-determination and the pursuit of autonomy, and, together with the child, develop age-appropriate and context-oriented strategies

• Students explain the roles and services provided by external support programs—particularly MOKI and self-help groups—and incorporate these into the care of children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus and their families as needed.

Primarily using active learning methods such as lectures, group work, discussions, assignments with feedback, and case studies

Final exam

• Development of children's and adolescents' understanding of death (concepts of death)

• Tiered pediatric hospice and palliative care in Austria (e.g., EOP, MOMO)

• Symptom management in pediatric palliative care (e.g., palliative pain management, dyspnea, gastrointestinal symptoms)

• Life goals and mortality

• Ethical aspects: truth and honesty, the child's dependence on the family

• Family grief counseling and farewell rituals (e.g., emergency baptism)

• Verbal and nonverbal communication & conversation techniques (atmosphere, space, time)

• Psychosocial aspects in pediatric palliative care

• Mental health (coping strategies) in the professional role

• Guidelines for the care of deceased children and adolescents in institutional and extramural settings (including neonatal palliative care and peripartum palliative care)

• Sudden loss of primary caregivers within the family system (e.g., homicide, accidents, suicide) from the perspective of crisis intervention

• Family-centered care in pediatric palliative care (including the situation of “shadow children” within the family system)

• Students describe the key elements of palliative care for children and adolescents at home and in inpatient settings, relate the stages of the grieving and dying process to the child's age and developmental stage, reflect on their own attitudes toward death at different stages of life, examine their own coping strategies and limitations, and describe different patterns of coping with death and grief among children and adolescents

• Students develop age-appropriate communication strategies with children and adolescents receiving palliative care and their families; analyze family systems in the context of life-shortening or life-threatening illnesses in children or adolescents; and assess the impact of these systems on care and coping processes.

• Using real-world examples, students identify relevant reactions in a child receiving palliative care, implement palliative pain management, and discuss ethical decision-making in pediatric palliative care

• Students explore death at the “beginning of life” and illustrate the guidelines for caring for the deceased in institutional and home settings for children and adolescents (legal guidelines for the care of deceased newborns) and organize emergency baptisms or corresponding rituals in accordance with religious and cultural traditions

• Students apply specific standards of care and follow-up care in cases of neonatal and peripartum deaths as appropriate to the situation and conduct emergency baptisms or corresponding rituals in accordance with religious and cultural customs.

• Students incorporate psychosocial support services into the care of children, adolescents, and their families as needed, and explain the fundamentals of crisis theory as well as concepts of psychosocial crisis intervention in the context of sudden losses.

Lecture with activating methods

Continuous assessment

Analysis and Structuring of the Work Process

• Using the synopsis as a working basis

• Planning and Structuring the Thesis

Application of academic criteria

• Reflection on coherence, argumentation, and evidence-based reasoning

• Working with Feedback

Feedback and Discourse

• Giving and Receiving Peer Feedback

• Discussion of decision-making and reasoning processes

Presentation

• Presenting the status of the work in a way tailored to the audience

• Justifying Decisions with Reasoned Arguments

• Students independently analyze and reflect on the status of their work process in terms of goal achievement, coherence, and methodological quality, and use this analysis to determine well-reasoned next steps.

• Students evaluate their own work and that of their peers based on academic criteria and thoughtfully incorporate the feedback they receive into the further development of their thesis.

• Students present the progress of their work in a manner tailored to their audience, provide clear justifications for their methodological and content-related decisions, and defend these decisions in academic discourse.

• Presentation of Work Progress

• Structured peer feedback processes

• Facilitated discussions

• Guided reflection on the work and writing process

Continuous assessment: Ongoing Performance Assessment, Standard (presentation of the progress of the thesis; active participation in peer feedback processes; brief reflective contributions to the further development of one's own work)

• Formulation and Specification of the Evidence-Based Research Question 

• Expansion and systematic synthesis of the evidence base 

• Consistent derivation and justification of recommendations for action 

• Development and written formulation of an evidence-based practice product 

• Reflection on limitations and feasibility in the respective care context 

• Students independently develop a consistent, evidence-based recommendation for action in a specific professional setting, based on a structured body of evidence.

• Students provide clear and well-reasoned justifications for their recommendations, taking into account the quality of the evidence, its generalizability, and profession-specific and organizational context.

• Students reflect on the limitations of the underlying evidence as well as the feasibility of the recommended interventions in the respective care setting.

• Independent written paper based on the outline developed 

• Use of scholarly and digital tools to structure and present evidence 

• Individual guidance regarding specific subject-matter questions (clearly defined) 

Final exam: Performance is assessed through a written final paper.

• Presentation of the Key Findings of the Thesis 

• Development of a clearly structured presentation 

• Reflection on and justification of methodological decisions 

• Placing the findings in a profession-specific context 

• Preparation for technical discussions and critical questions 

• Students present the key findings of their evidence-based thesis in a structured, audience-appropriate, and academically sound manner.

• Students provide clear justifications for methodological approaches and evidence-based decisions and defend them with well-reasoned arguments in academic discourse.

• Students draw connections between their thesis and relevant academic and professional contexts and critically reflect on their significance.

• During the oral exam, students answer complex subject-specific questions in a structured manner and present well-reasoned, academically sound arguments.

• During the oral exam, students provide structured answers to complex clinical questions related to the pediatric IMC setting and present scientifically sound arguments. [IMC[

• Independent preparation of the thesis presentation 

• Presentation of the final thesis, including the examination interview 

• Exam discussion on topics relevant to the training program 

Final exam: Final examination, consisting of: - Presentation of the key findings of the thesis - A technical examination discussion to justify the chosen approach and the resulting recommendations for action - Discussion of the transferability of the findings to other healthcare settings, as well as their context within the professional and academic fields

Students are guided to:

• Apply theoretical knowledge (theory-to-practice transfer) in all clinical rotation areas defined for competency attainment:

(1) Nursing in general pediatric settings, such as in the fields of gastroenterology, oncology, cardiology, endocrinology, etc.

(2) Nursing in the pediatric surgery field (e.g., pediatric surgery departments)

(3) Nursing in the neonatal field (e.g., neonatal units, neonatal intermediate care units, or neonatal intensive care units)

(4) Outpatient/mobile care (e.g., home health care, outpatient clinics)

and nursing in the pediatric intermediate care setting

Optionally and additionally, in areas such as private nursing practice, public health services, medical offices and group practices, and other care facilities related to pediatric and adolescent care.

• Reflective application of the nursing process in pediatric settings
• Patient safety and safe medication administration in pediatrics
• Monitoring and intervention-based care on pediatric (IMC) wards
• Children's rights, family-centered care, and development-promoting care
• Child protection and addressing risks to a child's well-being
• Communication, Diversity, and Ethics in the Pediatric Setting
• Hygiene, Infection Prevention, and Quality Improvement
• Identifying and addressing health risks and resources, and implementing measures to prevent accidents and illnesses.
• Maintaining a training log in the form of an internship handbook, which serves as a guide for the entire internship program. Portfolio
• Promoting personal commitment to learning and ensuring learning progress in the aforementioned areas, as well as reflecting on experiences from the respective professional field.
• Application and further development of the skills acquired in the course on Basal Stimulation and Kinesthetic Infant Handling
• Application and consolidation of the skills acquired during simulation training
• Implementation of the skills acquired in the 3rd learning environment, Emergency Management
• Communication within a multidisciplinary team

• Students plan, justify, implement, and evaluate nursing interventions—both individual and those tailored to specific target groups, organizations, and society—in pediatric and adolescent nursing and within the family context. They reflect on their own values and attitudes in their professional practice, become aware of them, communicate them responsibly, and use them to develop new perspectives and professional attitudes.

• Students plan, implement, and evaluate patient-safe care that complies with children's rights by systematically identifying risks and implementing preventive measures (including safe medication and procedures), safeguarding and promoting children's rights in a manner appropriate to their age and developmental level (information, participation/assent, privacy, pain and anxiety management), as well as identifying signs of child endangerment, documenting them professionally, and escalating them in an interprofessional manner in accordance with the clinical child protection protocol and legal requirements.

• Students implement the nursing process and (1) identify children's current health problems and risk factors using appropriate assessment tools and derive nursing diagnoses from them, (2) formulate nursing goals or plan nursing care based on the identified nursing diagnoses, (3) select appropriate nursing interventions in consultation with the children and their families, (4) evaluate nursing outcomes and justify them in reference to current scientific findings, and (5) document nursing-related data using appropriate documentation systems.

• Students describe complex situations and interrelationships in the care of children and their families; they take appropriate measures—either independently or in consultation with trained nursing professionals—and respond flexibly to rapidly changing situations in the IMC setting.

• Students identify hazards and health risks in the workplace, assess them, and either implement accident- or illness-prevention measures on their own or, in collaboration with experts, develop relevant measures and strategies and evaluate them

• Students provide care in a pediatric setting based on the principles of basal stimulation and kinesthetic principles

• Students analyze and assess challenging situations in pediatric settings that are at risk of escalating, and they purposefully apply de-escalation and communication strategies appropriate to the situation, age, and developmental stage. They professionally manage interactions with children, adolescents, and their caregivers even under emotionally stressful conditions; reflect on the impact of their own communication; and develop situation-appropriate alternatives for action to promote safety, cooperation, and relationship-building.

Clinical internship

Continuous assessment: Immanent examination character and internship assessment

In practice reflection and supervision, participants address practice-related stressful situations and engage in group discussions aimed at identifying personal resources and coping strategies.

• Students explain and describe conditions that promote and hinder learning within the individual phases of practical learning;

• Students reflect on practical and instructional situations by relating them to nursing theory, such as person-centered or family-centered care, as well as findings from nursing science;

• Students describe and reflect on stressors and apply counter-regulatory coping strategies

• Students reflect on their own values and standards, as well as their behavior and actions, in light of the professional code of ethics; from this, they develop a consistent professional stance and identity and contribute to the profession's continued development;

• Through their own reflective processes, students come to understand the necessity of lifelong professional development to further enhance their professional competence, in order to meet the ever-increasing professional demands and challenges of nursing practice;.

Primarily active learning methods

Continuous assessment