Bachelor of Science (Nursing) Degree Programme Introduction - University Of Ruhuna

                                           Paramedical Sciences

Bachelor of Science (Nursing) Degree Programme Introduction
Aim of this programme is to prepare a competent, caring, compassionate and reflective nursing graduate skilled in the delivery of nursing care in collaboration with other healthcare professionals and capable of becoming potential care giving leaders, educators, and researchers in the field of nursing.
The programme is designed to meet the academic and clinical education requirements for registration with the Sri Lanka Medical Council.
Designing of the curriculum of the Nursing Science Degree programme was initiated by the committee appointed by the Board of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna on 27th March 2001 to cater the increasing demand for the higher educational opportunities to the paramedical health science sector. Bachelor of Science (Nursing) degree programme is a full-time course which runs for 4 years. The Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna awards a Bachelor of Science (Nursing) degree (BSc Nursing) for those who successfully complete the degree programme and pass the stipulated examinations. The graduates of this programme will be able to practice as Nursing Officers, and Community Health Nurses.

Graduate Profile
The University of Ruhuna B.Sc. (Nursing) Graduate:
Will have the knowledge, skills and correct attitudes to perform nursing care at health institutions in Sri Lanka and aboard.
Will be a fully qualified nurse with the ability to apply and monitor quality nursing care and also to ensure safety of patients.
Will be a part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team in managing patients in the hospital and in the community.
Will be readily employable in Medical Research Institutes to carry out research.
Will be a lifelong self and active learner.
Will be equipped with capabilities which are required for positive interactions with the society.
Will have the capability in training the future undergraduates in Nursing Science and contribute to the development in the field of Nursing Science.
Will be capable of applying the knowledge and skills acquired during undergraduate period for their postgraduate studies.

Entry Requirements
On the Basis of G.C.E. (A/L) Results
The students will be selected on the performance of G.C.E. (Advanced Level) examination in Biological Sciences having satisfied the requirements laid by the University Grants Commission to enter a Sri Lankan University. They will be selected on the basis of their Z-score.
Lateral Entry
Up to 20% of the students will be selected from the nurses who have completed training at nursing training schools of the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka. They have to fulfill the following criteria;
Registration with the Sri Lanka Medical Council as a nurse.
Minimum of 5 years service after completing the nursing training.
Age of less than 45 years.
Minimum 3 passes at G.C.E. (A/L) examination.
A placement test will be held to select the students under lateral entry. The placement test will be conducted by the University of Ruhuna with the concurrence of the University Grants Commission. They will start their studies from the beginning of the third year. They will be awarded 62.0 credits as they enter the degree programme (62.0 credits is equal to the number of credits offered in the first two years of the B. Sc. Nursing degree programme).
Curriculum Design and Awarding a Degree

The B.Sc. (Nursing) degree offers a variety of courses enabling the students to develop fundamental expertise, skills and attitudes necessary for the delivery of quality nursing care related to curative and preventive health and to work as a member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team. It also addresses the acute and chronic health problems of patients throughout their life, including care of the child bearing woman from conception to child birth.

The programme will also introduce some innovative courses that would enhance the competencies of the graduates which are necessary to secure a place in the local and international job market. Ethics in the nursing practice, nursing research, evidence-based nursing practice, and innovative uses of technology in nursing practice are some of the components of the degree program. The proposed curriculum is designed to encourage the practice of adult learning theories such as active self directed learning and deep learning over superficial learning. Thus, emphasis will be placed on developing critical and reflective thinking, problem solving skills, communication and personal interaction skills. Student-centered, self-directed learning methods will be used and encouraged throughout the course.

A credit based assessment and evaluation system will be used. There will be two semesters per year, and altogether students have to complete a minimum of 8 semesters, and a minimum of 160 credit hours to be eligible to earn the degree. In addition to summative assessments, formative assessments have also been included to give a feedback to the students on their performance, thus providing them with an opportunity to understand their strengths and weaknesses in order to make modifications to their learning methods and to perform better in assessments.

An evaluation of teaching methods and instructions will be done at the end of each course unit. The evaluation tools include self administered questionnaires and focus group discussions with the students. It is proposed that evaluation of the curriculum will be done two years after the commencement of the course, and appropriate changes to the curriculum will be done based on the results of this evaluation. Thereafter, the curriculum will be evaluated after every 4 years.

The program will be able to produce an ethically sound, fully competent nursing graduate who can compete with locally qualified and internationally qualified nursing graduates for jobs in the local and international market. 

(Quote from the medical faculty website )