University West focuses on norm-critical care
16 Sep 2020
Swedish care is unequal, and surveys show shortcomings in nursing education when it comes to equal treatment and equal care. University West has been working systematically for a few years to change its nursing programmes and improve the ability of students to work in a norm-critical way. Recently, a second doctoral student and a visiting professor were also linked to the University’s norm-critical efforts.
Students in action in the Clinical Learning Center.
Since 2015, University West, in collaboration with Region Västra Götaland’s Knowledge Centre for Equal Care (KJV), has held courses in norm-aware care for the University's teachers in the nursing and social psychiatry programme. In the theoretical parts, the courses in the programmes have norm-critical learning outcomes and course literature that critically explores different norms. The University’s Clinical Learning Center (CLC) at the Trollhättan campus opened last year and is now a central part of norm-critical efforts.
- CLC is a concrete learning environment for safe and secure learning before the students meet real patients. In addition to purely skills training, students can transform theoretical knowledge into norm criticism through simulated care situations and role playing, says Elisabeth Dahlborg, professor of nursing sciences at University West.
New doctoral student
This spring, Ivan Andrés Castillo was hired as a doctoral student in the new doctoral programme’s Work Integrated Learning with a focus on nursing. He is working on a project aimed at researching how teachers and students learn about different normative perceptions. The research will be conducted at the University’s Clinical Learning Center (CLC). Ivan attended the nursing programme as a student between 2006–2009 at University West.
- What attracted me to apply for the doctoral project at University West was that the research area felt innovative, society-focused, and with an eye on the future. The fact that the doctoral project was at University West is a big plus. I studied to be a nurse here and throughout my career I have been very satisfied with my undergraduate education, says Ivan Andrés Castillo.
Benefits the nursing programmes
During the spring, Henrik Eriksson was also linked to University West as a visiting professor in the field of norm-criticism. Eriksson works as a professor at the Swedish Red Cross University in Stockholm and his work includes international health, discourse, nursing and gender.
Elisabeth Dahlborg is pleased that the field has received additional attention and is convinced that these efforts will lead to better conditions for providing equal care.
- Nursing staff who have acquired knowledge about equal care in their education can in the long improve the conditions for equal and sustainable care. With this contribution of the research perspective, the field is significantly stronger, which will benefit the nursing programmes.”
Contact:
Elisabeth Dahlborg, University West, +46 (0)73-901 34 24