Nursing – Management in Nursing

About the Programme

As the healthcare reform in the Republic of Croatia foresees the categorisation of hospitals and hospital institutions and the establishment of a system of healthcare standards, it is expected that changes will also occur in the professional profile of nurses. In other words, nurses should possess the necessary knowledge and skills in the field of human resource management, as well as the knowledge and skills required for organising nursing care, decision-making processes, risk management, and business ethics. Nursing, as a regulated profession, must educate professionals who will be fully capable of independently managing and organising all processes in nursing care. Nurses should be responsible for organising, managing and supervising the work of nursing staff. Therefore, every nurse in a managerial position (from head nurse of a department upwards) should possess the aforementioned knowledge and skills.

In accordance with the principles of the Bologna Declaration, the proposed study programme is structured and evaluated with 120 ECTS credits and lasts two years. During the first year, four modules are delivered: general compulsory courses, scientific research methods, a psychological–pedagogical module, and a module comprising 9 elective courses from which the student is required to select three. In the second year of study, three modules are offered: general compulsory courses such as Healthcare Systems in Practice, Risk Management in Healthcare, Quality Control in Healthcare, Healthcare-Associated Infections, and Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy. The second module, entitled the business-organisational module, includes courses related to the organisation of hospital services, dental care, and specific institutions. In addition, this module includes coordination and supervision of nursing care. The third module consists of elective courses, from which the student selects two out of six offered elective courses.

The study programme concludes with the defence of a master’s thesis.