Syllabus Information

1. General information

1.1. Aims of the course

The subject and its expected results respond to the following approaches and objectives:

The subject is part of the group of basic subjects of the new undergraduate degrees in Health Sciences along with Physiology, Anatomy, Statistics and Research Methodology. It focuses on the functioning of our psyche throughout the life cycle. Through the knowledge of these aspects, students will be able to identify the psychosocial needs, desires and beliefs of individuals, families, and other culturally diverse groups. As a consequence of all the above, students will be more tolerant and respectful of the needs of all people, being able to respond appropriately to them. The acquisition of skills related to communication, helping relationships, respect and appreciation of ethnic and cultural diversity are also objectives of this subject. Specific aspects such as the helping relationship and psychosocial intervention techniques and the transcultural bases of care will be studied in depth.

These approaches and objectives are aligned with the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations Agenda 2030 (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/), so that the acquisition of the learning outcomes of the subject provides training and competence to contribute to some extent to their achievement?

Goal 3: Health and well-being. Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages is essential for sustainable development. Although progress has been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common causes of death associated with infant and maternal mortality, further efforts are needed to completely eradicate a wide range of diseases and address a large number of ongoing and emerging health problems.

Goal 5: Gender equality. Women remain underrepresented at all levels of political leadership. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could reverse the few gains that have been made in gender equality and women's rights as it exacerbates existing inequalities for women and girls globally; from health and economics, to security and social protection. Women play a disproportionate role in the response to the virus, including as frontline health workers and caregivers in the home. Women's unpaid care work has increased significantly as a result of school closures and increased needs of the elderly.

Goal 10: Reducing inequalities. COVID-19 has intensified existing inequalities and has affected people of lower socioeconomic status and the most vulnerable communities more than anyone else by bringing to light economic inequalities and fragile social safety nets. At the same time, social, political and economic inequalities have amplified the effects of the pandemic.

1.2. Context and importance of this course in the degree

Knowledge of how our mind works is a fundamental process in understanding the behavior of people and environments in relation to health and disease. Understanding these aspects will enable health care workers to identify people's psychosocial needs and respond to them effectively.

1.3. Recommendations to take this course

Autonomous learning of the English language is recommended for a better understanding of the scientific literature that will be recommended by the teachers.
As a general rule, the use of cell phones in the classroom is forbidden except for teaching purposes.

2. Learning goals

2.1. Competences

• Identify the psychosocial responses of people in different health situations (in particular, illness and suffering), selecting the appropriate actions to provide help in these situations.
• Establish an empathic and respectful relationship with patients and their families, according to the person's situation, health problem and stage of development.
• Use strategies and skills that allow effective communication with patients, their families and social groups, as well as the expression of their concerns and interests.
• Promote the participation of individuals and their communities in their health-disease process. Self-explore themselves, identify their class, race and gender prejudices, and plan transforming activities so that these do not affect their personal-professional development and the nursing care they will provide in the future.
• Ability to use precise terminology in each situation of their professional activity. Ability to identify and analyze psychic functions and their application in health care.

2.2. Learning goals

1. Identify, analyze and discuss the contributions of psychic functions in the context of Health Sciences.
2. To develop communication skills.
3. To identify, analyze and discuss the meaning of working in a holistic, tolerant and non-judgmental manner.
4. Design psychosocial nursing assessments that assess and synthesize a significant range of information, respond to the person's needs, support their health and well-being, and maintain their dignity.
5. Know the language, concepts, tools, and techniques of the social sciences that help nurses understand the cultural phenomena of health, illness, and care in society and its historical context.
6. Value the different responses to health/illness according to diverse cultures, the creation of identity, bodily expression, the expression of emotions and the configuration of biological variations in diverse social and environmental contexts.
7. Understand the real and symbolic role that different cultures of health have played and play in the construction of beliefs and values about health, disease and their care.

2.3. Importance of learning goals

1. The learning outcomes to be acquired in this subject allow students to understand the functioning of the mind, to work in a more tolerant and holistic way. They also acquire communication strategies in small and large groups that will be key for the development of their later professional activity.

3. Assessment (1st and 2nd call)

3.1. Assessment tasks (description of tasks, marking system and assessment criteria)

It must be demonstrated that the expected learning outcomes have been achieved through the following evaluation activities:
1.- Attendance to all seminars scheduled during the course and completion of a portfolio and reflection of the content of the seminars (up to 30% - or 3 out of 10 points - of the final grade of the subject).
The student may miss a maximum of two seminars during the course. If the student misses three or more seminars during the course (regardless of the cause), in order to pass the course there will be a seminar exam on the theory and practice carried out in the seminars.

2.- Final exam of the course (up to 70% - or 7 out of 10 points - of the final grade of the course).
It will evaluate the acquisition of theoretical knowledge explained in the lectures, and the ability to apply the theoretical content, skills and nursing skills worked in the seminars and work of the course.
There will be a multiple-choice test of 60 questions with 4 possible answers, only one of which is valid. Negatives do not count.
The exam is considered passed with 42 correct questions, which will be equivalent to 3.5 points out of a maximum of 7 that can be obtained with the exam. In case of not passing the exam (<42 correct questions), the subject will not be considered as passed.
In case of repeating the course, neither the portfolio and reflection grades nor the exam grade will be kept.

It is essential to pass both sections in order to pass the course.

Requests for review of work and exam grades of the course will be addressed to the faculty using the UNIZAR email account or through the MESSAGES function of Moodle.

4. Methodology, learning tasks, syllabus and resources

4.1. Methodological overview

The course has a mixed orientation, both theoretical and applied, therefore, the planned activities are focused on the acquisition of a series of knowledge and skills related to the functioning of our psyche. They are first worked on at a theoretical level in the classes and later in an applied way in the seminars.
Students are expected to reflect, document themselves, consult scientific literature, prepare their own study materials for the subject, and shape their learning process in an autonomous way.

4.2. Learning tasks

The program offered to students to help them achieve the expected results includes the following activities:
1. Master classes (50 h).
The content of the master classes is theoretical according to the Program (see 4.3) and supported by reference manuals, study materials provided by the teachers in Moodle, and recommended readings during the course.
2. Seminars (37 h).
The content of the seminars may include:
Learning based on problem solving.
Exemplification and case studies (including Integrated Nursing Case). Cooperative learning.
Preparation of assignments.
Presentation of case studies by external collaborators. Viewing of audiovisual material.
Completion of tests.

The seminars proposed for the 2022/2023 course are as follows (the duration of the seminars are 2 o 3 hours depending of the topic):

1) How to pass an interview in a satisfactory way.
2) How to write a Curriculum Vitae.
3) Professional opportunities in Nursing
4) How to speak in public, how to present a paper at a Congress. Keys for an effective communication.
5) How to make an informative poster? and for a congress?
6) How to deal with stress? Meditation techniques. Theory and practice.
7) How to communicate with assertiveness?
8) Conflict management.
9) Burn out. How to take care of caregivers.
10) Nursing expertise.
11) To know and identify the psychological and physical problems derived from gender violence in order to train the student in prevention, early detection, assistance and rehabilitation of the victims of this form of violence.

The students will be divided into six groups of seminars by the teaching staff (three groups with students from group 1 and three groups with students from group 2) and the distribution of the students will be communicated at the beginning of the course.
All classes are scheduled to be face-to-face. However, due to the current epidemiological situation, lectures and seminars may take place either in the classroom or online through the Google Meet platform.

COVID-19 is considering the possibility that the master classes can also take place online.

4.3. Syllabus

Topic 1:
- Influence of evolution and culture on psychosocial processes Topic 1.1.
- Topic 1.2. Cultural determinants of health: sex, gender, ethnicity, social and economic class.
Topic 2. Stereotypes
Topic 3. Aggression
Topic 4. The influence of the environment
Topic 5. Learning
Topic 6. Attitudes
Topic 7. Motivation
Topic 8. Helping behavior
Topic 9. Communication
Topic 10. Interpersonal skills
Topic 11. History of the mind and mental illness
Topic 12. Consciousness and sleep
Topic 13. Attention
Topic 14. Sensory perception
Topic 15. Pain
Topic 16. Language and thought.
Topic 17. Memory
Topic 18. Intelligence
Topic 19. Personality
Topic 20. The life cycle.
Topic 21. Types of psychological therapies. The role of the nurse in mental health.

The order in which the contents are taught may be modified depending on the circumstances and/or organizational needs of the center due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

4.4. Course planning and calendar

The activities included in this course are lectures (50 h), seminars (37 h) and psychosocial and cross-cultural nursing work (21 h).

4.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

During the course of the course, the teacher will recommend, in the Digital Teaching Ring (Moodle), the reading of scientific articles and reference books.
The recommended reference manuals can be consulted at:
http://psfunizar10.unizar.es/br13/egAsignaturas.php?codigo=25428