Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Describe the differences in the Italian professional role compared to the international scenario;
Describe the evolution of nursing competencies in the clinical, management and research fields;

APPLIED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Identify the nursing role in the different areas of specialization;

MAKING JUDGMENTS
Identify possible areas of development in the nursing profession;
Critically analyze literature and recent chronicle regarding the nursing profession;

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Use appropriate terminology to identify the nursing role and areas of development (in clinical, management and research fields);

LEARNING SKILLS
Identify appropriate sources for professional information.

Students are required to a actively participate in the lectures and to take part to the proposed activities on Moodle platform.

- Become a nurse
- Nurses around the world
- Post-basic training courses
- Professional prospects

The recommended articles are available on the Moodle platform and represent an in-depth analysis of the topics covered in the classroom.

The course aims to present the current state of the nursing profession in Italy and its prospects for evolution in clinical, management and research.
During the lessons will be brought virtuous examples of the impact of nursing care on the health of the population and will be analyzed similarities and differences of the nursing role in Italy and in the international scene, with examples taken from the literature and the recent chronicle.
The evolution of nursing competencies in clinical, organizational and research settings will be discussed.

The course will mainly deal with 4 macro topics:
1) Becoming a nurse: student motivation according to international research and in the specific group in the classroom
2) Nurses in the world: number of professionals in relation to other health professions, nursing attendance rates according to population, different study paths according to country
3) Post-basic training courses: post-basic training possibilities, advanced skills with reference to the same development in other European and non-European countries
4) Professional perspectives: in the clinical, training and research fields with Italian and foreign examples, examples of nursing entrepreneurship and reflections on the meaning of professional development.

Lectures with support for digital presentations and films, interactive lessons (flipped classroom and gamification elements).

Advanced Practice Nursing - Global Perspectives
Bryant-Lukosius, D., Martin-Misener, R., Harbman, P., & Donald, F. (2022). Advanced practice nursing roles, regulation, education, and practice: A global study. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 9, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/23333936221106515
Mackavey, C., Henderson, C., de Zwart van Leeuwen, E., Maas, L., & Ladd, A. (2024). The advanced practice nurse role's development and identity: An international review. International Journal for Advancing Practice, 2(1), 36-44. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijap.2024.2.1.36
Wright, M. M. M., Kvist, T. A., Imeläinen, S. M., & Jokiniemi, K. S. (2024). Continuing education for advanced practice nurses: A scoping review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 80(8), 3037-3058. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15911
Krahulec, M. (2024, December). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. University of Utah Health News. https://nursing.utah.edu/blog/2024/12/essentials-core-competencies-professional-nursing-education
Hassanein, S., El Arab, R. A., Abdrbo, A., Abu-Mahfouz, M. S., Gaballah, M. K. F., Seweid, M. M., Almari, M., & Alzghoul, H. (2025). Artificial intelligence in nursing: An integrative review of clinical and operational impacts. Frontiers in Digital Health, 7, Article 1552372. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1552372
Kilpatrick, K., Savard, I., Audet, L. A., Costanzo, G., Khan, M., Atallah, R., Jabbour, M., Zhou, W., Wheeler, K., Ladd, E., Gray, D. C., Henderson, C., Spies, L. A., McGrath, H., & Rogers, M. (2024). A global perspective of advanced practice nursing research: A review of systematic reviews. PLOS One, 19(7), Article e0305008. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305008
Kosar, C. M., Thapa, B. B., Muench, U., Santostefano, C., Gadbois, E. A., Oh, H., Gozalo, P. L., Rahman, M., & White, E. M. (2024). Nurse practitioner care, scope of practice, and end-of-life outcomes for nursing home residents with dementia. JAMA Health Forum, 5(5), Article e240825. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.0825
World Health Organization. (2025). State of the world's nursing 2025: Investing in education, jobs and leadership. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240050420
Ferguson, S. (2024, May 16). Nursing leaders playing bigger role on global health stage. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health News. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/nursing-leaders-playing-bigger-role-on-global-health-stage/

Reynolds, N., & Rushton, C. (2024, January). What nurses need to know: The 2024 health care forecast. Johns Hopkins Nursing Magazine. https://nursing.jhu.edu/magazine/articles/2024/01/what-nurses-need-to-know-the-2024-health-care-forecast/
Beaudet, O. (2025, April 30). What to expect in the field of nursing in 2025 and after. American Nurses Association Enterprise. https://www.allnursingschools.com/articles/future-of-nursing-key-trends-to-watch/
Study material relating to the lectures can be found on the moodle@units platform.

Assessment tasks Throughout the course, group written assignments will be assigned at the end of selected lessons. Students will receive detailed feedback on these assignments through the Moodle platform.
Assessment criteria The grade is expressed through a synthetic judgment (Pass/Fail). Assignments will be considered "Failed" in case of incomplete content, only partially correct presentation, confused and disorganized argumentation, or poor or absent language proficiency.
Results communication Assessment results will be communicated through the Moodle platform. In case of negative outcome, specific guidance will be provided for improving the assignments.

This course explores topics closely related to one or more goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs)