Master in Medical-Surgical Chronic Care Nursing

Chronic diseases are a reality of modern times which, in Portugal, presents overwhelming numbers. Moreover, people in chronic situations are more than the disease they suffer from, posing society, the health system and nurses, in particular, numerous challenges. Challenges associated to the special vulnerability of these people, which may have to do with old age, with the difficulty in managing complex therapeutic regimes, or with the existence of successive readmissions. New challenges require other responses that include new models of care, such as the management of complex cases, or by focusing training on such decisive areas as self-care and self-management of chronic illness.

ESEP, in the framework of its post-graduate training policy, will open the Master’s Degree in Medical-Surgical Chronic Care Nursing, since it is mandatory to oblige to population needs in this area. This master’s course meets, among other aspects, the requirements and principles of specialized training in Nursing regulated by the Nursing Order (OE), namely in what concerns the awarding of the professional title of Nurse Specialist in Medical-Surgical Chronic Care Nursing.

The MEMCpscro, which is based on the articulation between research, teaching and nursing practice, is strongly oriented towards the development of advanced competencies, predominantly clinical in nature, with a focus on human responses to health problems and life processes associated with “chronic situations”.

Learning outcomes

• To identify nursing diagnoses in areas such as self-care and self-management of the disease, as well as those related to the exercise of the caregiver role;
• To conduct differentiated nursing interventions, namely those that promote the control of signs and symptoms of chronic disease(s), as well as those that prevent the respective complications and the well-being of the client;
• To know the epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology and chronic diseases therapies;
• To work as a case manager for “especially vulnerable” clients with chronic illness;
• To coordinate nursing teams oriented to provide care to clients with chronic illness;
• To structure and intervention plan within the scope of HAI and antimicrobial resistance;
• To conduct an individual project of professional developmet, meaningful and applicable in the clinical context of this master degree.