The study program was accredited on November 10, 2015. Decision NAKVIS 21.4.2016

In order to progress from the first year to the second year, the student must complete all the obligations of the first year determined by the study program in the amount of 60 ECTS. When advancing from the second to the third year of the doctoral study program, the student must complete all obligations in the amount of 60 ECTS points of the second year.

The program does not contain parts that can be completed individually.

After completing the study program, graduates have the opportunity to continue their studies at postdoctoral studies abroad.

Doctors of Nursing Care can be employed in: - medical institutions, - social welfare institutions and - educational and research institutions.

The method of knowledge verification and evaluation is governed by the Rules on knowledge verification and evaluation at UM, which is available at the following link: https://www.um.si/univerza/dokumentni-center/akti/Strani/studij-na-um.aspx. The rules and course syllabuses determine the methods of real-time checking and evaluation of knowledge and thus monitoring the student's own progress in studies.

The basic goal of the 3rd degree Nursing study program is to educate students in the field of nursing who will be able to develop scientific research work (independent research work based on a concrete problem) and transfer models, procedures and processes of nursing care as the core of knowledge for practice. This will enable the connection of theoretical models to the nursing process and the introduction of concepts that are the basis for evidence-based nursing.

Students in the study program within the framework of general competences acquire and master: - the ability to identify a given scientific research problem, its analysis and possible solutions (mastery of research methodologies and methods and processes in nursing), - use of information and evidence from scientific literature and other sources for systematic analysis, documentation and preparation of evidence to support and practice nursing, - the ability to analyze, evaluate, develop and integrate theoretical models into the nursing process, practice and introduce the concepts of theories that are the basis for theoretically based nursing, - the ability to make theoretical and practical findings, critical evaluation and summarizing based on the research of well-founded questions arising from the practice of nursing, - the ability of ethical reflection and commitment to the development of the core knowledge and scientific discipline of nursing. Also, the study program enables the deepening of knowledge in the field of research, research methodologies and methods, theories, concepts and nursing practice based on scientific evidence.

Students will acquire the following subject-specific competencies on the basis of scientific research work within the teaching units: - in-depth understanding of the key theoretical perspectives that underlie modern approaches in gerontological nursing, and the use of methods in research on nursing and the care of older people, - critical understanding of different philosophical perspectives of personality and concepts, principles and theories that support patient-oriented nursing, - understanding the concepts of emotional work, emotional intelligence and their applicability in caring and emotional work in nursing, - critical analysis of approaches and methods for quality evaluation that are applied in the clinical environment, - the ability to develop and implement appropriate research models in the field of measuring the effects of nursing care on patients, - critical analysis of different concepts of care for patients with chronic diseases, their cooperation between health professionals and their families, - adoption of new knowledge in the field of child growth and development, the impact of nutrition on health, and new guidelines in the field of child and adolescent treatment to support nursing care, - acquisition of new knowledge in the field of patient safety, safety culture and risk management in health care, - the adoption of nutritional therapy for various diseases within the framework of research-based preventive health care, - understanding of supervision techniques using research methods and case studies in a clinical setting, - knowledge of statistical models for continuous, categorical and censored output variables related to the field of health sciences, - in-depth knowledge and understanding of legal concepts, institutes and content related to healthcare, - critical assessment of the benefits and risks of equipment for diagnostics and therapy under consideration in healthcare, - the decency of understanding the health sector, the creation of health policy and the management of health organizations from an economic point of view, - understanding the management of logistics processes and supply chains in healthcare, - the ability to plan the use of reflective practice in nursing education, - critical reflection and skills related to the planning of evidence-based nursing interventions with the aim of prevention, early detection and management of side effects and complications related to the treatment of oncology patients, - critical assessment and evaluation of the concepts on which palliative care is based and the philosophy of palliative care and care of the dying, - the ability to analyze the theory of care in the context of the science of care and to develop an ethical perspective based on the science of care, - critical judgment and evaluation of quality in the selected field of healthcare and planning for quality improvement in the selected field of healthcare, - the ability to understand and explain the main problems in the field of public health, approaches to reducing public health problems, and knowledge of the main problems and obstacles that arise in this regard, - the ability to analyze the latest achievements in research in the field of nursing with an understanding of current methodological issues in measuring nursing care and its effect on patients, - the ability to analyze factors that affect the health and well-being of persons with intellectual disabilities by assessing the possibility of including a person with intellectual disabilities in research, - the adoption of factors that influence health literacy and the use of knowledge in practice and the ability to distinguish between health promotion and health education, - understanding and evaluating global health challenges for adolescents and the effectiveness of interventions for adolescent health - especially regarding gender, mental health, sexual health and substance abuse, - understanding, developing and implementing appropriate research models in the field of measuring the effects of nursing care on patients, - the ability to discuss the concept of spirituality and spiritual care, - understanding the importance of genetic epidemiology and new trends in genetics in public health, - understanding and insight into the armed forces community and the specific biopsychosocial needs associated with their care, health and well-being.

The criteria for the recognition of knowledge and skills acquired before enrollment in the study program are regulated by the Rulebook on recognition of knowledge and skills in study programs of the University of Maribor.

The student will complete his studies when he has fulfilled all the obligations stipulated in the study program and has written and successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, thus accumulating a total of at least 180 ECTS. The condition for completing the 3rd degree study program in Nursing is the successful defense of a doctoral dissertation in accordance with the Statute of the University of Maribor and the Regulations on the Preparation and Defense of a Doctoral Dissertation. The candidate will be able to proceed to the defense of the doctoral dissertation when he has fulfilled the obligations of the doctoral study (i.e. when he has registered the doctoral topic and written the doctoral dissertation and, in accordance with the Rules, received a positive assessment from the Dissertation Assessment Committee).