title: Impact of the Bologna process in Bachelor nursing programmes: The Swedish case.
abstract: The higher education reform in Europe known as the "Bologna Process" implies further harmonisation and integration of nursing programmes into the higher education system. This study explores this process in Sweden, where the development of nursing education into an undergraduate programme started in 1977. The aim of this study was to analyse characteristics of the major subject and its relationship to other subject areas, such as medical sciences and social sciences, in Bachelor level nursing programmes in Sweden following initial implementation of the Bologna process. A constructivist approach and descriptive content analysis were employed to analyse the 2008 nursing curricula and syllabi of 27 undergraduate programmes at 26 Swedish universities and university colleges. The results revealed variation in terms and concepts used for the major subject as well as its scientific foundation, demarcation between the major subject and other subjects included in the study programmes and its relationship to the profession. These variations are linked to the variety of research orientations under debate in the Scandinavian countries: Nursing Science and Caring Science; representing different knowledge domains, focus, challenges and visions for the discipline. Potential implications of basing curricula on a major subject other than Nursing Science in a Bachelor level nursing programme are highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. joakim.ohlen@gu.se
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ohlén
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furåker
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jakobsson
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bergh
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hermansson
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D005060:Europe; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D016730:Program Development; D012579:Schools, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D013338:Students, Nursing; D013548:Sweden