Master’s Degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing in the area of Nursing Care to the Person in a Palliative Situation

General Objectives of the Course

Training for the acquisition of scientific, technical, and human skills for the delivery of care to the person in a palliative situation, family, and caregiver
Training caregivers/family, in all clinical settings, for the delivery of care to themselves and the person, relieving suffering and maximizing well-being, comfort, and quality of life
Promote the therapeutic relationship with the patient and caregivers/family, providing support in the process of adaptation to successive losses and death and support in the grief process
Train for the leadership of teams and human and material resource management projects and for the development of professional identity, assuming the role of expert for the continuous improvement of the quality of care and safe therapeutic environment
Develop learning, autonomous training, and lifelong learning skills in the personal/ professional domains
Contribute to the delivery of care based on scientific evidence and the development of the nursing discipline.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the master's program is open to:
a) Individuals with a bachelor's degree or legal equivalent in Nursing from a Portuguese higher education institution;
b) Holders of a foreign first-cycle degree in Nursing that complies with the Bologna Process;
c) Holders of a foreign degree recognized as equivalent to a Portuguese bachelor’s in Nursing by the School's Technical-Scientific Board;
d) Individuals with an academic, scientific, or professional curriculum in the scientific field of Nursing recognized by the School's Technical-Scientific Board as demonstrating the ability to complete the program.

Candidates should check the admission requirements available on this site, in addition to the information provided here.

Professional Goals

Not applicable.

Mode of Study

Full time

Teaching / Evaluation language(s)

Portuguese

Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

Assessment is an integral component of the teaching and learning process. It aims to evaluate the students’ knowledge and competencies, as well as their critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and proficiency in written and oral communication. The rules governing attendance, assessment, and classification are set out in the Academic Regulation of the University of Coimbra (RAUC). The grade awarded for each course unit is expressed as a whole number on a 0–20-point scale. A minimum final grade of 10 is required to pass a course unit. The final classification of the programme corresponds to the weighted arithmetic mean of the grades obtained in the course units. The weighting assigned to each course unit is equal to its ECTS credit value.

Learning Objectives and Intended Skills

Based on the regulation of the specific skills of nurses specialized in medical-surgical nursing in the area of delivery of nursing care to the person in a palliative situation (Regulation No 429/2018 of 16 July 2018), the following goals are established:
To care for the person with incurable or severe disease, in advanced, progressive, and terminal phase, their caregivers and family, in all clinical settings, relieving their suffering and maximizing their well-being, comfort, and quality of life.
To establish a therapeutic relationship with the person with incurable or severe disease, in advanced, progressive, and terminal phase, and their caregivers/family, providing support in the process of adaptation to successive losses, death and in the grief process.

Course Coordinator(s)

Andréa Ascenção Marques
uc80660@uc.pt

Rogério Manuel Clemente Rodrigues
uc80164@uc.pt

Ana Maria das Neves Rocha
uc88346@uc.pt

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of prior learning is governed by the provisions set out in the Academic Regulation of the University of Coimbra (RAUC), Regulation No. 945/2025, and Article 45(1)(a) of the Legal Framework for Higher Education Degrees and Diplomas, approved by Decree-Law No. 74/2006 of 24 March, in its current wording.

Qualification Requirements and Regulations

DL No. 74/2006 of 24 March, as amended by DL No. 107/2008, DL No. 230/2009, Declaration of Amendment No. 81/2009, DL No. 115/2013, DL No. 63/2016, DL No. 65/2018, DL No. 27/2021, and DL No. 13/2022.

Graduation Requirements

Successful completion of the study plan, obtaining a total of 90 ECTS in the following scientific areas:

[723] - Nursing - 85
[345] - Management and Administration - 3
[226] - Philosophy and Ethics – 2

Access to Further Studies

The qualification of Master allows applying for the 2nd cycle of studies (Ph.D.) in accordance with section 8 of this supplement.

Study Programme

Despacho n.º 13348/2022, de 17 de novembro

Academic year
2026-2027

Course Type
2nd Cycle Studies - Advanced Specialisation Master Programme

DGES Code: MC74

Qualification Awarded: Mestre

Duration: 3 Semester(s)

ECTS Credits: 90.0

Category: Advanced specialization second cycle

Applications

Call for Applications

Accreditations

Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior: 2022-07-31 a 2028-07-31
Direcção Geral de Ensino Superior: Nº Registo: R/A-Cr234/2022; 2022-10-31