Learning what matters today and in the future

There is hardly any other sector where one deals with people as much as in the healthcare sector. That is precisely why it is important to use innovative methods to impart tried-and-tested knowledge and new skills to students. That way, they can give their very best in practice.

Mathilde is in her late seventies; she has grey hair, green eyes, soft skin, and several sites where nurses can administer injections and insert drips or drains. She speaks and groans – today, the high-tech simulation manikin, known as Mrs Ernst, is suffering from unexplained abdominal pain. An ultrasound scan failed to provide a reliable diagnosis, so students on the Bachelor’s degree programme in Radiological Technology are now set to perform a CT scan on Mrs Ernst. The group carries out the preparations with practised ease, but then it happens. After the patient has been given the contrast agent required for the scan, her circulation collapses and she loses consciousness. An emergency in which fifth-semester students must react quickly: What happened? What should they do?

“The contrast agent triggered an anaphylactic shock in the woman. A situation such as this can occur in a clinical setting on a daily basis,” says Christine Kern, Senior Lecturer. She regularly supervises students in the Skills Lab, used primarily by the Nursing degree programme, but also by the Occupational Therapy and Radiological Technology programmes.

In the newly fitted-out rooms, students can practise routine and emergency situations under realistic conditions. The first few semesters focus primarily on practical skills – ranging from oral and personal hygiene and wound care to the handling of catheters, drains and infusions. Later, tasks become more complex, and students practise in small groups using simulation manikins or student actors. In another room, fellow students observe the trainees via video link; afterwards, they reflect on the session together and work on areas for improvement.

“Thanks to the Skills Lab, we can offer much more practical training using the same resources. We practise complex scenarios in a safe environment. This builds confidence and self-assurance,” says Babette Grabner, Head of Degree Programme Nursing. “During my training, I once took a blood sample from a colleague. Then came my first patient. I don’t know who was more nervous: him or me,” recalls Grabner, thinking back to her own training. Today, students practise much more before applying their knowledge in a clinical setting.

But Salzburg University of Applied Sciences also fosters close cooperation within itself. For example, a midwife and an occupational therapist also teach on the Nursing degree programme. Lecturers from the Biomedical Sciences programme teach modules in the Midwifery degree programme that cover blood parameters relevant to pregnant women.

“This interdisciplinary collaboration is very enriching. It also teaches you that you don’t have to be an expert in everything yourself, but rather where you can turn for answers,” says Geja Oostingh, Head of the Department of Health Sciences, with conviction. Particularly when it comes to teaching the fundamentals, such as hygiene or human biology, there is significant overlap in content across many degree programmes. Offering these subjects on an interdisciplinary basis brings many benefits.

Digitalisation and AI are also giving teaching an innovative boost. In virtual laboratories, for example, students of Biomedical Sciences carry out gene sequencing. “In reality, such tests are far too expensive,” says Oostingh: “On the digital platforms, they can repeat the experiments as often as they like, which also helps them prepare well for exams.”

The University of Applied Sciences is also continually expanding its healthcare programme range: in autumn 2027, the Department of Health Sciences will launch the Bachelor in Speech and Language Therapy. A Master’s programme in Biomedical Technologies and Analytics, run in partnership with the University of Salzburg, is also planned for 2027. In the Department of Information Technologies, a joint Master’s programme with the PMU in Applied AI in Healthcare has just been launched – a topic currently the subject of intense debate in the medical field.

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