Learning objectives

Students will acquire/improve their ability to understand and produce ¬both written and oral texts about nursing practice. Particular attention will be given to the lexical, syntactic, phonological and pragmatic aspects of medical English.

Prerequisites and basic notions

To successfully attend the course, students are expected to have an English language proficiency corresponding to at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Students must also have attended and obtained the credits for the first-year English for Nursing course.
The course assumes the ability to understand professional and scientific texts in English, use basic nursing terminology, and participate in English-language discussions on clinical and healthcare-related topics.
Advanced knowledge of statistics or research methodology is not required. Any methodological or statistical concepts addressed during the course will be introduced only to the extent necessary for the critical understanding of scientific literature written in English.

Program

Introduction to scientific literature in nursing and healthcare;
Evidence-based practice and scientific evidence in the nursing profession;
Strategic reading of scientific papers: initial orientation, abstracts, conclusions, and identification of essential information;
Structure of a scientific paper: introduction, methods, results, and discussion;
Formulation of the research question and identification of the fundamental elements of a study;
Basic literature searching and critical selection of scientific sources;
Major study designs in healthcare research: randomized, observational, cross-sectional, qualitative studies, and literature reviews;
Critical appraisal of methodological quality: internal validity, external validity, bias, confounding, and study limitations;
Interpretation of scientific findings: categorical and continuous data, p-values, confidence intervals, relative risk, absolute risk reduction, and number needed to treat;
Differences between statistical significance, clinical relevance, and applicability to nursing practice;
Critical reading of studies on clinical interventions, complex interventions, and healthcare quality improvement;
Critical reading of diagnostic studies, questionnaires, qualitative studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelines;
Language of scientific writing in English: academic vocabulary, research verbs, hedging, expression of uncertainty, and critical discussion of findings;
Oral presentation and written synthesis of scientific articles in English;
Discussion of scientific evidence in relation to clinical cases, decision-making processes, and nursing practice;
From critical appraisal of scientific papers to the professional use of evidence in clinical care practice.

Didactic methods

Teaching activities will combine interactive lectures, guided discussion of scientific papers, and active learning methodologies aimed at developing linguistic, critical, and interpretative competencies in Scientific English.
The course will employ participatory teaching strategies including critical appraisal of abstracts and scientific papers, group work, journal clubs, problem-based learning, discussion of clinical cases, and exercises focused on evaluating scientific evidence and its applicability to nursing practice.
Technology-enhanced learning activities will also be implemented, including interactive quizzes, collaborative online platforms, peer-feedback activities, guided use of artificial intelligence tools for the analysis and synthesis of scientific texts, production of short presentations and video commentaries on scientific articles, peer-review simulations, and gamification activities.
The course will also incorporate flipped classroom activities, oral and written synthesis exercises based on scientific papers, critical discussion of guidelines and systematic reviews, and structured debates on controversial or methodologically problematic evidence.
Teaching methodologies will be designed to promote active participation, learner autonomy, critical thinking, professional discussion skills in English, and integration of linguistic, scientific, and clinical competencies.

Learning assessment procedures

Assessment will consist of a written examination divided into three sections aimed at evaluating the linguistic, critical, interpretative, and applied competencies developed during the course.
The first section will include approximately ten questions covering the theoretical topics addressed during the course. Questions may include multiple-choice items, true/false questions, matching exercises, brief answers, or equivalent formats. This section will assess students’ understanding of the fundamental concepts related to critical reading of scientific literature, scientific paper structure, major study designs, bias, validity, statistical interpretation, and clinical relevance.
Maximum score: 10/10.
The second section will consist of the reading and analysis of a scientific paper in English selected by the instructor. Students will answer comprehension and critical reasoning questions related to the article through multiple-choice items and short-answer questions. This section will assess the ability to understand scientific content, identify the main elements of a study, and correctly interpret findings and conclusions.
Maximum score: 10/10.
The third section will require students to produce a critical appraisal of the scientific paper analyzed. Through open-ended questions, students will discuss the structure of the study, methodological limitations, potential sources of bias, statistical issues, applicability to nursing practice, and personal critical reflections. Appropriate use of scientific English will also be evaluated.
Maximum score: 10/10.
The final grade will be expressed on a 30-point scale and will result from the sum of the scores obtained in the three sections of the examination.

Evaluation criteria

Assessment will be based on the following criteria:
understanding of the main theoretical concepts addressed during the course;
ability to understand and interpret scientific papers written in English;
ability to identify the structure, aims, methodology, and findings of a scientific study;
ability to recognize bias, methodological limitations, and interpretative issues;
ability to distinguish clinical relevance from statistical significance;
appropriate use of scientific English terminology;
clarity of expression, terminological accuracy, and coherence of argumentation;
ability to apply critical reading of scientific literature to nursing clinical reasoning;
ability to formulate reasoned and personal critical evaluations.
The course provides a pass/fail assessment.
Students will obtain a passing grade upon achieving at least 18 out of 30 points in the written examination described above.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The course provides a pass/fail assessment.
Students will obtain a passing grade upon achieving at least 18 out of 30 points in the final written examination. The overall score will result from the sum of the scores obtained in the three sections of the examination, each worth up to a maximum of 10 points.

Exam language

Inglese