Comfort and comforting -- an innovative course in undergraduate nursing education

The field of nursing research on comfort and comforting is growing, and out of this field a course for nursing students was developed. Such a course is connecting with both the recent developments of nursing research domains and traditional tacit knowledge. The aim of this project was to develop a course within a baccalaureate nursing program and to examine how students perceived outcomes thereof. The particular field of research is described as a background, and then syllabus, teaching-learning strategies, modalities and assignments are outlined. Students' perceived outcomes were measured in terms of a web-based questionnaire and focus group discussions. Students experienced the course to be characterized by a spirit of community and teamwork, insights into the phenomena of comfort and comforting, enhanced personal development towards professional growth and power to act in sensitive situations. In conclusion, a course on comfort and comforting is found innovative, enhances the students' personal professional growth, and stimulates faculty towards openness for creativity in curriculum development through combination of insights from practice, research and theory, with a variety of sensitive teaching-learning strategies and modalities.