Study Guide

Descriptions

The Degree Programme in Nursing, a diverse community that welcomes students from around the globe. Our mission is to cultivate clinically proficient registered nurses within a multicultural setting. Rooted in evidence-based practices, nursing is a people-centered profession spanning various social and healthcare landscapes.

Our curriculum encompasses a wide array of subjects, including nursing science, public health, behavioral and natural sciences such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and drug administration. Integral to our program are interdisciplinary learning opportunities, communication skills, and a focus on preventive strategies to enhance patient well-being.

The Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 has been implemented in the curriculum as competencies. Patient safety is crucial in nursing care and our curriculum is based on the World Health Organization Patient Safety Curriculum (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241501958).

We prioritize international cooperation, encouraging students to engage in exchanges with our partner universities or pursue opportunities as free movers. Our teaching methods blend traditional on-site lectures with online sessions, projects, simulations, case studies, practical exercises, and clinical examinations.

While English serves as the examination and instruction language, proficiency in Finnish or Swedish is essential for participation in the module Student Internship. Mandatory language courses in the national languages are provided during the first year, progressively incorporating Finnish or Swedish into lectures and internships to prepare students for the Finnish healthcare environment. Optional language courses in Swedish and Finnish are offered during the second and third years. The language used in the internships in Finland is Swedish and Finnish. The students are expected to use Swedish or Finnish during the internships. To get the Finnish nursing authorization the Swedish or Finnish language must be on a sufficient level (https://www.valvira.fi/web/en/healthcare/professional_practice_rights/language_proficiency).

Our program comprises Core Studies, Professional Studies, Student Internship, and a Bachelor’s Thesis. Core Studies encompass foundational subjects, while Professional Studies focus on Clinical Competence, Professional Development, and Nursing Research. Student Internship involves internships in patient-centered care across clinical environments, with opportunities in hospitals, community care, nursing homes, counseling centers, and other healthcare facilities.

These internships, spanning 3–6 week periods, commence from the second semester and may be located outside the student's hometown. The emphasis is on providing a global perspective on nursing care and fostering cultural competence. Through their Thesis and final Student Internships, students can delve into their chosen specialization within nursing.

Objective

Formal qualifications (DIRECTIVE 2013/55/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL) as a nurse responsible for general care shall provide evidence that the professional in question is able to apply at least the following competences:
- competence to independently diagnose the nursing care required using current theoretical and clinical knowledge and to plan, organize and implement nursing care
- competence to work together effectively with other actors in the health sector, including participation in the practical training of health personnel
- competence to empower individuals, families and groups towards healthy lifestyles and self-care
- competence to independently initiate life- preserving immediate measures and to carry out measures in crises and disaster situations
- competence to independently give advice to, instruct and support persons needing care and their attachment figures
- competence to independently assure the quality of and to evaluate nursing care
- competence to comprehensively communicate professionally and to cooperate with members of other professions in the health sector
- competence to analyze the care quality to improve her own professional practice as a nurse responsible for general care