Study Guide

Description

The public health nurse is an expert in public health nursing, primary care, public health and health promotion who implements and develops family-oriented nursing independently and in a multi-professional work community. His/her competence emphasises health promotion at different phases of life and mastery of working methods for health promotion.

The degree programme in public health nursing requires 240 credits and lasts four years. During the course, basic nursing care studies are carried out first, followed by public health nursing studies. After completing the course, a student graduates with the title of Bachelor of Health Care. The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health recognises public health nursing graduates as public health nurses in accordance with the Health Care Professionals Act (559/94).

The values of public health nursing education are based on respect for human and individual dignity, confidentiality, accountability and a high standard of professional conduct. Public health nursing is guided by ethical guidelines from public health nurses. A public health nurse is able to support a person in promoting and maintaining health and well-being, as well as providing holistic care to the patient. A public health nurse is an expert in health promotion who implements and develops his/her work independently and in a multi-professional partnership. A nurse promotes and maintains the health of individuals, families and communities, the population and the environment. At the heart of a public health nurse's work is activating a person to maintain and promote his/her own health. The work emphasises independent decision-making and good communication skills.

In studying public health nursing, the student's professionalism will be strengthened; in particular his/her competence in health promotion deepens and expands. The student is able to make ethically sustainable, evidence-based decisions as a public health nurse and is able to act professionally.

A public health nurse is able to work in a wide range of primary care, specialised care and third sector positions and as a private practitioner. His/her education also opens the door to international assignments. A public health nurse is able to perform in a variety of planning and development tasks.

Knowledge development during studies

The degree programme of public health nursing is a full-time course of study. The education includes the requisite amount of practical training.

During semesters two, three, four and five, the student develops his/her clinical skills in different areas of nursing. Students will also be able to identify nursing needs for patients / clients of different ages, and plan, execute and evaluate their nursing work with patients / clients and their significant others. The student uses knowledge from different disciplines as a basis for his/her own activities. The student is able to guide and support patients/clients in self-care. The student is able to work in a multiprofessional collaboration as a representative of nursing care in the interest of the patient/client. The student is able to critically evaluate his/her own work.

The sixth, seventh and eighth semesters are spent specialising in public health nursing. The student’s nursing skills and competences will continue to strengthen, but the emphasis will be on developing independent skills in different areas of public health nursing. The student is able to make ethically competent, evidence-based decisions and act professionally. The student develops accountability in public health care work and his/her own activities. The student further advances his/ her knowledge in public health nursing by means of a thesis.

Implementation of the studies

The degree programme of public health nursing is a full-time course of study. During of the studies, the students are encouraged to participate in international exchange programmes and innovative projects of health promotion designs.

Progress of studies

The student's nursing competence expands and deepens during his/her studies. The following principles are followed in the course of studies:

During the first and the second semester studies, 50 credits must be completed before the student can enter the third semester; these 50 credits must include the course on pharmacotherapy and medication calculation. Prior to the first practical training session, the student will also need to complete the courses in orientation to clinical training and the basics of clinical nursing and its orientation to clinical training. In addition, the student must attend theoretical studies of nursing in the practical training environment and the course in orientation to clinical practice.

The student must have completed 135 ECTS credits by the beginning of the professional studies in public health nursing. These should include clinical studies in nursing, as well as anatomy and physiology.

During the third and fourth years of studies, the skills of public health nursing care are strengthened, and in particular the health promotion skills of families of different ages and at different stages of life are deepened and extended. The student is able to support families and individuals at different stages of life (e.g., pregnancy, parenthood, relationships, health and well-being of children and adolescents, adults and employees), and to support healthy lifestyles through resource-based work methods.

During the public health nursing studies, students learn to work as a preventive health care expert in multidisciplinary teams (including guidance centres, school and study communities, adult counseling, occupational health care, and other organisations).

After the fourth year of study, the student is able to make ethically competent and evidence-based health promotion decisions and work professionally with the client/family. The student is able to act as a client counselor at all phases of the client's nursing process, as well as to develop public health care work and his/her own activities.

Internationalisation
Students have the opportunity to deepen their international competence up to 20-30 credits. The studies may consist of English-language theoretical studies in Finland, international student or trainee exchange or other international studies.

Curriculum development and working life cooperation

The curriculum was considered by the Advisory Board for Public Health Nursing Education on 15.2.2019 and approved on 5.4.2019 by the Higher Education Council.

Finnish health policies, future challenges, and the TAMK strategy have all been considered in the curriculum. national definition of nursing professional competence, the competence classifications of Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences, the common competences of universities of Tampere / Tampere universities and the national framework (NQF) of the degrees.

The various reports on the development of the social and health care sector have been taken into account in the curriculum, among others the know-how about project reports in Ministry of Education and Culture. The nursing education meets the requirements of the European Union Directive (2013/55 / EU) for the recognition of professional qualifications.

Finnish health policies, future challenges, and the TAMK strategy have all been considered in establishing the curriculum. In addition the Act (559/1994) and Decree (564/1994) on Health Care Professionals, the national definition of nursing professional competence, the competence classifications of the Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Rectors Conference, the common competences of Tampere’s higher education community and the national framework (NQF) of degrees have all been taken into consideration.

In the development of the curriculum, various reports on the development of the social and health care sector have been taken into account, including competence project reports at the Ministry of Education and Culture. The nursing education set forth in this curriculum meets the requirements of the European Union Directive (2013/55 / EU) for the recognition of professional qualifications.
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