Study Guide

Description

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING EDUCATION`S VALUE BASIS

Graduates of the Degree Programme in Public Health Nursing are experts of public health nursing, primary health care, public health work and health promotion who implement and develop family-centred public health nursing independently and in multiprofessional work communities. The focus is on health promotion competence in different life phases and mastery of health promotion methods. The Degree Programme in Public Health Nursing offers extensive competence in all fields of public health nursing and use of genomics in health promotion.

The scope of the Public Health Nurse degree is 240 credits and it lasts for four years. During the education, nursing studies are completed first, followed by public health nurse studies. Upon completion of the studies, the student receives certificates for both nursing and public health nursing. The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) licenses those who have completed the public health nurse degree to work as registered nurses and public health nurses.

The core values of Public Health Nurse education are based on respecting human dignity and individuality, confidentiality, responsibility, and high-quality professional conduct. Public health nursing practice is guided by ethical recommendations for public health nurses. A public health nurse is proficient in supporting individuals in promoting and maintaining health and well-being, as well as providing comprehensive care for the sick. They are experts in health promotion, carrying out and developing their work independently and in multidisciplinary collaboration. Public health nurses promote and maintain the health of individuals, families, communities, populations, and the environment. A key aspect of the public health nurse's work is empowering individuals to participate in maintaining and promoting their own health. The work emphasizes independent decision-making and excellent communication skills.

In the professional studies of public health nursing, the student's professionalism is strengthened, and particularly their competence in health promotion deepens and expands. As a public health nurse, the student is capable of making ethically sustainable, evidence-based decisions and acting professionally.

A public health nurse can work in various primary health care, specialized health care, and third-sector roles, as well as as a private practitioner. The education also provides opportunities for international assignments. A public health nurse can also work in various planning and development roles.

As part of their degree, students have the opportunity to deepen their expertise by participating in English-language instruction domestically or through international exchange programs, as well as other internationally implemented studies. Additionally, students can engage in supervised internships during international exchanges.

THE PEDAGOGICAL BASIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING EDUCATION

The pedagogical basis of public health nursing education is based on TAMK's pedagogical principles, which include learning-orientedness, community involvement and participation, sustainable future and expertise in developing working life, as well as digitalization and internationalization.

Public health nursing education is strongly based on learning-orientedness, combining versatile teaching and flexible development opportunities. Throughout nursing education, work-life-oriented learning environments are widely utilized based on competencies. Students have the opportunity to study through various methods, supporting their participation and agency in the learning process. Public health nursing education allows students to incorporate previously acquired or ongoing skills into their nursing studies.

Nursing education is conducted through diverse teaching methods in various learning environments. Pedagogical methods include, among others, classroom teaching, small group teaching, blended learning, hybrid teaching, scheduled or unscheduled online teaching, independent study, simulations, skills workshops, and supervised practical training. Teaching is also conducted in multidisciplinary teams.

The pedagogy of the public health nursing education heavily emphasizes collaborative learning, focusing on community and inclusivity. The core is supporting the communal and cognitive work of student groups. Teaching concentrates on collectively considered, ethically sustainable solutions. Activities and learning environments support diversity and accessibility equally.

As part of future-oriented higher education, sustainable development means learning that changes the fundamentals of existence, our understanding and perceptions of the interdependence between humans and nature, humanity, factors of well-being, as well as the role of the economy in the global society and community.

In public health nursing education, there is active collaboration with the professional world. Dialogue with the professional world enables education to respond to the changing and evolving skill needs of the professional world multidisciplinarily. Public health nursing students play a crucial role in the development of the professional world during their studies. Students can reflect on their learning, evolve as public health nurses, and develop nursing comprehensively during their studies.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCE DURING STUDIES

The competence of a public health nurse student is built through deepening, and the studies are structured into three phases. Approximately 60 credits are completed each year. Public health nurse education is conducted in Finnish as full-time studies, with some courses being interdisciplinary. The curriculum includes 15 credits of common studies in social and health care. Some courses may also be conducted in English, and there are opportunities for involvement in various projects and initiatives.

After the initial phase, or after the first semester, a nursing student will have mastered the fundamentals of the nursing profession. The student understands and adheres to healthcare legislation and ethical guidelines for nursing practice. They can monitor basic bodily functions and identify patient care needs while safely using appropriate nursing interventions. The student can administer medication safely, manage medication calculations, and perform geriatric nursing care. The student acknowledges diversity in the study and work community. The student is aware of the basics of genomic information.

During the mid-phase, or semesters 2-5, the student develops clinical competence in various areas of nursing and can assess the nursing needs of patients/clients of different ages, plan, implement, and evaluate their care in collaboration with patients/clients and their families. The student can identify and anticipate individual and community health issues. The student utilizes knowledge from different disciplines as the basis of their actions. The student can guide and support patients/clients in self-care and utilize customer-centric digital social and health services. The student can work in multidisciplinary teams as a representative of nursing in the best interest of patients/clients. The student can critically assess their own work.

The sixth, seventh, and eighth semesters consist of studies towards the Public Health Nurse degree. The student's nursing skills and abilities continue to strengthen, but the focus shifts towards the independent development of various aspects of public health nursing expertise. Students learn to work in different settings (such as maternity clinics, school and educational communities, adult counseling, occupational health care, organizations) as members of multidisciplinary teams, specializing in preventive health care. They are capable of making ethically sound, evidence-based decisions and acting professionally. Students can act as client counselors in all phases of the client care process and contribute to the development of public health nursing practice and their own performance. They deepen their expertise in public health nursing through thesis work and developmental tasks.

The Public Health Nurse education includes 85 credits of guided practical training aimed at promoting professional skills in authentic client/patient encounters in various care environments. The practical training periods in Public Health Nurse education should be broadly distributed across different areas of nursing care.

The Public Health Nurse education includes studies in English and Swedish languages, as well as five credits of elective studies. Students have the option to cross-study with other programs at TUNI (Tampere Universities) as part of their elective studies. Additionally, students can broaden their expertise by participating in various projects during their studies.

THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES ARE OBSERVED IN COMPLETING THE STUDIES

Before progressing to the third semester, the student must complete 30 credits from the first and second semesters, including a passed course in medication administration and medication calculations.

Before the second Superviced Clinical Training, students must participate in the Infection Prevention, Pharmacotherapy and Medical Calculations, and Basic Nursing Skills courses. Before the fourth Superviced Clinical Training, students must pass the Infection Prevention, Medication Administration and Medication Calculations, and Basics of Nursing courses. Additionally, before the Superviced Clinical Training 4-9, students must participate in the course related to the nursing area implemented in the supervised internship (e.g., before surgical internship, students must participate in the course on nursing care for surgical patients).

When selecting Superviced Clinical Training positions 2-9, consideration is given to the diverse placement of internships in various areas of nursing. Internships are conducted with patients of different ages in primary health care, specialized medical care, inpatient wards, and outpatient health care, in public and private health care and in the third sector, focusing on the development of expertise in somatic, mental health, and substance abuse nursing.

Before starting the thesis, students must participate in the information literacy course and complete Superviced Clinical Training 1-4.

At the beginning of the professional studies in public health nursing, students are required to have completed 135 credits. These should include clinical studies from the nursing phase, anatomy and physiology courses.

Objectives

The student possesses basic knowledge and skills in public health nursing and knows how to seek and apply evidence-based information in their field. They master the principles of prevention and treatment of common diseases, as well as the principles and practices of community health care, including the prevention of infectious diseases and vaccination.

The student recognizes their own readiness to take responsibility in various tasks. The student possesses basic skills such as conducting lifestyle counseling using various methods, performing health examinations for clients of different ages, and guiding clients using customer-centered and individualized approaches.

The student recognizes their own role as a public health nurse within the work community and in its development, possessing good collaborative skills and an ethically high standard of working.

Curriculum development and working life cooperation

The curriculum for TAMK's public health nurse education is based on evidence-based knowledge, national, and international recommendations. The advisory board for public health nurse education has been involved in curriculum development by providing feedback on the content and structure of the curriculum.

Further information

The curriculum has been approved by the University Council on xx.x.xxxx.

The curriculum takes into account the Finnish health policy programs and future challenges as well as TAMK's strategy. Additionally, the curriculum considers the implementation of the Health Care Professionals Act (559/1994) and Regulation (564/1994), the national definition of nursing professional competence, the professional competence requirements for a public health nurse, the competency classifications of universities of applied sciences' rectors' council, Tampere University Community's common competencies, and the national framework for qualifications (NQF). The development of the curriculum also takes into account various reports on the development of the social and health care sector, including reports from the Ministry of Education and Culture's Skills for Social and Health Care project. The education meets the requirements of the European Union Directive (2013/55/EU) on the recognition of professional qualifications.