Study Guide

Description

The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health authorises Bachelors of Health Care degrees according to the Act on Health Care Professionals (559/1994). The degree is comparable with equivalent degrees in other EU countries.

The core values of the Degree Programme in Nursing and Health Care include respect for individuals, human dignity, confidentiality, responsibility and high quality professional conduct.

The registered nurse is able to support people in health and wellbeing promotion, maintenance of health, and care for the ill in a holistic way. The nurse is an expert who carries out and develops nursing independently and in multiprofessional teams. The registered nurse can work in the service of primary health care, special health care, private sector or third sector organisations.

The professional competencies of registered nurses consist of ethical conduct, health promotion, decision making, guidance and teaching, collaboration, research and development, leadership, multicultural nursing, societal activities, clinical nursing, and medication. The competencies are based on evidence based nursing, nursing science and other disciplines such as medicine and social and behavioural sciences.

Learning to be a nurse includes both evaluation of prior knowledge and conduct in a reflective, critical and ethical way, realisation of new ways of action, and processing of personal attitudes. The starting point of learning is the multidimensional reality and knowledge of many levels. Learning rises from the key competence needs of the professional field.

After the first year of studies, the nursing student knows the basics of caring for ill patients. The student obeys all laws and ethical codes concerning health care. The student recognises and predicts possible health problems of individuals and communities. The student is able to monitor basic vital signs, recognises nursing needs, and is able to use appropriate nursing methods. The student has mastered medical calculations and knows how to admister medication safely. The student is able to give first aid in emergency situations. The student is able to consider the meaning of different cultures in nursing.

During the third, fourth and fifth semester of the studies the student develops his/her clinical know-how in different areas of nursing. The student is able to estimate the nursing needs of patients/clients of different ages, and plan, implement and evaluate nursing in cooperation with the patients/clients and their significant others. The student utilises multidisciplinary knowledge as the basis for his/her work. The student is able to guide and support patients/clients in self-care. The student knows how to act in multiprofessional collaboration to the benefit of the patient/client. The student knows how to evaluate his/her own work critically.

In the advancing professional studies towards the end of the programme the know-how of the student strengthens and deepens. The student is able to make ethically sound decisions based on evidence and act professionally as a nurse. The student is able to meet the nursing needs of families and patients of different ages in his/her own nursing field. The student can act as a primary nurse to patients and their families throughout nursing processes according to the principles of primary nursing. The student is able to develop nursing and his/her conduct responsibly. The student deepens his/her knowledge in a nursing field through the bachelor’s thesis.

The Degree Programme in Nursing and Health Care includes 75 credits of clinical training to enhance professional skills.

Progress of studies

The student’s know-how in nursing expands and deepens throughout the studies. In completing the studies, the following principles are followed:

50 ects of first and second semester studies need to be completed in the beginning of the second year studies. The first-year supervised orientation to clinical training and pharmacotherapy and medical calculations are to be completed before proceeding to the first clinical training.

By the start of the advanced professional studies, sixth and seventh semesters, the student must have studies completed, at least 135 credits, including the basic level studies in the field of the optional professional studies. These studies need to include four supervised practises and anatomy and physiology.

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

Finnish health policies, future challenges, and the TAMK strategy have all been considered in the curriculum. In addition to the Act (559/1994) and the Decree (564/1994) on Health Care Professionals, the competence descriptions made by the work group appointed by the Ministry of Education in 2005 on health care education in universities of applied sciences, the Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences’ competence classifications, and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) have also been considered in the curriculum. The education fulfils the EU directive (2013/55/EU) on recognition of professional qualifications.
The Nursing Education Foundation has been involved in planning of the curriculum by commenting on the contents and structure.