BACHELOR · Bachelor of Health Care, Registered Nurse
Kajaani University of Applied Sciences · Kajaani, Finland
What competencies does the graduate have? A nurse is a nursing expert, whose duty in society is to implement and develop nursing, which promotes and maintains health, prevents and heals diseases, and rehabilitates. A nurse is able to utilise nursing research skills when planning, implementing, evaluating and developing nursing. In addition, nursing skills require a multidisciplinary knowledge base, such as an up-to-date theoretical knowledge of medical science and pharmacology, as well as of social and behavioural sciences. A nurse works with individuals, families and communities in different life situations. A nurse provides nursing care to people of different ages and their close relatives when they face illness, disability and death at different ages. A nurse also cares for dying patients in hospice care and supports their loved ones. Education of nurses is based on the Professional Qualifications Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council, which defines the core skills of a nurse responsible for general care (180 ECTS). The professional expertise of a nurse is defined nationally and it consists of the following areas: Professionalism and ethics; Customer orientation; Communication and multiprofessionalism; Health promotion; Management and skills in being an employee; Information technology and recording; Guidance and teaching expertise and support for self-care; Clinical nursing; Evidence-based activities, utilisation of research data, and decision-making; Entrepreneurship and development; Quality assurance; Social and health care service system; and Patient and customer safety. In addition, the degree programme in nursing includes a study module of 30 ECTS of complementary competence studies, which the student can choose according to his/her own interests including e.g. medical-surgical nursing, mental health, pediatric or perioperative nursing or special expertise e.g. digital skills. The development of student's knowledge in different areas of clinical competence is assessed throughout the entire study time with nationally agreed criteria. After studying 180 ECTS credits, the nursing student must pass a national exam, which evaluates the areas of professional competencies of a nurse as described above. What kind of learning methods are used in the programme? Education of nurses utilises a wide range of student-oriented teaching, learning and evaluating methods, such as activating lectures, simulations, clinical practice, workshops, seminars, projects with working life partners and independent study. These teaching and learning methods develop the competencies and skills needed in working life, such as digital skills. 90 ECTS of the programme is realised through clinical practice supporting the professional competence. Internships can take place in various social and health care environments such as hospitals, health care centres, outpatient clinics and third sector organisations (NGOs). What kind of career opportunities does the graduate have? A graduated nurse works as a health care professional licensed by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira). Valvira verifies the language skills of nurses since nurses must have sufficient Finnish or Swedish skills in order to work in a safe manner. A nurse can work in nursing positions in social and health care environments, such as general health care, specialised medical care, social welfare units, as well as private and third sectors in Finland and in the EU countries.
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