Health Care, Nursing

 

DEGREE TITLE	Bachelor of Health Care, Nursing
DURATION (YEARS)	3,5
EXTENT (CREDITS)	210
LOCATION FULL-TIME STUDIES	Hämeenlinna
LANGUAGE	English, Finnish

Become a bettermaker by learning professional nursing

Our nursing degree will enable you to become a valued and diverse health care professional, who can work in Finland or abroad as a nurse. Nurses are widely needed around the world, and after graduation you will be working in a practical profession where you get to work closely with people every day.

 

Structure of the degree

A nurse works in professional care aiming to promote health and well-being. Nursing includes caring, guiding, supporting and rehabilitating the client. Our degree programme consists of core competencies, work placements, thesis and deepening your expertise through profiling competence. The languages of the degree programme are English and Finnish, and the degree meets the criteria of the EU directives for a General Nurse. You will receive personal guidance from the tutor teachers and study guides throughout the stages of your studies.

 

Core competencies

You will study closely around real-life phenomena from health care, and the content of the studies include getting to know the Finnish health and social care culture. You will study themes like medical nursing, acute and perioperative nursing, mental health, gerontology, family health and management in nursing.

 

Work placements

We will provide work placements for you through HAMK’s partner organisations. Practical training represents one-third of the nursing studies, and it is implemented in several phases in the degree in various health care environments. This allows you to acquire a deep understanding and a wide view of the different possibilities that a career in nursing can offer. When agreed upon, practical training can be conducted during the summer term.

 

Thesis

The bachelor’s thesis is a comprehensive design or development process, or research project, where you will independently utilise the most essential knowledge and practices of nursing. You can choose the topic according to your interests together with work-life partner organisations. You can do the thesis in Finnish or English. The aim of the thesis is to strengthen both your general working life skills and your professional competencies.

 

Deepening your competence

In addition to the studies around core competence, work placements and the thesis, nursing studies include profiling studies to advance your expertise in nursing. You may choose profile studies that serve the competence needs of the nursing field.

 

Note

The studies require commitment to academic studies and self-organisation skills. The student must be motivated and committed to learning the Finnish language to reach the required proficiency.

 

5 reasons to study nursing in Hämeenlinna, Finland

1. Achieve the competence of a nurse to work in a practical profession in Finland and abroad.
   High-quality education with close connections to work life.
2. Enjoy the perfect location.
   One hour from capital and close to other big cities.
3. Be safe.
   One of the safest cities to live in Finland.
4. Live cheaper.
   Living costs are cheaper than in bigger cities.
5. Feel the nature.
   Full of lakes, forests and beautiful scenery.

 

FAQ

 

What languages will I use in the programme?

This degree programme in Nursing is bilingual. In the beginning, the studies will mostly be conducted in English, with Finnish language teaching gradually taking over. There is no requirement for Finnish language skills when applying. By the time of graduation, the goal is that you will be able to work in health care services in Finland using the Finnish language.

 

Is attendance in class required?

Yes, attendance in class is required. If you miss a class, the teacher will appoint compensatory assignments or exercises. You will reach the best study results by taking part in all the classes.

 

What prior learning can I have recognised?

This matter will be evaluated case by case with study counsellor.

 

Do I have to excel in mathematics?

During the studies you will need mathematics skills, because medication courses include exercises in mathematics. You need to pass all the exams related to medication calculation.  You will be given support from teachers as studies proceed, but studies also include independent exercises to make sure that you will become an independent professional who is capable of dosing medicine for patients while ensuring safety.

 

Do I need to know something about nursing beforehand?

No, you do not. You will learn everything needed while studying. Previous experience might give you some advantage, but a positive attitude towards learning is even more important.

 

How does the employment situation look after graduation?

The employment situation for nurses is excellent, and they are in high demand in Finland. You can choose the workplace according to your interests in the field of nursing. The post graduate education opportunities for nurses are diverse, and we offer a lot of specialisation education and higher education possibilities after you have graduated.

 

When are the classes?

Lectures are mainly held during the day but can be held in the evenings.

 

How will I gain international competence?

You will be studying in a multicultural group, with English and Finnish as teaching languages. During your studies, you will have the opportunity to participate in international activities and projects. We are also part of RUN European University.

The Finnish Nursing degree allows for the comparability of the degree and employability as a nurse in other EU countries. If you wish to work outside the EU/EEA area, you need to check the country-specific qualification requirements upon graduation.

 

Can I work while studying?

Completing the degree requires full-time study, but you may work in part-time jobs if your individual situation is flexible enough and the studies are not affected.