Study Guide

Descriptions

The structure of the Degree Programme in Public Health Nursing (240ECTS) is built both on general and field specific professional competencies. The target of this degree programme is to provide students the necessary education to be a Registered Nurse (knowledge, skills and attitude) as well as a Public Health Nurse ready to work as an expert of nursing in various nursing and public health nursing environments in cooperation with the client, the client’s next-of-kin, and as part of a multi-professional team. Furthermore, the aim of this degree programme is to ensure that a Public Health Nurse is able to responsibly develop his/her own activity and profession based on evidence-based knowledge.
A student of Public Health Nursing deepens and expands his/her competence in public health nursing professional studies in the final part of the degree programme (60 ECTS). The Degree Programme in Public Health Nursing (240 ECTS) provides the right to function not only as a Registered Nurse in, for example, in the public sector (primary health care or specialized health care), in the private or third sector, but also as an expert of public health nursing in health centers for clients of different ages, in school health care, student health care, home care, environmental public health care, occupational health care, primary health care, specialized hospital care, social care, and in the private and third sectors. Public Health Nurses support, care for and guide people of different ages, both sick and healthy, families, groups and communities.

After graduation, the Finnish National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) will grant, upon application, the graduate the right to practice as a licensed or authorized professional nurse by entering her or him into the Finnish central register of health care professionals. The nursing education in Seinäjoki UAS meets the standards set out in the European Union Directive on the recognition of professional qualifications, which allows for the comparability of the degree and employability as a nurse in the EU countries.

Teaching in the Degree Programme in Public Health of Nursing follows the socio-constructivism theory of learning. Various kinds of student-centered, experiential, individual and collaborative learning methods enhance the student’s evidence-based learning. There are various learning methods: theory-lessons, digital learning-platforms, skills-labs, simulation practice and other kinds of practices and assignments. The web-based learning supports the development of the nursing competence. Independent study is part of the programme. Some study modules can happen abroad, during an exchange, according to an individual study plan. In addition, students can complete courses within SeAMKPro multidisciplinary learning environment according to an individual study plan.

Supervised practical training (98cr) consists of work in various fields of nursing or projects. Practical training serves the purpose of integrating theoretical and practical knowledge. The training periods follow the routines of the workplaces, which may involve also work in three shifts on any days of the week.

Structure of studies (240 ECTS):
-Basic studies common to all in Seinäjoki UAS (20 ECTS)
-Basic Studies in health care and social work (8 ECTS)
-Professional studies of Nursing (209 ECTS), of which Final Thesis 15 ECTS
-Free-choice studies (3 ECTS)
The Bachelor’s Thesis (15 ECTS) is implemented in co-operation with the working life and it involves applying evidence-based knowledge of nursing science. The thesis is most commonly carried out in pairs.

In the Degree Programme of Public Health Nursing (240 ECTS), there is a National Competence – exam, and in different clinical competence courses clinical competence -exams (competence in clinical nursing, medical nursing, surgical and perioperative nursing, child, adolescent and family nursing, mental health and substance abuse nursing, gerontological nursing, nursing in different service environments and nursing for clients in need of special support).

Nursing students at Seinäjoki UAS have an opportunity to participate in international exchange programmes, as well as get credits for international intensive courses organized abroad.
Students can actively get involved in common courses and activities for international degree and exchange students, for example by participating in free choice studies available to all. Co-operation between Finnish and international students is important, as it facilitates familiarization with different cultures and societies and promotes understanding diversity. Parts of the study materials are in English.

Students co-operate with various health and social care organizations, for example during practical training periods and projects, as well as when writing their Bachelor’s Thesis.
Students can also co-operate with students of other fields from different faculties during projects, international exchange programmes, SeamkPro multidisciplinary studies, or when writing their Bachelor’s Thesis.

The curriculum includes five seams permeating throughout the studies and extending across. They are based on SeAMK’s reports, studies and strategy, as well as on the national and international recommendations and regulations related to education provided by universities of applied sciences:
The Information Search seam strengthens the student’s professional and field-specific information search skills throughout the studies. The basis of the nursing education is evidence-based learning, which is one of the central red lines. Information seeking and usage are the essential parts in this learning process in the all studies.

The Internationalization seam secures the improvement of the student’s international competencies during their studies. The Public Health Nurse / Registered Nurse`s profession is international, and therefore, the contents of the education include multiculturalism, meeting people from different cultures, teaching and learning in foreign languages, international exchange periods abroad, acting as an international tutor, as well as home internationalization.

The studies corresponding to the Entrepreneurship seam help the student understand the central and growing role of entrepreneurship in society. Acting according to the principles of Entrepreneurship has an important part in the nurse`s profession. In the contents of studies there are internal and external Entrepreneurship and economic thinking, which support the nurse`s Entrepreneurship. During the reform of the structures of health and social services, we must account the private sector and voluntary organizations as the producers of services.

The Sustainable Development seam makes the student aware of social responsibility and helps them understand the diversity of sustainable development as a working life skill. In the different phases of education, in the connections with different courses, students learn about sustainable development from different points of view.

The seam of Career Guidance helps the student recognize their competencies and own strengths. It also includes working life knowledge, job search skills, and lifelong learning. The model of career development is clearly implemented in the study courses of Registered Nurse`s/Public Health Nurse`s profession and career development.

Further information

It is possible that in these clinical training environments may also be under-aged patients. Therefore, the student must show criminal record certificate before starting this training.

Objective

Public Health Nurse Competences

Y1 Learning skills
- is able to evaluate and develop his / her skills and learning methods
- is able to acquire, process and critically evaluate information
- is able to take responsibility for group learning and sharing what has been learned

Y2 Ethical competence
- is able to take responsibility for its own actions and their consequences
- is able to act in accordance with the professional ethical principles of his / her field
- is able to take into account different actors in their work
- is able to apply the principles of equality
- is able to apply the principles of sustainable development
- is able to make a social impact by utilizing his or her know-how and based on ethical values

Y3 Work community competence
- be able to act as a member of the work community and promote the well-being of the community
- is able to act in communication and interaction situations in working life
- is able to utilize information and communication technology in the tasks of his / her field
- is able to create personal working life connections and work in networks
- is able to make decisions in unforeseen situations
- is able to manage work and work independently in expert positions
- own capacity for entrepreneurship

Y4 Innovation competence
- is able to creatively solve problems and develop working methods
- is able to work on projects
- is able to carry out research and development projects using existing knowledge and methods in the field
- is able to look for customer-oriented, sustainable and economically profitable solutions

Y5 Internationalization skills
- have the language skills required for work in their field and for their development
- capable of multicultural cooperation
- is able to take into account in his / her work the effects and opportunities of the international development of his / her field

Y6 Entrepreneurship skills
- understands the interaction between the company's operations and the business environment and adopts entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial way of working to understand the basics of profitable business
- is able to analyze the company's operations and risks

Y7 Quality management skills
- the student is familiar with the quality systems typical of the field
- the student understands the requirements of quality thinking and quality systems

The Outcomes of the Competencies in Degree Programme in Nursing

Competence requirements and contents (180/ 210 ECTS credits) for general nurse education
RN1)Professionalism and ethics
Functions in accordance with the values, ethical guidelines and principles of nursing care, and evaluates their implementation in daily nursing care.
Complies with current legislation and information guidance in their work.
Has adopted the professional identity of a nurse and committed to the principles of a service profession.
Demonstrates ability to function in the role of an expert in nursing care and to accept responsibility for their actions.
Demonstrates ability to assess and develop their own skills.
Demonstrates ability to intervene in unprofessional conduct.
Recognizes their limits in coping, seeks support and uses different forms of support available.
Demonstrates knowledge of career opportunities for nurses.
Complies with occupational safety regulations

RN2) Client-centered care
Respects clients/patients and encounters them as experts of and actors in their own lives.
Demonstrates ability to encounter vulnerable patient groups in nursing care.
Demonstrates ability to encounter client/patients from different cultures individually.

RN3) Communication and multi-professionalism
Demonstrates knowledge of professional interaction in nursing care with client/patients of different ages and backgrounds and their family members and loved ones.
Demonstrates knowledge of independent communication and interaction in his or her native language, the second official language of Finland, and at least one foreign language.
Understands his or her own responsibilities and those of other professionals in health care and social welfare services, as well as the significance of controlled and flexible division of duties in the client’s /patient’s holistic care.
Demonstrates good work community skills when working in multidisciplinary teams, environments and networks.

RN4) Health promotion
Demonstrates ability to apply current research data and other information from the field of health promotion to their work with client/patients.
Identifies risk factors of clients/patients and provides early support to those in need.
Plans and implements interventions promoting health and functional capacity of individuals and groups of clients/patients in multidisciplinary collaboration.
Recognizes existing and new threats to health and knows how to integrate them in the promotion of health of clients/patients.

RN5) Leadership and professional co-operation skills of the employee
Demonstrates ability to priorize the task flexibly
Motivates members of their working community and is able to give and receive feedback.
Demonstrates ability to work according to the principles of cost-efficiency, Sustainable development taking into account the environment
Demonstrates ability to guide fellow students and co-workers.
Demonstrates ability to develop and adapt their ways of working to changes in the health care and social welfare services.

RN6) Information technology and documentation
Complies with the requirements and regulations governing data protection and information security in health care and social welfare services relating to the creation, use, storage and disposal of data.
Demonstrates knowledge of appropriate recording of the client’s /patient’s nursing care process, and is capable of evaluating whether data recorded in the patient data repository is up-to-date, correct and of good quality.
Documents the nursing care of client/patient according to the nursing care process; assesses the client’s/patient’s need for interventions (care) in accordance with the Finnish Care Classification (FinCC), plans and implements interventions using the Finnish Classification of Nursing Interventions (FiCNI), evaluates nursing outcomes using the Finnish Classification of Nursing Outcomes (FiCNO), as well as produces a summary of the nursing care.
Demonstrates knowledge of information technology, electronic databases and reporting tools used in health care services.
Complies with netiquette, regulations and practices regarding emails, and assumes the role of a health care professional in social media.

RN7) Guidance and education competence and supporting self-care
Assesses the needs, resources and responsibility of the client/patient in planning guidance and self-care.
Plans, implements and assesses individual and group guidance in cooperation with the patient/client, and other professionals.
Requirements for implementation of patient guidance
Uses client/patient-centred education and guidance methods.
Demonstrates ability to evaluate guidance outcomes together with the client /patient, their nearest ones and health care professionals.
Uses pedagogy and ethics in plans, implementation and evaluation of guidance supporting the client’s /patient’s self-care.
Encourages the client /patient and their nearest ones commit to the care.
Demonstrates knowledge of the clinical pathway of the client/patient and masters the basics of service guidance.

RN8) Clinical nursing
Responds to the needs of the client/patient by planning, implementing and assessing appropriate individual nursing care in cooperation with the client/patient, their family members, and other professionals in health care and social welfare services.
Demonstrates ability to use diverse nursing care methods in psychosocial support of the client /patient.
Masters the knowledge and skills needed for key nursing interventions as a part of holistic
care of the client /patient.
Masters the knowledge and skills of key nursing diagnostics as a part of holistic
care of the client/patient.
Masters the principles of infection prevention and puts their knowledge into practice in the implementation of infection prevention.
Applies knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, applied pharmacology and medication to the planning, implementation and assessment of medication for treatment of different diseases.
Applies knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and applied pharmacology to the planning, implementation and assessment of safe medication of different client/patient groups.
Demonstrates knowledge of legislation governing medication and information guidance.
Applies nutrition and care recommendations for different age and target groups for prevention and treatment of national diseases.
Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of family work and is able to put them into practice.
Uses various methods to support the psychosocial and conviction needs of patients and their nearest ones

RN9) Evidence-based practice, utilization of research knowledge and decision-making
Understands that work of a nurse is evidence-based and commits to it.
Demonstrates ability to plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based nursing safely.
Participates in developing evidence-based practices in their own work.
Demonstrates ability to search information in major databases of health sciences and to read scientific publications critically.
Demonstrates ability to make evidence-based clinical decisions
Demonstrates ability to exploit scientific data in clinical decision-making

RN10) Entrepreneurship and development
Understands the idea of intrapreneurship and commits to it in his or her work.
Has the basic qualities required for an independent entrepreneur in the sector.
Masters the principles of cost consciousness in nursing and works cost-efficiently.
Reflecting with his or her work community, he or she is able to identify practices to be developed and things that need to be changed in their own work.
Demonstrates ability to participate in development, innovation and research processes as a team member.

RN11) Quality management
Evaluates the quality of nursing care in order to develop the client’s /patient’s care, and their own practices.
Participates in quality management as a member of the work community.
Understands the impact of their own activities on the quality of the organization.
Understands the use of patient safety reports as a part of quality control of the organization.

RN12) Service system of health care and social welfare services
Understands how health care and social welfare services are produced and organized, and how they are controlled and monitored in Finland.
Understands the roles of different action and service units as part of the care and service chain.
Understands their personal role in promoting the organization’s reputation, brand and image, as well as in creating a positive service experience for the client.
Demonstrates competence in using digital services as a part of holistic
care of the client/patient.
Demonstrates ability to function in changing environments and to provide service guidance.

RN13) Patient and client safety
Demonstrates knowledge of key factors regarding patient and client safety
Promotes patient safety and prevents patient safety incidents in every phase of the nursing process of the patient.
Communicates clearly to ensure patient safety.
Takes immediate situation-specific action in a hazardous situation.
Recognizes potential patient safety incidents and reports them.
Understands how a report on patient safety incident is handled.

The Public Health Nurse's areas of expertise are:

TH1) Nursing competence (see General Nurse competences)
TH2) Health-promoting public health nursing
TH3) Individual, family and community nursing
TH4) Promoting a healthy and safe environment
TH5) Social public health nursing
TH6) Public health nursing management and development

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