Hyppää pääsisaltöön
Various Variables

Metropolian blogit nostavat keskusteluun aiheita ammattikorkeakoulumme ja kumppaneidemme maailmasta: oppimisesta, työelämästä, yhteistyöstä, osaamisesta, uudistumisesta ja erilaisista kohtaamisista. Sisällöt edustavat kunkin kirjoittajan henkilökohtaisia näkemyksiä, Metropolian johtoryhmän Pelinavaajat-blogi ilmaisee Metropolian virallista kantaa. Tervetuloa vuoropuheluun kanssamme!

  • Uusimmat postaukset
  • Blogit
  • Metropolian bloggaajat
Various Variables
Aiming at recognising competences and guiding educated immigrants
0

Career Boost Programme: Helping Foreign Nurses Reach Their Goals

Anu-Helena Pitkänen · 6.4.2023
Nursing
Metropolia 20220427 Myllypuro, Helsinki. Tutkinnot, tutkintojen kevät 2022. Sairaanhoitaja. Terveysala.

Hundreds of highly educated foreign nurses are working in Finland in positions unrelated to their education, for example as a care assistant or as a practical nurse (1).” I worked as a care assistant one year and then I studied to become a practical nurse through an apprenticeship contract in Finland”, says Ronalyn, who completed the Career Boost Programme at Metropolia UAS in 2022 (2). Before moving to Finland, she studied four years getting a Bachelor´s level nursing degree in the Philippines.

Career Boost for Foreign Nurses

Over the years, universities of applied sciences have organised various qualification projects for foreign nurses (3). One such project, The Career Boost Programme started at Metropolia UAS in spring 2021 and it was organised by Oske project (4). The programme included:

  • Theoretical studies (approx. 30 ECTS) implemented mostly online. The studies are mandated by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health, Valvira,
  • Clinical nursing training held in a simulation hospital at Metropolia.
  • Finnish language teaching integrated into the professional subject studies.
  • Supervised internship in healthcare facilities mandated by Valvira for approximately 10-12 weeks depending on the student’s education and previous working experience.

Longing to Be a Nurse

Ronalyn just happened to bump into information about the Career Boost Programme on social media and she decided to have a career change after working as a practical nurse for a few years. Working as a practical nurse helped her learn Finnish language and gave her a good understanding of the Finnish care culture. “I missed working as a nurse and being at the hospital. As a care assistant or a practical nurse, you can only give basic care. I felt like my nursing skills and education were wasted. I even missed the smell of antibiotics”, Ronalyn chuckles.

Adult Learning requires Creativity

Adult learning can be challenging. One ECTS credit point equals 27 actual study hours. In the Career Boost programme, the students studied both Finnish language skills and the nursing practice at the same time. Most adult learners have a full-time job (practical nurses might have a three-shift rotation) and some might have a family with small children. The biggest challenge in adult learning seems to be coordinating different aspects of everyday life (5). “I asked from my boss to get night shifts. When there was a peaceful moment during the night shift, I studied” Ronalyn says. Students who are working full-time and taking care of everyday life responsibilities may need to find creative ways to fit studying into their schedules.

Flexible Learning Solutions

Adult learners need flexible ways to study. By offering flexible learning solutions, students can have more choices to reach their educational goals. The Career Boost Programme was open to participants from all over Finland. With the help of online learning, the students can develop their skills while continuing to work full-time. This can be crucial if the residence permit is work-based or studying full-time is not otherwise possible. However, online studies require a lot of self-management and adult students have to balance their personal life and uncompleted study tasks weighing on their mind (6.). “I was always stressed out”, Ronalyn remembers. Time management and good study strategies are therefore essential skills for successful learning (7).

Sharing Experiences

When teaching online, the challenge for teachers is to develop different ways of ensuring interaction with and between the students. Distance learning can be quite lonely, so it is important to create spaces where social relationships can be supported and where students can share experiences with their peers. This can give learners a sense of belonging to an online group, which can help them engage, participate and actively complete learning tasks (8). In the Career Boost Programme, the students had the opportunity to interact with the teachers in weekly online learning sessions on Zoom, where, in addition to studying a pre-determined topic, they had a chance to ask for advice and discuss the assignments.

“The teachers were very supportive”, Ronalyn reflects, “We had a Whatsapp group where you could get a quick answer to any matter.” In addition to distance learning, the students practiced nursing skills at Metropolia’s simulation hospital in Myllypuro, Helsinki. Ronalyn had to travel all the way from Northern Finland to the Myllypuro campus for the simulation days. Fortunately, she found an internship at a University Hospital closer to home and the supervised internship was paid for. “It’s easier to get an internship during the summer”, Ronalyn advises new students.

Looking Forward

The Career Boost programme ended in December 2022. Overall 36 participants completed their qualification studies during the project. In the beginning of 2023, Metropolia UAS started a new programme for healthcare professionals, where nurses, biomedical laboratory scientists, midwives, physiotherapists and radiographers with a foreign bachelor’s degree can complete qualification studies. Registration for the programme is ongoing. (9,10). The project, called “Terveysalan ammattilaisten pätevöitymispolku 2023-2024”, wants to support underemployed healthcare professionals to qualify their foreign degrees to get a job equivalent to their education. Although adult learning is sometimes demanding, it is a good opportunity to reach your professional goals.

“At the moment I still have a permanent position as a practical nurse because of my working permit issue, but I do gigs occasionally at the hospital. When I work as a licensed nurse, I feel free”, Ronalyn explains. “In the future, I hope I can get a permanent job as an anesthetic nurse or I could work at the OR. There you can see a whole new world in a small room.”

 

Sources:

1) Yle news 2022. https://yle.fi/a/3-12630299 Viewed on 16 March 2023.

2) Ronalyn. Participant in the Career Boost Programme at Metropolia UAS 2023. Interview.

3) Pitkänen, A-H, 2021. Pätevöitymiskoulutuksella Boostia sairaanhoitajapulaan. Blog post. https://blogit.metropolia.fi/montamuuttujaa/2021/11/29/patevoitymiskoulutuksella-boostia-sairaanhoitajapulaan/

4) Developing competence center functions for highly educated immigrants in the Helsinki region (Oske project). Webpage.  https://www.metropolia.fi/en/rdi/rdi-projects/competence-center-of-helsinki-region Viewed on 16 March 2023.

5)  Repo, S. 2010. Yhteisöllisyys voimavarana yliopisto-opetuksen ja -opiskelun kehittämisessä. Helsingin yliopisto. Käyttäytymistieteiden laitos. Kasvatustieteellisiä tutkimuksia 228. https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/19875/yhteisol.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

6) Peltola M., Suorsa T. & Silvola J. 2022. ”Opinnot ikään kuin leijuvat olohuoneessamme” Etäopiskelijan arki oppimisen ja kehityksen ympäristönä ja neuvottelun paikkana. Aikuiskasvatus 3/2022. http://jultika.oulu.fi/files/nbnfi-fe202301306499.pdf

7) Repo S, Vuoksenranta S-T & Ruokolainen, O. 2014. Kuinka avoimen yliopiston opiskelija yhdistää opiskelun, työn ja perheen. Aikuiskasvatus 4/2014. https://journal.fi/aikuiskasvatus/article/view/94106/52784

8) Gillett-Swan, J. 2017. The challenges of online learning: Supporting and engaging the isolated learner. Journal of Learning Design. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1127718.pdf

9) Additional studies for obtaining the practice at the nurse. Studies for nursing graduates from abroad. Webpage. https://www.metropolia.fi/en/academics/study-opportunities-for-immigrants/additional-studies-nurse  Viewed on 16 March 2023.

10) Study opportunities and competence development for immigrants. Webpage. https://www.metropolia.fi/fi/opiskelu-metropoliassa/maahanmuuttajille  Viewed on 16 March 2023.

 

Blogger:

Anu-Helena Pitkänen works as a Career Coach in Metropolia SIMHE services supporting highly educated immigrants with their employment and study paths in Finland. She is working in a collaboration project with the employment services of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa-Kerava to increase employment among international professionals in the Helsinki region. She is responsible for guiding the healthcare professionals in Metropolia’s new project “Terveysalan ammattilaisten pätevöitymispolku 2023-2024.”

 

 

Adult learningCareer BoostNursingProfessional practice rightsQualification studies

No comments

    Leave a reply Cancel reply

    You might also be interested

    • Entering the labor market in Finland as immigrant - a story of Sufi
      Entering the labor market in Finland as immigrant - a story…
      7.3.2023
    • Playing hide and seek with hidden job markets
      Playing hide and seek with hidden job markets
      25.1.2023
    • Talent hubs in the making: collaborating for a Future Finland
      Talent hubs in the making: collaborating for a Future…
      21.6.2021

    Outi Lemettinen

    työskentelee Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulun Oppimisen palvelut – tiimissä. Hän työskentelee maahanmuuttajien koulutusta koskevissa kehittämishankkeissa. Koulutukseltaan hän on kauppatieteiden maisteri. Hänen perheeseensä kuuluvat puoliso ja aikuinen lapsi. Vapaa-aikanaan Outi matkustaa ja golfaa.

    Various Variables blog is part of Talent Boost project

    Blog introduces information, tips and insights that help international talents with a higher education background to integrate and find their study and career paths in Finland. The blog is part of Metropolia’s #talentboost actions.

    Various Variables blog´s Editorial Board

    • Outi Lemettinen (head editor)
    • Riikka Wallin
    • Anu Luoma

    Email addresses:

    Editorial Board handles all the publications of Various Variables blog before publishing.

    Latest Posts

    • Why Finnish is Easier to Learn than You Think

      27.4.2023
    • Nursing

      Career Boost Programme: Helping Foreign Nurses Reach Their Goals

      6.4.2023
    • Entering the labor market in Finland as immigrant – a story of Sufi

      7.3.2023
    • Playing hide and seek with hidden job markets

      25.1.2023
    • Make sure that your CV is as professional as you are

      17.10.2022

    Archive

    • ▼ 2023 (4)
      • ▼ April (2)
        • Why Finnish is Easier to Learn than You Think
        • Career Boost Programme: Helping Foreign Nurses Reach Their Goals
      • ▼ March (1)
        • Entering the labor market in Finland as immigrant - a story of Sufi
      • ▼ January (1)
        • Playing hide and seek with hidden job markets
    • ► 2022 (3)
      • ► October (1)
        • Make sure that your CV is as professional as you are
      • ► August (1)
        • The Art of Networking - where to start if you don´t know anyone in Finland?
      • ► January (1)
        • Dip your toes or just dive right in: the Helsinki region invites you to explore entrepreneurship
    • ► 2021 (4)
      • ► November (1)
        • Knowing your skills is crucial for your career ‒ how to get started?
      • ► October (1)
        • Sustainability: the winning strategy for you, your organisation and all of us
      • ► June (2)
        • Talent hubs in the making: collaborating for a Future Finland
        • Find your way to become a Finnish speaker
    • ► 2020 (5)
      • ► December (1)
        • Courage to Use Finnish - Growing into a Professional
      • ► June (1)
        • Mentoring in the time of corona: networks, insights and improved employability for international talents
      • ► April (2)
        • Now everybody’s viral – how we made it to the new decade of online education and work 
        • Networking - key to employment
      • ► February (1)
        • SIMHE path ─ connecting Finnish employers and international talents 
    • ► 2019 (4)
      • ► December (1)
        • Boost your Talent with Finland - Towards a Career Path for International Degree Students
      • ► June (1)
        • My Journey in Supporting Immigrant Women in Higher Education
      • ► May (1)
        • Finding suitable career paths for the highly educated immigrants
      • ► March (1)
        • Do you need supplementary education?
    • ► 2018 (2)
      • ► May (1)
        • How to succeed in higher education in Finland?
      • ► February (1)
        • Supporting Highly Educated Immigrants' Career Paths in Finland
    • ► 2017 (5)
      • ► December (1)
        • Highly skilled immigrants aboard to build Finland
      • ► November (1)
        • Healthy Mind, Healthy Life - How to improve the sense of belongingness among highly educated immigrants in Finland?
      • ► September (1)
        • Is it all about happiness?
      • ► March (1)
        • 365 steps later
      • ► February (1)
        • Mathematics and various variables
    • ► 2016 (3)
      • ► September (1)
        • Can you see it more clearly now?
      • ► June (1)
        • To have someone who listens to me...
      • ► May (1)
        • Recognising competencies of educated immigrants

    Keywords

    Belongingness Career Career Boost coronavirus employability employment entrepreneurship Finnish as a second language future skills future skills needs Guidance health hidden jobs higher education higher education institutions highly educated immigrants Immigrants Inclusion Integration international student international talent job search jobhunt jobsearch language learning learning platform mapping of competences mentoring Moodle Networking networks online learning Participation professionals purpose Qualification studies recognition of competences SIMHE SIMHE-Metropolia Skills Society strengths Studying in Finland sustainable development talent boost

    SIMHE on Metropolia.fi pages

    Metropolia University of Applied Sciences started developing Supporting Immigrants in Higher Education (SIMHE) services in 2016. The services are targeted to immigrants and asylum seekers with a higher education background. The goal is to recognise their competence and to guide them for suitable study and career paths in Finland.

    SIMHE Metropolia

    Services for Immigrants

    © 2015 Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu


    Sisällöt edustavat kunkin kirjoittajan henkilökohtaisia näkemyksiä, Metropolian johtoryhmän Pelinavaajat-blogi ilmaisee Metropolian virallista kantaa.

    Saavutettavuusseloste Tietosuojaseloste