Bachelor of Health Care in Nursing – SAMK

Students will be able to work with patients from all backgrounds and age groups independently and in multidisciplinary teams. Students will learn how to promote health and develop client-oriented services in an ethical manner.

Nursing studies consist of contact classes, projects, clinical simulations and online studies. The learning process involves interaction between students, sharing experiences, reflection and evaluation. Learning is based on the application and production of evidence-based knowledge and critical reflection. Part of teaching is carried out in an online learning environment.

Clinical simulation practice is used to support learning. Simulation practice consists of clinical practice classes, workshops, imaginary patient situations and practice in a simulated environment. The students learn hands-on, communication, decision-making, interaction and co-operation skills. The training of these skills strengthens professional competence and improves patient safety.

Progress of Studies

Professional expertise is the core of the existence of the degree program. Different groups have a different amount of theoretical studies and clinical practice. The differences depend on the available places for students in the clinical placements, but also on the consideration of even work load for students. The students also have a possibility to complete their studies faster on the basis of their personal study plan (HOPS).

Basic Studies

Basic Studies orient the student into the studies at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, to social services and health care and the future profession. The student forms an insight of the foundations of evidence-based nursing and health promotion. In addition, he or she acquires professional communicative skills in Finnish and the level in Swedish required by the act on language skills in the second national language. In addition, the student acquires oral and written language skills in a foreign language (English) necessary for working as a professional and for professional development.

Professional Studies

In Professional Studies the student acquires the core competence required in nursing profession. It is an essential part of professional competence that the student develops an ability to work both independently and in multidisciplinary teams in expert tasks of nursing. Clinical competence and medical therapy are emphasised in the work of nurses. Evidence-based practice requires up-to-date knowledge and an ability to combine information from a variety of sources to make decisions as well as an ability to question the prevailing methods. Therefore, research and development as well as leadership in nursing are an essential part of the nurse’s competence.

Clinical Practice

Studies leading to a bachelor’s degree include compulsory clinical practice which extent varies depending on the degree program. Clinical practice is target-oriented, supervised and evaluated. Clinical practice introduces the student into practical work tasks that are essential especially to the professional skills and to the application of knowledge and skills in professional practice. Clinical practice can be completed in the private or public sector, as an entrepreneur or in another separately approved setting, fulfilling the set criteria, either in Finland or abroad.

Clinical practice promoting professional competence in nursing complies with the requirements of the EU directive 2013/55/EU on the clinical practice in training of nurses responsible for general nursing. All clinical practice is integrated into theoretical studies and it is goal-oriented and assessed. The students apply their skills and knowledge in different sectors of health care and acquire the required competences.

Bachelor’s Thesis

The aim of the thesis is to demonstrate the student’s ability to apply his or her knowledge and skills in a practical professional task. Bachelor’s thesis is a comprehensive process of professional growth, where both professional and generic competences are developed. The student who has completed the bachelor’s thesis is able to develop his or her own profession and nursing in general on the basis of research results and his or her own critical notions.

Graduates can work at schools as counselors, in hospitals, private clinics, intensive care units, at patients’ homes or as a private entrepreneurs.

Our Edunation Pathway to Finland program offers guaranteed access to SAMK’s bachelor programs and you can get accepted within 2 days.

The admission requirements are:

• High school diploma / Higher Secondary Education
• Transcript of records
• Proof of English language: from IELTS 5.5, TOEFL IBT 59-69, Duolingo 95-100, or equivalent
• Copy of passport ID page

You can find more information about the English language requirement on our page.

Students are pre-screened on a first-come, first-served basis.

SAMK Nursing degree gives students the necessary skills to practice nursing in Finland. Upon graduation, you must submit a licencing application to Valvira, the National Supervisory Agency for Welfare and Health. Valvira gives the licence to all health professionals in Finland, including Finns. The licencing application should include a certificate demonstrating that the candidate knows Finnish at the required level in order to work with Finnish clients. The required level of Finnish is attained if the student gets skill level 3 in the National Certificate of Language Proficiency. Skill level 3 is approximately the same as B1 level Finnish.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are checked by the Student Health Service at the start of your studies. If you are missing some of the required vaccinations, they can also be administered in Finland.

Criminal record

Criminal record is needed when you work with underage patients (under 18 years old). First traineeship with underage patients will be organized during the second year, so you don’t need to present the record before that. The record cannot be older than 6 months so we recommend that you won’t order the criminal record report before you arrive in Finland.

The admission requirements for the program can be found on the university page.

Further information about the tuition fee and available scholarships for the program can be found on the university page.