CURRICULA > FULL-TIME STUDIES > DEGREE PROGRAMME IN HEALTH CARE
Bachelor's degree, full-time studies
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Degree Programme in Health Care
Bachelor of Health Care, 240 ECTS

terveydenhoitaja (AMK), Bachelor of Health Care

  • Programme
  • Curricula
  • Implementations
Course Structure Diagram
Health care, full-time studies

Objectives

As a public health nurse, you can promote and maintain the health of individuals, families, work and other communities, the population and the environment, and treat and prevent diseases. You can increase and strengthen your client's resources, self-care and ability to live healthy.

As a public health nurse you can take responsibility for your own activities and know the limits of your skills. You can work both independently and as an expert in co-operation with multidisciplinary workgroups. You know the principles of social and health care legislation and professional ethics. Public health nursing practice requires the adaptation and implementation of scientific and multidisciplinary knowledge in nursing.

Degree programme description

The curriculum of the Degree Programme in Public Health Nursing is based on EU directives and national guidelines regarding the competence of nurses responsible for general care (180 ECTS credits), including common competence areas of the University of Applied Sciences. The competence areas are included in modules and courses.

Common competence of the University of Applied Sciences includes the following competence areas:
• learning competence
• ethical competence
• working community competence
• innovation competence
• international competence

Public health nurses’ professional competence includes the following (60 ECTS credits)
• health promotion in public health nursing
• public health nursing of individuals, families and communities
• promotion of safe and healthy environment
• public health nursing in surrounding society
• management and development in public health nursing

Various situations of clinical nursing and patient education are practiced during the studies. Modern simulation and practical learning environments, with modern equipment, enable the creation of realistic learning environments.

One third of the studies is implemented as clinical practice in various nursing environments. Clinical practice is carried out in various units of primary health care, specialized health care and private health care companies and community sector.

The degree includes core competence and complementary competence. Core competence includes knowledge, skills and qualifications that a registered nurse must master and that form a basis for continuous learning. The professional competence of a Public Health Nurse is studied in complementary studies.

The Degree Programme in Nursing includes the following modules:
Core competence:
• Basics of clinical nursing
• Health promotion
• Clinical nursing
• Clinical practice
• Language and communication studies
• Evidence-based nursing
• Bachelor’s thesis

Complementary competence
• Global health and public health
• Public health nursing
• Practice of public health nursing

Optional studies

In optional studies you can choose from various alternatives, including innovation studies, entrepreneurship, data management and Russian studies.
Language and communication studies will help to communicate both orally and in writing in nursing profession. You will be able to participate in international communication and interaction in Finnish or Swedish, and English.

Implementation of studies and flexible learning tracks

Flexible learning tracks
Your personal study and career plans, prepared at the beginning of your studies, are built on the objectives of the degree programme and on the knowledge and skills previously acquired, in order to support your decisions in career planning, course options, practical training, thesis and international studies.

In order to save time and make studying interesting for you, you can demonstrate and get a recognition for the previously acquired skills, allowing you to focus on learning new skills and gaining new knowledge from your studies. It is essential that the previously acquired skills meet the aims of the degree programme and the particular course.

Scheduled track

In the scheduled track, you participate in the classroom instruction and guidance. Your studying includes classroom and online studying, as well as and simulations in various environments.

How to speed up the studies?

You can speed up your studies within the limits of the prior study requirement of the courses. A careful planning is suggested when speeding up the studies, since learning and achievement of competence requires time. You can choose independent forms of completing the courses, such as online implementations, and you select courses from the schedules of other groups. Summer studies are also available. Speeding up your studies requires excellent time management skills and readiness for independent studying.

If you have prior competence related to the course, such as studies or work experience on the subject, you can have the course accredited either partially or in full.

How can studies and working be connected?
If you work in a health care environment, organization or in a project run by a higher education institution, you can carry out courses at your own work place / as part of your project either partially or in full. When you have completed 140 ECTS credits, you are entitled to work as substitute nurse. This working experience can be accredited to your studies as clinical practice.

Flexible learning tracks

Your personal study and career plans, prepared at the beginning of your studies, are built on the objectives of the degree programme and on the knowledge and skills previously acquired, in order to support your decisions in career planning, course options, practical training, thesis and international studies.

Your personal study and career plans, prepared at the beginning of your studies, are built on the objectives of the degree programme and on the knowledge and skills previously acquired, in order to support your decisions in career planning, course options, practical training, thesis and international studies.
Studying in the Public Health Nursing Degree Programme

Scheduled track

In the scheduled track, you participate in the classroom instruction and guidance. Your studying includes classroom and online studying, as well as and simulations in various environments.

How to speed up the studies?

You can speed up your studies within the limits of the prior study requirement of the courses. A careful planning is suggested when speeding up the studies, since learning and achievement of competence requires time. You can choose independent forms of completing the courses, such as online implementations, and you select courses from the schedules of other groups. Summer studies are also available. Speeding up your studies requires excellent time management skills and readiness for independent studying.

If you have prior competence related to the course, such as studies or work experience on the subject, you can have the course accredited either partially or in full.

How can studies and working be connected?

If you work in a health care environment, organization or in a project run by a higher education institution, you can carry out courses at your own work place / as part of your project either partially or in full. When you have completed 140 ECTS credits, you are entitled to work as substitute nurse. This working experience can be accredited to your studies as clinical practice.

Your wellbeing is very important to all of us. During your studies, you have the support of the entire Xamk staff. All Xamk campuses have a student affairs office and student health care.

BYOD – Bring Your Own Device

New students arriving in Xamk are subject to our BYOD policy. The BYOD policy requires that students bring their own devices, such as laptops, to campus.

Career opportunities

Almost 100% employment after graduation

Registered nurses are employed by social and health care organizations, associations or the private sector. Your workplace may be in maternity and child health care clinics, or in school nursing or occupational nursing. You may also be employed in home care, in a hospital inpatient ward, or in various rehabilitation and nursing homes. A public health nurse can also work in development tasks or as an entrepreneur. The employment rate of registered public health nurses is high and there are substantial employment opportunities both nationally and internationally.

Only a graduated, licencsd and registered professional can work as registered nurse

Public health nurses and registered nurses are licensed health care professionals. The education meets the criteria of nursing education given by the European Council, and contains the professional competence of a nurse responsible for general care.
Only a graduated, licensed professional can work as a registered nurse. After completing your studies, you will apply for the license for both professional registrations from the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health.

RDI and cooperation with world of work

Almost half of the studies is conducted in cooperation with the world of work. Clinical practice in different nursing environments strengthens your working skills and participation in multiprofessional networks. The Bachelor’s thesis is related to local development projects or other work-related development tasks.

Cooperation between teaching and RDI (research, development and innovation) provides you with experience in development projects connected to local, national or European networks. Cooperation between RDI and teaching gives you opportunities to participate in local, national and international development projects. The Degree Programme in Nursing is part of Xamk’s Sustainable Wellbeing focus area, which aims at promoting the wellbeing of individuals and communities, and developing new service models. In RDI projects you will participate in multidisciplinary teamwork with local service providers, and university staff and students. Xamk is cooperating with Aalto University, enabling new opportunities for RDI and teaching development projects.

Learning environments

In public health nursing education, a lot of learning is gained using simulations and online studies. There are modern simulation environments on all Xamk campuses. They include various hospital and domestic environments. Clinical practice included in the studies is carried out in different health care environments.