Objective

Nurses work with people to help them. In practice their work involves health promotion and maintenance, the prevention and treatment of disease and the relief of suffering. This degree provides expert training for those who are able to work independently in specialist posts in the healthcare sector. As a nurse you will be able to plan, implement and assess patient care in cooperation with the patient, his or her family and the community as a whole. You will advise and supervise patients and you will possess the ability to draw conclusions and find solutions while taking full responsibility for your own work. You will also be able to work as a team leader. You have the knowledge and skills to use health technology in your work. In today’s ever increasingly international world, care environments are also becoming more international and you will be able to work with patients of different cultural background.

The general aim of the degree is to educate competent professionals for the healthcare sector, who as specialists in multi-professional cooperation will safeguard equal services guaranteeing patient safety for the population. Nursing competence is based on a multidisciplinary, ever updated and extensive knowledge base, practical and social interaction skills.

Degree Content

The syllabus of the Bachelor’s degree in nursing is based on nationally determined and jointly agreed professional areas of competence known as competences. These are: learning competence and study skills, ethical competence, work community competence, innovation competence and international competence.

The degree specific competences of the nursing degree consist of nine different areas of competence.

The nursing degree includes theoretical study and practical training in turn. The degree in Nursing (AMK) leading to a Bachelor of Healthcare qualification includes 75 credits of practical training. A part of the practical training is completed in nursing environments in Finland or abroad and the remaining practical training credits are completed under supervision on the premises of the University of Applied Sciences. Kajaani University of Applied Sciences’ unique learning environments, the Handy Home presenting services that help the elderly and disabled to cope at home and nursing simulation facilities will enable you to make study progress. A doll, which reacts to treatment like a person, is located in the simulation environment.

Structure of the studies
The studies consist of 210 credits and take about 3.5 years to complete. One credit is the equivalent of 27 hours of work by the student according to the international ECTS scale. The studies include Basic and Professional Studies (90) cr), Practical Training (75 cr), Optional Professional Studies (30cr) and a thesis (15 cr).

The degree consists of periods of study or courses which have been combined to form larger periods of study known as modules. At the start of the Nursing degree you will study project work, business competence with students from other fields, in the Smart Solutions AMK module. The Clinical Nursing Competence module will familiarize you with anatomy, physiology, microbiology, medical treatment, clinical pharmacology and first aid. Later on in your studies, you will study medical and surgical nursing, family nursing, nursing the elderly, and nursing mental health and substance abuse service customers all within the same module. Towards the end of your studies you will deepen your nursing competence in the Acute Care, KÄÄNNÄ vastaanotto- ja polikliinisen hoitotyön or Smart Home Care module. You can also develop your business skills by studying Business Competence.