Study Guide

Descriptions

The curriculum of Public Health Nursing offers students a learning path which enables a flexible study process. The curriculum also serves as a source of information for the working environment and our international partners. The provision of studies consists of study units providing a minimum of 5 ECTS credits, except concerning practices where the extent of course unit may vary

As a starting point for learning, the focus is on situations and problems arising from professional practices, and the learning process aims to find evidence-based solutions for them. Project work including development work and projects of the student’s field of study is employed as the main learning method. Various learning environments supporting learning are used to deepen and develop competence, for example in the learning environment of simulation centre and through our Innovation Hub's well-being and therapy services provided for clients. Students from different fields and degree programmes provide these services in the multidisciplinary learning environments under teacher's supervision.

The teaching methods have been diversified by increasing the possibilities for digital learning. Throughout the learning process, students assume the responsibility for their learning. Their competence in studies is evaluated by an evaluation framework, which consists of competence areas including professional knowledge base, professional skills and actions as well as ethics, cooperation and development. Students become proficient in continuous development of their competence and further studies.

The curriculum meets the demands of professional competence requirements for Public health nursing, competence and development needs of the working environment as well as the requirements for the national and international cooperation. It also reflects a student-oriented and learning- and competence-based foundation. Learning objectives convey students of the competence level required of them and help them evaluate their own learning. The objectives of competence have been determined in cooperation with representatives of both the workplace and Helsinki Metropolia UAS and therefore convey information of students’ competence levels and readiness for work tasks to the workplace. Competence-based curriculum enables student mobility within and between other UAS. In addition, it makes the recognition and credit transfer for previously acquired competence (AHOT) easier as well as enables the comparison of degrees obtained in different countries.

International studies are part of the learning path of each learner in the form of international exchange, practice placement or international studies within home institution, such as common core requirement studies in English or Finnish degree programmes or open studies in international network learning environments.

The profile of Metropolia’s Degree Programme in Public Health Nursing represents public health nurses as professionals with extensive expertise. Metropolia graduates are qualified experts in public health nursing, whose education provides them with a wide-ranging competence to care for clients from all age groups. They have an outstanding competence in promotive and preventive health care. The focus of the studies relies on competence in health promotion, prevention of diseases, public health and primary health care. The degree builds on expertise to promote the health of people planning a family, pregnant women and their families as well as the promotion of health of the newborn babies and children, adolescents, working age people, the elderly, and the families of all these groups.

Work as a public health nurse may take place in maternity and child health clinics, family counselling, school or student health service, occupational health care, home health care, adult counselling, welfare and health centres, and in emergency/urgent care. The degree in public health nursing also enables work with mental health and substance abuse clients, various tasks related to education and projects, work in organizations and as entrepreneurs.