The coronavirus pandemic have proved to us the pivotal role of frontline healthcare workers in our society. Many of them have saved lives and are still saving lives. Some lost their lives while trying to save a life. The pandemic also exposed the loopholes in the health sector of many countries. Many countries have increased their budget for healthcare. Many are also in dire need of healthcare workers.
It was reported that Finland needs 30,000 nurses by 2030 to fill up the vacuum that will be created as a result of aging work force and vis-a-vis the government’s obligations to amend the law on social and healthcare services for the elderly. Recall that the much talked about bill aims at setting the minimum nursing quota for round-the-clock care at centers that will have seven caregivers for each ten residents.
According to Yle, there are currently 50,000 healthcare staff working round-the clock care of the elderly.
This is realizable if the right step is followed. It is a cliché to say that acute shortage of workers is looming in many sectors in Finland, but that is the truth.
For Finland to meet up with the 30,000 nurses recruitment mark, Universities of Applied Sciences must be on the same page. More students should be admitted. Schools should abolish the B1 level Finnish language skills requirement for nursing degree programme and adopt Metropolia and the University of Tampere nursing degree template for students from immigrant background.
In January 2022, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and Tampere University of Applied Sciences will launch a new bilingual Nursing education targeted especially at immigrants.
Studies will begin in English without the Finnish language proficiency requirement. The role of Finnish as a language of instruction strengthens as language skills increase.
The Nursing education combines both diverse practical internships and strong theoretical skills. After graduation, you will be able to work in Finnish language in Finnish healthcare with excellent employment and career opportunities.
The move by Metropolia and the University of Tampere to bring immigrants onboard is commendable. A lot of immigrants are eager to become a nurse but the Finnish language proficiency requirement has been a major barrier. With this initiative, applicants will be accepted without having to prove their Finnish language proficiency but must prove their English language skills proficiency. As the study progresses, Finnish language proficiency will increase since it’s a de rigueur.
The number of students intake in Finland is relatively low. This makes one to ponder over the possibility of producing the needed 30,000 nurses within the space of nine years.
Recently, There were 1040 applicants for Laurea University of Applied Sciences nursing programme for path studies in autumn 2021 and only five applicants were taken. Same scenario occured in other institutions.
