Have you thought about studying nursing in Finland? In Finland, many schools offer English-language teaching in various fields, and one of them is nursing. English-speaking groups are called international groups because they can have people all over the world.
At Universities Of Applied Sciences, nursing students will receive their education. Universities Of Applied Sciences are also called polytechnics.
If you study nursing in Finland the degree you’ll get is a Bachelor of Health Care. Studying to become a registered nurse usually takes 3,5 years (210 credits.) But also midwife, paramedic, and public health nurse’s degrees include the registered nurse’s qualification. Studying as a paramedic or a public health nurse will take 4 years (240 credits).
Nursing education will open up excellent job opportunities in Finland and abroad. Your language skills will also improve. There is currently a shortage of nurses in Finland. A lot of work is available. So there is work a lot of!
Here is a list of all Universities Of Applied Sciences which offer a nursing program in the English language. There all have a link to the school website if you are interested in exploring them.
- Centria University of Applied Sciences
- Lapland University of Applied Sciences
- Satakunta University Of Applied Sciences
- Metropolia University Of Applied Sciences
- Laurea University Of Applied Sciences
- Novia University Of Applied Sciences
- JAMK University Of Applied Sciences
So, on that list are some of the Finnish schools which offer a nursing program in English. You might note that schools have a tuition fee. Schools have their own tuition fees so the tuition fees depend on the school.
The charge is free for applicants from the EU and EEA. But if you are more interested in studying nursing in Finland, I recommend visiting the school’s website which provides good information on school supplies and fees.
Table of Contents
Nursing jobs in Finland
In Finland, you have to have a license to practice as a nurse. And you will get it if you study in Finland. But if you have studied nursing in another country you need to contact the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) to get a license. Valvira is the Social Welfare and Health Authorization and Control Agency.
But like I said there is a shortage of nurses in Finland and there is a huge need for nursing in Finland. A nurse can work in many different places so there are many job opportunities! For example, you can work at a hospital ward, outpatient clinic, or surgery. Your job may also be found in home health care, nurse reception, various rehabilitation places, care homes, or medical centers. So as you can see job opportunities have a lot!
At the end of your studies in Finland, you can choose what you want to focus on. You can focus on, for example, psychiatric nursing, nursing for children and adolescents, surgical nursing, internal medicine, mental hospital, etc. Orientation options depend on the school. That, what you would like to focus on is worth thinking about a lot.
Here is a video about a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Laurea University Of Applied Sciences.
Nursing in Finland salary
So, the salary depends on many things. It is affected by many things. Shift work and weekend work increase salary.
If you are doing the morning shift from Monday to Friday you won’t get any supplements. From evening shifts and weekends, workers get supplements. And of course, the salary is affected by your experience. Also, your employer affects your salary.
So it’s hard to say nursing salary. According to the Finnish Nursing Association, the average basic salary of a nurse without supplements is a gross wage of 2445 EUR per month. That amount will still be taxed. With supplements, the salary is somewhat higher.
Here’s a bar chart where registered nurse’s entry-level salaries and average wages are compared between the Nordic countries.
You can see that Finland is ranked the worst and Norway is ranked the best by average wage and entry-level salaries.
However, keep in mind that it’s not that simple. The difference is mainly due to the that the cost of living in Norway is quite higher than in Finland.
That’s all about nursing in Finland and salaries. Next up, I’m going to tell you how can foreigners study nursing in Finland.
How can foreigners study nursing in Finland?
Foreigners can apply to English-speaking groups. You can apply for a polytechnic joint application, which is organized every spring. More information on application times can be found on the school’s website.
When you come to Finland to study, the need for a residence permit depends on which country you are from. Foreign students in Finland behind that link there is a lot of information about studying in Finland and coming here to study.
If you are interested in coming to Finland to study I recommend getting to know different schools and the whole application process. That is the first step.
The second step is thinking about financing studies. Then of course apply and hope you get into the school! If you are approved for school a home search would be a good idea to start. When students find out they’ve got a school place, the apartments go really fast. So it’s a good idea to start watching them in good time.
It is a big deal to move from one country to another to study. All things can be different here. It takes a lot of courage. If you are interested in studying nursing in Finland, so check out the earth all the links in which I have put this article. They have a lot of good information.
That’s all about nursing in Finland. I really hope that you get something out of this text!
If you want to learn some more, I highly recommend you to read these articles of ours:
- Healthcare in Finland
- How to Become a Registered Nurse
- How to Become a Neonatal Nurse
- How to Become a Respiratory Therapist
- How Often Do Nurses Get Paid?
I’m also really grateful if you have time to rate this article. Thank you in advance!