A Practical Nurse is versatile
A practical nurse works close to people. The work is meaningful and versitile as well as demanding.
Seven areas of competence for vocational qualification in social
and health care
- elderly care and rehabilitation
- children’s and youth education and care
- mental health and substance abuse work
- nursing care
- oral health care
- care for the disabled
- Basic Life Support (BLS).
The competence area of elderly care and rehabilitation provides skills in promoting the social inclusion of the elderly and enhancing the clients’ functional capacity. The main skills provided by the qualification unit on working in home care include planning, carrying out, and assessing a home care client’s services, treatment and rehabilitation, and honouring their right of self-determination.
The competence area of children’s and youth education and care focuses, in its professional competence requirements, on the promotion of children’s growth, well-being and learning, as well as the promotion of children’s, young people’s, and families’ health in different environments, both in early childhood education and care, and health care.
The competence area of mental health and substance abuse work provides skills for working with mental health and substance abuse issues, as well as with clients and networks in this field. The professional competence requirements include the acquisition of knowledge on mental health and substance abuse work, care methods, and pharmacological treatment.
The competence area of nursing care is the most common one for finding employment in specialized medical care. The skills provided by this competence area are required in all medical care, regardless of the patients’ age.
The competence area of oral health care provides skills in working with oral health care, and promoting oral health, and client well-being. The students learn to use the working methods, equipment, materials, and products of oral health care.
The competence area of care for the disabled provides skills in promoting the social inclusion of disabled individuals and their functional capacity. Practical nurses who have completed the competence area of care for the disabled primarly work at clients’ homes, in housing services, and daytime activities, and as personal assistants.
The competence area of Basic Life Support (BLS) is one of the competence areas of the vocational qualification in social and health care. An emergency practical nurse is a qualification
title that describes the skills provided by this competence area. An emergency practical nurse can work e.g. in an ambulance or acute care, but not in early childhood education and care.
Working as a practical nurse
A practical nurse can work in different tasks and with different types of clients. There are many options for employment, which makes the profession very diverse and interesting.
Basic and specialized healthcare workplaces include hospital wards, outpatient clinics, monitoring units, intensive care units, and emergency departments. In social services, a practical nurse can work in various tasks such as elderly and disabled care, day care centers, substance abuse and mental health units, and home care.
The competence areas of children’s and youth education and care, and the care for the disabled (as long as the degree includes the unit Promoting a Child’s Growth, Well-being and Learning) qualify a practical nurse to work at a daycare centre as a child carer.
A practical nurse can work as a special needs assistant and teaching assistant in various types of schools and other education institutions.
Would you like to work in a people-oriented field that offers good employment opportunities?