As a registered nurse (RN), your work in the growing health care sector will be challenging and independent. RNs are key actors delivering patient-centred, safe, effective and evidence-based health care services. You will promote and support the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. You will also make independent decisions in nursing, lead teams and perform supervisory duties. As an RN, you will work e.g. in hospitals, clinics and home care.
The studies emphasise competencies that will be needed in health care in the future. The focus is on evidence-based nursing.
The degree programme in nursing is carried out on the Lahti and Lappeenranta campuses. The Lappeenranta campus boasts strong knowledge of surgery care and emergency care and offers the perfect facilities for specialising in these areas.
The Lahti campus emphasises competencies in modern technological approaches in which smart self-care solutions promote the health and well-being of individuals and families. Smart self-care solutions include, for example, a variety of e-health services and robotic opportunities for patients and customers.
Language of instruction is English. Applicants to nursing studies in Lahti are required to have basic Finnish skills, and Finnish language studies are a part of both degree programmes.
Clinical training in authentic health care environments is an integral part of your studies on both campuses. You will study in an inspiring multicultural community and have a possibility to enhance your expertise abroad in student exchange. The education will open up a wide range of career opportunities in Finland and abroad, as you will possess a nurse's qualification in accordance with EU directives.
The LAB University of Applied Sciences educates professional nurses who are able to plan, implement and develop nursing practices in a multi-professional health care team. Nurses are trained to promote health and prevent diseases, and provide care, support, guidance and rehabilitation.
The aim of the degree programme is to educate students to become registered nurses (RN) for the field of health care. The graduates of the programme can operate flexibly in multi-professional and multi-cultural settings, while promoting health and providing hospice care to individuals, families and communities. The practical part of the education takes place in varying and multi-disciplinary areas of health care.
Nursing studies are based on a personal study plan, which allows students to build their own career paths. Our modern health care labs and simulation environment enable developing skills, knowledge and decision-making abilities together with lecturers, experts and fellow multi-cultural students. Flexible e-learning possibilities are also employed.
Good contacts with different partners both within and beyond the university are integral to our programme. The nursing programme offers the opportunity to meet people from around the world, learn about different cultures and study to become a competent nurse. All students are encouraged to take part in exchange programmes to deepen their intercultural competence.
Countdown to the launch of the new LAB University of Applied Sciences!
Lahti University of Applied Sciences and Saimaa University of Applied Sciences will merge, establishing a completely new institution: the LAB University of Applied Sciences. It will operate in Lahti and Lappeenranta and will also provide education online.
LAB will have 8 500 students, making it the sixth largest university of applied sciences in Finland. It will start its operation on 1 January 2020.
Nursing education emphasizes the future competencies, in which smart self-care solutions aim to promote the health and well-being of the individuals and families. The education challenges critically looking at, and finding evidence based solutions to lifestyle changes, monitoring long-term illness, care and rehabilitation. Smart self-care solutions include, for example, a variety of e-health services and robotic opportunities for patients and customers.
During the studies, you will be working in development tasks and participate in experimenting new customer/patient-centered services to promote well-being and enhance entrepreneurial skills. Studying is carried out mainly in authentic social and health care organizations, but also in campus area and online learning environments.
Bachelor's Degree Programme, Nursing is 210 ECTS. The programme is is divided into common core competences and complementary competences. The course modules range from 10 to 25 ECTS. Complementary competences may consist of studies of your own field, multidisciplinary route studies or other skills supporting professional growth. The first educational module in your nursing studies is Factors of wellbeing, which is implemented by using team-based learning method.
Core competence studies equip you for a range of professional roles. Complementary competence studies include areas of study that develop and advance your chosen areas of expertise. These competences form your professional profile.
Common Core Competence 25 ECTS
Professional Core Competence 155 ECTS
Theoretical studies 65 ECTS
Clinical training 75 ECTS
Thesis 15 ECTS
Complementary studies 30 ECTS
Professional complementary courses and elective studies
The earned qualification is an undergraduate degree (a bachelor’s degree). The students will be qualified to work as a Registered Nurse (RN) (in Finnish sairaanhoitaja AMK). The qualification meets the requirements of the European Union directives, which also means interesting career opportunities abroad. Registered Nurse is a regulated profession overseen the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).
This programme is taught in English, but Nursing degree programme applicants are required to have basic Finnish skills (level A2) and the language skills are tested in the entrance examination.
LAB UAS offers you an excellent opportunity to study foreign languages extensively. If your mother tongue is other than Finnish, you have a perfect chance to study Finnish in different ways with us.
A Bachelor’s Degree includes a 15-ECTS thesis. This can be either a research-based project or a so-called functional thesis project. The aim of the thesis project is to broaden and deepen your professional expertise and provide you with expertise needed to operate in development tasks in your field.
The thesis project improves your information retrieval and problem-solving skills. The thesis can be conducted as a project commissioned by an external organisation or as part of a development project. The thesis project can be carried out individually, in pairs or in a group, including a written report. At its best, the thesis project can serve as a pathway to your career.
We offer you excellent opportunities to gain valuable international expertise and language skills for your future career. Future workplaces require multicultural and language skills as well as international understanding. Learning takes place in a multicultural, international environment. Our degree students come from all over the world.
You can complete part of your studies at our partner institutions in different countries around the world or do your practical training abroad. Every year, LAB welcomes a large number of students from different countries, so the programme is genuinely international.
Our international activities are based on networks, student exchange programmes, intensive periods, and international projects and we have strong links with partner organisations across the Baltic states and the rest of Europe as well as Russia, Canada and East Asia.
Your studies at LAB UAS will be closely connected with the development of working life practices, together with businesses and work communities. Multidisciplinary working life projects and different learning environments, such as student cooperatives, will strengthen your connections with authentic working life interaction throughout the programme.
LAB is a higher education institution focusing on innovation, business and industry.
The strengths of this higher education institution specialising in innovation include the circular economy, design, the commercialisation of innovations and service innovations for health and well-being.
As a Registered Nurse (RN) you will work in cooperation with other experts involved in the patient's care and participate in multidisciplinary teams as expert of your own field. You can work in social and health care services in the public, private or third sector, in health care centers, hospitals, in various assisted living facilities, associations, disabled people's organizations and foundations, and as a self-employed entrepreneur. Various national and international expert roles are also available in different development projects.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Nursing (Sairaanhoitaja, AMK), you are eligible to apply to UAS master’s degree programmes. You are also eligible to apply to master’s degree programmes offered by universities.
lab [dot] fi