An Overview of Nursing in Finland:

1. The Career Pathway
2. Salary of Nurses in Finland
3. Working Conditions
4. Registration and Practice
5. FAQs

In Finland, a nursing shortage is becoming increasingly apparent. Nurse retirements, new nursing sizes, and the sector's low attractiveness are especially noticeable in geriatric and home care services. As a result, both commercial and public military actors are increasingly relying on caregivers from other countries.

Do you want to know the procedures and requirements to live and work as a nurse in Finland? Don't fret. Our team has gathered all the details you'll require. With this information, you are one step ahead of realizing your dream as a registered nurse in Finland.

If you're an international nurse looking to work in Finland, you must have/be:

• Nursing Education
• A Nursing Top Up Degree In Finland
• Valvira Registration
• Good command of Finnish or Swedish language
• Residence Permit

Section A: The Career Pathway

Different regulations apply to all other nurses with non-EU/EEA certificates: they must still have their qualifications recognized, but it will be more difficult and time-consuming. The full process can take up to a year, although you can usually work as a nursing assistant in the meantime.

1.  A registered nurse (RN) is a person who has completed their education and training in the field of nursing.

2. Advanced assessment, consultation, diagnosis, ordering and interpretation of tests, and care of numerous chronic conditions are all performed by a nurse practitioner/advanced practice nurse. Also included in their role is to follow-up, monitor and educate patients for non-acute cases. 

3. Clinical nurse specialist nurses provide broad-based work to ensure and improve nursing quality, promote evidence-based nursing, and support the organization's strategic goals.

Section B: Salary of Nurses in Finland

A worker working in nursing in Finland earns roughly 4,530 EUR per month, according to salaryexplorer.com. Salaries range from 2,910 EUR (the lowest average) to 8,720 EUR (the highest average) (highest average, the actual maximum salary is higher). Salaries for different nursing professions vary greatly.

Salaryexplorer.com l Nursing Average Salaries in Finland 2023

Section C: Working Conditions

• Nurse-Patient Ratio: In Finland, the patient-to-nurse ratio was 7.6 to 1.
• Hospital Equipment: Finland has one of the world's most efficient healthcare systems, with several companies offering digital solutions to boost efficiency. 
• Working Atmosphere: Workplace etiquette in Finland is essentially in line with that of other Nordic countries, emphasizing workplace equality and a typically flat structure. Employers usually consider employees' input while planning initiatives at meetings, and managers can be decision-makers.
• Shifting: In Finland, night shifts started earlier and lasted longer (10–11 h starting at 20:00–22:59).
• Patient Safety: The legislation in Finland allows for the formation of an acceptable distribution of responsibilities among healthcare providers. In Finland, there is cultural readiness for the development of APNs: registered nurses, public health nurses, and midwives have separate work descriptions on an international level. The creation of the distribution of duties between nurses and physicians in a way that enhances patient safety has a long history in primary health care.

 Section D: Nurse Application in Finland

The website of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Employment and Work in Finland provides crucial basic information on the problems you should examine before relocating to Finland. If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen, keep in mind that you must have a job before moving to Finland.

Obtain a qualified degree or equivalent degree from a Finnish university in Nursing

Valvira will look into whether the applicant's training qualifies him or her for the same vocation as the applicable Finnish training. Work experience, supplemental professional training, and continuing education can all be taken into account in the comparison, and they can help to compensate for any variations in training between countries. Valvira may order the applicant to conduct further studies if there are discrepancies between the applicant's training and the current Finnish training. Valvira has the option of requesting an expert opinion on the applicant's professional qualifications, for which the applicant would be charged a fee.

Apply for a top-up degree in Finland

The Nursing TopUp program is for those who have already finished a bachelor's degree in nursing outside of Finland, have job experience, and have intermediate Finnish abilities. To achieve the qualifying requirements, you must have a minimum of two years (24 months) of relevant work experience after completing your bachelor's degree. Work experience must have occurred within the last seven years

Register in Valvira

To work as a nurse in Finland, you must hold a license. As a result, if you want to work as a nurse in Finland, you must first apply for a license from the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).

Finnish or Swedish Proficiency

Foreign nurses must learn the language and be aware of cultural differences, making it a difficult experience that differs from that of Finnish-born, Finnish-speaking nurses.

Section E: Visa Type

You will require a residence permit if you come to work in Finland and are not a citizen of an EU member state or one of the Nordic nations. Before you arrive to Finland, you must apply for a residence permit.

You must find work in Finland before a residence permit can be granted. You can apply for a residency permit once you've found work.

To work in Finland, you'll usually need either an employed person's residence permit or another type of residence permit that allows you to work. The type of permit you'll need is determined by the type of work you'll be undertaking.

Section F: Registration and Practice

The National Welfare and Health Supervising Authority (Valvira) grants the right to practice as a licensed professional upon application. Valvira maintains information on all registered nurses and registers all people with professional practice rights in the Terhikki-register. A person who works as a healthcare practitioner without a license in Finland may be fined or imprisoned.

Furthermore, all medical and healthcare workers in Finland must be able to communicate effectively in either Finnish or Swedish.

You can apply for membership in the Finnish Nurses Association and Tehy, the Finnish Union of Health and Social Care Professionals, as soon as you have registered as a nurse in Finland with Valvira. It is optional to join, but it is highly suggested.

Section F: FAQs

In Finland, are nurses in high demand?

According to Yle.fi, Finland will require approximately 30,000 nurses by 2030. This is mostly due to the government's new measures designed to address the aging population. You should expect a big increase in nurse employment as a result of this.

Is Finland's healthcare system up to par?

The quality of service in Finnish healthcare is considered good; according to a European Commission poll published in 2000, Finland is in the top five countries in terms of satisfaction: 88 percent of Finnish respondents were happy, compared to the EU average of 71 percent.