Background

Many nurses who completed a non‑Bachelor‑level nursing degree outside the EU/EEA cannot work in Finland without additional competence checks. Their education does not automatically match Finnish requirements, and a consistent model for assessing their skills has been missing. This work responded to the need for a clear, fair, and supportive path toward professional recognition.

Objectives

• Help internationally trained nurses understand Finnish health and social care structures, legislation, patient safety, and ethical guidelines.
• Strengthen participants’ Finnish language skills for real work situations.
• Provide guidance for applying for Valvira’s right to practise.
• Identify competence gaps and offer tailored ways to strengthen skills.
• Produce an accessible qualification path model for future recruitment of foreign nurses.

Key activities

During the project we

• Mapped existing competence assessment practices and compared them to Finnish nursing requirements.
• Developed a structured qualification path with universities of applied sciences.
• Assessed participants’ professional skills and language needs.
• Piloted competence enhancement periods in workplaces.
• Created an online course, Orientation to the Finnish Social and Healthcare System.
• Guided nurses through the Valvira application process.
• Compiled the qualification path model into a public website.