Practical nurse training

Practical nurse’s education, training and registration

Practical nurses work in a broad range of jobs in the fields of social and health care and education. They adhere to shared values and professional ethics. In their work, practical nurses are responsible primarily to the customer or patient, but also to society as a whole.

The scope of the curriculum-based qualification is 180 competence points. For more information, see www.oph.fi/english.

Qualifying as a practical nurse opens up many doors in the labour market. The social and health care sector and the education sector provide a wide variety of jobs for which practical nurses have the required upper secondary level qualification. The qualification of practical nurse also awards general eligibility for higher education. 

Practical nurses are both health care and social care professionals with a protected occupational title. Upon application qualified practical nurses are listed and registered in Valvira’s (National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health) public register Terhikki and Suosikki (www.valvira.fi).

The vocational qualification in social and health care comprises eight competence areas:

  • Competence area of Care for the Disabled
  • Competence area of Nursing and Care
  • Competence area of Podiatric Care
  • Competence area of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Work
  • Competence area of Care and Rehabilitation for Elderly People
  • Competence area of Basic Life Support (BLS), Emergency Practical Nurse
  • Competence area of Oral Health Care
  • Competence area of Children's and Youth Education and Care

More information about Health care professionals: National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health.

Working close to people

Practical nurse training gives you comprehensive skills and a profession with good employment opportunities. When you become a practical nurse, you will work with children, young people and the elderly everywhere where people are helped and cared for. As a practical nurse, you will be working close to people.

SuPer members work in hospitals, health care centres, homecare, day nurseries, ambulances, rehabilitation institutes, nursing and residential homes, supported housing and in all types of care units.

Most members work for public sector and are employed by municipalities. Growing numbers of our members are working for private service provides. Some members are self-employed professionals or entrepreneurs.



See also: Practical nurse valuable work close to people -brochure 

The Practical Nurses's pledge 

As a practical nurse, I pledge to practise my profession respecting human dignity and promoting the quality of the life of my client.

I pledge to support human growth and development, to promote independence and a person's ability to function, to promote good health, and care for the sick.

I pledge myself to the care of those in need, to the prevention of social exclusion, to the alleviation of human suffering, from the beginning of life until its end.

I pledge to adhere to the code of ethics of the nursing profession and to honour confidentiality, to develop my professional skills and to promote the well-being of both my self and my colleagues.

I promise to contribute to the development of my working community, and that of the health and social care sector.

Copyright© The Finnish Union of Practical Nurses