Curricula

Key learning outcomes

The focus of the Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) programme is on educating experienced nurses at master’s level so that they can work at a higher level of nursing practice with demanding job descriptions as an Advanced Nurse Practioner or as a Nurse Practitioners. The APN programme prepares students to take positions of experts in the health care services to make a significant impact on the lives of their patients and in their profession.

The aim is to produce experts in managing the health care needs of individuals, families, and populations with skills and knowledge in health promotion and disease prevention. The programme prepares students to achieve competencies in several areas such as translating evidence into practice, assessing, and managing common health problems, and leading changes to improve quality care outcomes. As experts in advanced nursing, they work across healthcare settings and influence health service delivery by reforming nursing and nursing services.

The graduates of Jamk’s APN program are able to be in charge of the nursing of various client and patient groups both independently and in multi-professional co-operation. In addition, they are capable of complex and demanding decision-making in health assessment and direct clinical care. They design, implement, and evaluate patient counselling to support patients’ adherence to care with novel approaches. They are able to use the concepts and research methods applied in nursing science to enhance the development of the profession. Further, the persons holding the Master’s degree possess professional influencing skills and are able to utilize international networks innovatively in the development of nursing. They continuously develop their own expertise and promote the expertise of the work community according to the principles of lifelong learning and code of ethics.

The level of practice autonomy and accountability is determined by the context of the country and setting and the regulatory policies in which the master's degree earned nurse will practice.

Education content and professional growth and know-how

During the first year, students will gain extensive knowledge and high-level skills in advanced assessment, judgement, and decision-making in nursing. In the second year, students gain competences that support their career development and professional expertise in advanced nursing. During the last year of studies, thesis writing will give students the capacity for analysis and synthesis as well as for information management. Thesis writing also develops scientific thinking, research skills, and project management competences.

Flexible studies

Students have a choice of alternative or elective studies offered by partner universities in Finland and abroad, such as other universities of applied sciences (CampusOnline), universities and educational institutions involved in the EduFutura collaboration (University of Jyväskylä and Gradia).

Higher level studies completed elsewhere may be accredited as part of your degree. The student must have a certificate or some other document to prove that they have completed the studies. Skills acquired elsewhere can also be described and demonstrated to enable accreditation. Further information is available on the web pages for students.

Working life oriented learning

The learning assignments and tasks of the courses will be tailored to student’s own work and work community in healthcare services. In addition, advanced nursing specific activities and phenomena can also serve as learning projects to be designed and implemented during the APN studies. Master’s thesis is conducted as a development project or empirical research in which topics are based on current issues and challenges that need to be solved in working life.

Career opportunities and employment

Graduates from the degree programme Master of Health Care in Advanced Practice Nursing have found employment in different types of expert, manager, development and coordination positions in health care organisations. They can also work as a project manager and an expert in international and multicultural development projects. The graduates will possess the skills needed to work as an entrepreneur in the health sector.

Possible job titles:

advanced nurse practitioner
advanced practice nurse
clinical nurse specialist
advanced clinical practitioner
team leader
project leader/manager

Qualifications

There are no specific degree-related or statutory qualification requirements in the field.

Further studies

The graduate may apply to continue on to postgraduate studies in science or arts at universities (Act 558/2009, Section 37) and in the school of professional teacher education. Studies can be continued by applying for corresponding post-degree education at universities abroad, for example. A university of applied sciences also provides opportunities for continuing education in the form of specialisation studies, open studies, an online study portal (CampusOnline) and working life based continuing education.

Education planning

The International Council of Nurses’ recommendations for advanced practice nursing and Finnish Nurse practitioner’s competence areas have served as a basis for the programme planning. Working life representatives and other experts on the field of advanced nursing practice provided feedback on the description of the programme as well as the content. Furthermore, master students of current programmes commented the content and the courses of the programme during the planning process.

Contact Information

Hanna Hopia
Principal Lecturer
School of Health and Social Studies
+358400989446
firstname.lastname@jamk.fi