Moi! Finland Visitors at UW-Green Bay Nursing Program

Carl Bjornberg of Myllykoski Corp. in Finland, Dr. Susan Gallager-Lepak - Interim Chairperson of Nursing, Marjukka Englund of DKK Dipoli University in Finland, Dr. John Stoll, Professor of Public & Environmental Affairs, Rachael Elliott, Director of International Student Services from Brunel University - London, Iiris Bjornberg a nurse from Finland, and Jan Malchow - Manager of Student Outreach in Nursing enjoy a traditional American breakfast at the Village Kitchen in Casco, WI about 25 miles from Green Bay as one of the activities the visitors shared while exchanging information about nursing in Finland.

As part of a developing collaboration, a group from Finland visited the UW-Green Bay campus and Professional Program in Nursing in October 2009.  The group included Marjukka England from DKK Dipoli University in Finland and Carl and Iiris Bjornberg (Carl is Chairman of the board of Myllykoski Corp. in Finland; Iiris is a nurse interested in the study of school climate).  The Finland group and nursing faculty enjoyed a very good discussion on international nursing and healthcare in Finland. It is hoped that further discussion between Finalnd nursing students and nursing students from UW-Green Bay will be part of the N492 Global Aspects of Healthcare course in the future. This visit was in follow-up to the UW-Green Bay interdisciplinary team that traveled to Finland in May 2009. Faculty members Susan Gallagher-Lepak and Janet Reilly were invited to be part of the UW-Green Bay team.

48 thoughts on “Moi! Finland Visitors at UW-Green Bay Nursing Program”

  1. This is great! My wife is a nurse, and we have discussed her possibly going overseas, (though likely to some country more impoverished than Finland).

  3. My wife is a nurse and has been on a few trips to overseas hospitals to review how they run their wards. She always comes back full of ideas that she hopes to implement at her hospital. These trips are very important for all involved.

  4. Lance,

    I would refer you to the website (http://www.uwgb.edu/nursing) for a comprehensive review of the program. Simply put, our program enables nurses with a two year degree and an RN license to complete a four year bachelor’s degree. To oversimplify, the associates degree (two year) is heavily focused on clinical skill development in nursing and enables a nurse to start his/her career practicing nursing. By completing the bachelor’s degree, more theoretical information behind the skills is offered. Additionally, research, management and leadership skills, advanced practice skills, community health theory and practice, and specialized topics in nursing (e.g., aging, women’s health, global practices and issues in health, etc.) are offered in addition to general education areas in humanities, fine arts, world cultures, ethnic studies, chemistry, statistics and research writing. All of these add perspective and and critical thinking skills for the practicng nurse. They also qualify an RN to pursue leadership and advance practice roles for which employers require a BSN. Hope this helps.
    Jan Malchow, Manager of Student Outreach

  5. International nursing is nursing care and sharing of nursing knowledge and practices between and across nations. Nursing in Finland and the USA would be two examples of international nursing care. The Professional Program in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay (UWGB) has international nursing actively through student and faculty who travel to Mexico each January and through an online course with nurses in Peru and the United States. UWGB also teaches a global health course to nurses. UWGB also nominates its top nursing students to Kappa Pi, the local chapter of the International Scholarly Organization of Sigma Theta Tau (http://www.kappapi.org/ and http://www.nursingsociety.org/default.aspx). Nurses from over 130 countries belong to an international nursing organziation, the International Council of Nurses (ICN). More information can be found at: http://www.icn.ch/about-icn/about-icn/

  7. Always have admired Finland with all its white glory and the coldness of the weather but oppositely the warmness of the people living there. The culture and good food is still preserved and practiced. Good to see visitors in Finland.

  9. This is one of the most incredible blogs Ive read in a very long time.
    The amount of information in here is stunning, like you practically wrote the book on the subject. Your blog is great for anyone who wants to understand this subject more.
    Great stuff; please keep it up!

  11. I visited Finland once before and it’s true that they walk everywhere. I’ve tried to do the same since coming back. I take my daughter out in her stroller as often an I can and walk around (to local shops or just around the neighborhood) to try and show her how important walking can be for your health!

  26. Bravo! More of this type of collaboration needs to take place. So much can be learned with an open mind and listening to others. People get set in they way they do things and don’t realize that there may be a better way.

  27. This kind of an interaction and such programs are very useful in a nurse training. There are a lot of things you can learn from other colleges and students.

  35. I participated in a similar exchange project while I was in school many years ago. We learned a lot. I still have good memories of the friend we met in France.

  38. Good job on developing collaboration!We know that no industry, not even healthcare, is immune to the economic downturn, but we also know that travelers can take unique advantage of shifting demands in staffing needs. In one area of the country there may be an overabundance of workers with a given specialty, while in another area, hospitals may be looking to pay top dollar for that very same specialty.

  39. My wife participated in a similar global nursing event for Neumann College in Aston, Pa….she really enjoyed learning about the different cultures and practices.

  40. Great sharing of observation Dr Reilly. That kind of observation should be realized by nursing practitioners. We have to remember that health, safety and comfort are the priority concerns of nurses.

  41. I sincerely support this kind of program. Finland nursing schools should visit other nursing schools to raise the standards. Truly, collaboration could help elevate the standards.

  42. I was part of the team from UW Green Bay that toured universities in Finland during May 2009. As a nurse, I observed many health behaviors. EVERYONE, I mean EVERYONE, walked. It was common to see folks with walkers and crutches walking with others. NO ONE ate or drank while they walked – not even a cup of coffee. Sit down 30-40 minute meals with socialization/conversation were the norm. Salad was served at every meal, including breakfast. One unique parenting practice was OUTDOOR SLEEPING, in which infants and toddlers were swaddled in clothing appropriate to the temperature and placed in a buggy or stroller on a deck or siimilar safe area for their naps, even in subzero weather! The Finnish nurses were concerned about increasing childhood obesity and BMI percentages, although they were lower than in the USA. Overall, they seemed a very health minded culture!

  43. Any visits of this type can only be benificial for all parties concerned. On my visit to Finland in 1999 I found my hosts to be gracious and welcoming, whilst we had slightly more technical equipment at our disposal their passion for the job easily made up for that.

  44. I’m curious what major differences were found between the US and Finlind’s nursing theories and training. But I’d also be interested in learning where the same ideologies are shared

Comments are closed.