Healthcare and its organization in Finland Monika Dračková, DVS 2A May 2008

Healthcare and its organization in Finland There is a little bit different system of healthcare in Finland. Nurses has to take care just about 4 patients, it means they have enough time to take care of each of them better than in here, in the Czech Republic. Nurses spend most of their free time by communication with patients. Every patient knows who is „his“ nurse today. Nurses don´t know everything about every patient, just about „her own“ patients.

Healthcare and its organization in Finland They are well educated because they have to attend vocational seminars every year. They can apply permanent catheters to women and men (in the Czech Republic it isn´t possible because nurses can apply catheters just to women). There is great social equipment on every patients´room – TV, video, radio, DVD…

Healthcare and its organization in Finland When some patient is examined by other specialist (urologist, cardiologist…) or is on other examination, nurses needn´t fill papers for doctors because doctor just records what he needs and wants to the dictafon and sends it to the other doctor, who will examinate the patient. Patients pay a lot of money for healthcare in hospital and that´s why they don´t stay in hospital for a long time. When some patients can´t pay because they are for example unemployed or disabled, they needn´t pay for healthcare or it depends on their pension.

School nurse When we were in small village called Keminmaa in Finland, we had a possibility to visit local school and school nurse. If you want to be a school nurse you have to pass a School of Healthcare and one year of special studies with final exam. School nurse takes care of 700 students from 7 to 25 years old. Students go there with physical, mental and social problems (f.ex: alcohol, drugs…).

School nurse Nurse takes care of them just by herself, doctor goes to the school just 1 or 2 times a month. When students are sick or something like this they can come to the school nurse and she can prescribe some medicines or ointments (f.ex: for pain, headache, eyes, ears, rush…). Nurse also applies vaccines, students are vaccinated against tetanus, diftheria, polio, hepatitis A and B, rubeola. When some students need an antibiotic therapy they have to come to the doctor because nurse can’t prescribe it. Students go to see her for preventive examination every second year.

School nurse School nurse can take blood just from fingers for some laboratory samples. When students are sick and can´t go to the school she can write them execuses. In emergency cases she has to call an ambulance but school nurse gives first aid. She also teaches first aid or she has some lessons about prevention against alcohol, drugs, sex etc. in the school. Nurse helps girls to choose contraception and consults about these problems with young girls. She can prescribe contraception for 3 months then girl has to be examinated by nurse and can be given pills for next 3 months. Then, examination in doctor´s surgery is necessary. It is possible to use contraception from 13 years.

Health centre in Keminmaa An inpatient‘s department Nurses have to study for 2 years and then they can go to the college for 3,5 years or to the university and be director of nursing. There are 40 beds in this hospital in Keminmaa. There are 23 nurses and 9 members of auxiliary staff. Every day there is 8-9 persons (4-5 nurses and other auxiliary staff). There are about 20 patients who are permanently in hospital for many years.

Health centre in Keminmaa This department is specialized in rehabilitation. Rehabilitation nurse is there two-times a week and next days is rehabilitation done by nurses. For immobile or disabled patients there is special equipment on every room which helps nurses to pick up the patients a move them around the room. There is just one one-bed room in the hospital and it is used for some epidemy cases or when somebody is seriously ill, he is in this room with his family before he dies. There is also special bathroom for people who have some epidemy.

Health centre in Keminmaa There is 1 doctor responsible for department because there is just 1 department in Keminmaa. This hospital gives good care to the patients. When small children or old people are hospitalized they can be in hospital with somebody from family. Aims of healthcare are individual and depend on patients. Serious cases are taken to the central hospital in Kemi. Important part of healthcare is rehabilitation and prevention. Doctor is in hospital just for 8 hours a day and then, there is just nurse a doctor attends her for consulting by phone.

Health centre in Keminmaa Emergency cases are received to the Keminmaa hospital just for first aid then patients are transported into the central hospital in Kemi. Nurses take care of old people at home because it is cheaper than to be in hospital. These nurses are called „district nurses“. But when some old or disabled people have to be hospitalized, it is possible they can stay in hospital for many years. There are some special doctors who take care of employers of the city. Nurses in Finland are better paid than in the Czech Republic. They have about euros a month.

Health centre in Keminmaa An outpatient‘s department There are many outpatients departments: gynecologist, advice for pregnant women (maternity hospital is just in Kemi), psychology department, physiotherapy, dentist (there is also one surgery for left-handed dentists). One preventive examination at the dentist costs about 22 euros and when he has to do something with your teeth it is more expensive. Other departments are: X-ray – there are 2 nurses, there is provided just basic examination, complicated cases are sent to the hospital in Kemi. X-ray pictures are just in computers.

Health centre in Keminmaa Emergency, children, sterilizing department, laboratory – just for samples, the others are sent to bigger hospital´s laboratory, logopedist, department for examination visceras (but it is mostly done in hospital). There are about 4-5 doctors every day but mostly nurses take care of patients. There is an emergency department where there is 1 nurse and doctor just if it is necessary. Nurse is helped by 2 people from ambulance. There is just daytime working, at night patients are taken to the hospital in Kemi. People have to pay 11 euros three times a year (in bigger hospital about 22 euros) and when they are seriously wounded they pay nothing.

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