NORDPLUS course conclusion

Visit to crisis  for sexual abuse center Tukinainen we had yesterday opened our senses to the powerful expression of suffering when there are no words for it, like painting and photo therapy.

 Today the school started with an introduction to social media, followed by how it can be a platform for sexual health promotion.It was interesting and fun to see how the social media has been developed in relatively short time.The task we got was to create a social media project about promotion of sexual health and we have thought about an opened page on Facebook, where everyone who is interested can have access to information. Also, where everyone is free to share opinions, ask questions, leave comments, giving feedback. Another thought about this social media project was that after tomorrow, when all of us will go back to our countries and own life, things do not stop here but there will be a continuing process of our learning about sexual health promotion.
Last, but not least, this is one way to keep us connected and maintain multicultural and international professional relationships.

The name of page we have created is Promoting Sexual Health. Here is the link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Promoting-sexual-health/317644331650003


The last lecture of our NordPlus intensive course was about values and professional ethics in health care focused on sexual and reproductive health. The issues most focused were:

• Openness to diversity. 
• Acceptance to differences.
• Critical thinking in approaching clients needs.
• Respect for individual  self- expression.
• Ethics is in some cases above the law. And law can be  interpretable. But we need to be critical in decision - making.

Our overall opinion is that these are some of the most important things to consider when providing health care.

As we conclude the NordPlus intensive course, our experience is that  being a nurse  requires a broad knowledge base, abilities and skills, qualities, empathy, holistic perspectives in approaching a client. Nursing and becoming a good professional health carer is a process which starts in school and continues all our carriers and lives.


We want to express our gratitude to NORDPLUS and the hosting Jyväskylä of University of Applied Sciences for organizing and giving opportunity for international students to meet and to experience a different learning environment.
We have very much enjoyed the evening activities, such sauna evening, boat cruise dinner and we look forward for the up coming restaurant evening for the last evening together.

Thank you all and have successful carriers as health care providers!
Ciao!
 Hej då!
Head aega!
Kwaheri!
Farvel!
:)

Youngster's sexual health and the implementation of sexual health promotion program

The lecture about sexual health among young people was very informative and relevant. According to a research made in Denmark 2010, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases are increasing, due to the sexual behavior among youngsters and insufficient sexual education.
We very much liked the fable about the "Babies in the river", because it had a very clear message that a problem cannot be solved without considering the root of the problem. In this case, the sexually transmitted diseases can't be minimized or even eradicated without proper educational programs.

The discussion about sexual health anamnesis brought up some rather interesting reflections about our different opinions regarding to the subject. We all agreed that you have to be professional as a nurse, but because this is a very sensitive issue, the nurse needs to consider some aspects on how to encounter the client's needs (environment for the conversation, cultural background, gender, personal values - considering both client and the health care professional).

One of our reflections was about the health care becoming more and more international and about the global phenomenon regarding migration of populations and all the new issues that developed countries' health care system needs to face when it comes to immigrants and especially refugees. They bring with them medical, psychological traumas (hunger, violence, war, genital mutilation) and cultural and religious diversities.

The significant transitions and situations on the lifetime of couples and families

Hello, to everyone!

We are a group of international nursing students coming from countries as Denmark, Estonia, Kenya, Romania and Sweden. Our mentor is from Finland, Maritta Pohjolainen, Senior lecturer of JAMK University of Applied Sciences.

Today is our second day of the intensive summer course in "Resilience, positive capacity building and sexual health promotion in nursing-couples, families and communities" and we will try to share our reflections and thoughts about the lectures and issues that arise.
We already feel that our capacity of understanding the concept of the theme is building up with each lecture we have.

Yesterday we got accounted with the concept of evidence based family nursing and the community nursing, as well as  the concept of family resilience and the development of it in different areas and in family nursing. Also, we learned about  human rights and sexual rights in Europe: issues and indicators.

Resilience,  in our  opinion is very important in the proccess of  overcoming problems and difficulties.We see it as individual strength that needs to be supported by health professionals.
We have experience that sometimes resilience is not supported  and in yesterday`s lectures we learned how to do it more.

In regard to human rights and sexual rights, it was interesting to see  the statistics and be able to compare the difference between European countries. It arised in our mind that the health professionals, community and societies need to have more consideration for  human rights and the sexual rights.

Today we  had a lecture about "The significant transitions and situations on the lifetime of couples and  families". The main idea was that families and parenthood is a dynamic process and always in change. As a nurse it is important to encounter the client  as an individul in own state of life span development and  in family context.