The research theme produces knowledge about the healthcare education system and the learning and competence of managers, teachers, students and professionals and the assessment methods used in various contexts. The study makes use of the latest digital technology such as simulation games and virtual reality apps.
Research projects
Simulation Games and Virtual Reality Applications in Nursing Education and the Clinical Environment
Lead researcher: PhD, Adjunct Professor Jaana-Maija Koivisto in cooperation with Professor Elina Haavisto
The research project focuses on developing simulation games and virtual reality applications to support the learning of clinical reasoning skills, knowledge, interpersonal interaction, and empathy. It also aims to evaluate the effectiveness, usefulness, and user experiences of these solutions.
The research is focused on the following areas:
- The effectiveness of a simulation game in enhancing nursing students’ and practicing nurses’ clinical decision‑making skills, nursing knowledge and competencies, as well as the learning of empathy and interpersonal communication
- A virtual‑reality multiplayer environment for supporting collaborative decision‑making among nursing students
- Game metrics in simulation games and virtual‑reality applications
- User experiences of nursing students and professionals with simulation games and virtual‑reality applications
Multiculturalism and Evidence-based Competence in Healthcare
Lead researchers: PhD, Adjunct Professor Anna Liisa Aho, PhD, Adjunct Professor Anja Rantanen and PhD Minna Koskimäki
The research project conducts research related to healthcare education and professional development, which can be used to develop the content of education and the continuous learning of teachers and students. The project also produces current knowledge about the competence and continuing education of nursing students, teachers, and healthcare professionals.
More information about the project Multiculturalism and Evidence-based Competence in Healthcare
Competence and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice Among Healthcare Professionals
Lead researcher: Professor Elina Haavisto
The research project describes, explains, and evaluates evidence‑based practice from the perspectives of nurses, nursing leaders, and students across different contexts.
The research is focused on the following areas:
- Healthcare professionals’ and students’ competence in evidence-based practice—including knowledge, skills, and attitudes—as well as associated factors
- Develop and test a knowledge test (EBPKTest) for evaluating evidence-based practice competence in healthcare settings
- Development and evaluation of the effectiveness of a digital learning environment and educational interventions for evidence‑based practice
Generation Z in healthcare: from education to the early years of practice
Lead researcher: PhD, Adjunct Professor Satu Kajander-Unkuri
This research project explores the competence development of Generation Z healthcare students during their education and early years of practice and identifies strategies to support their learning and ensure a smooth transition into professional working life. Additionally, the project examines nurse educators’ competence in utilizing effective teaching methods that support the learning and competence development of Generation Z students and identifies and evaluates effective supervisory methods in the clinical learning environment.
Structures for Competence Development among Health Care Educators and the Transition Phase of Novice Academic Teachers
Lead researcher: PhD Minna Koskimäki
The study examines the structures that support the competence development of nurse educators from the perspective of supervisors, within the context of strengthening work-based expertise. It also investigates the transition phase from clinical nursing practice to teaching in universities of applied sciences or universities in Norway and Finland.
Conducted as a Finnish Norwegian collaboration, the research includes a literature review identifying positive experiences that help novice educators cope with the demands of the transition phase, and an empirical component that explores novice educators’ experiences and the factors that supported their endurance and professional growth during this period. The Nordic joint research enables comparisons between educational systems, cultural practices, and support structures in different countries, enriching the understanding of novice educators’ experiences and supporting the development of shared solutions.
Making elderly care work appealing and sustainable
Lead researcher: PhD, Adjunct Professor Sirpa Salin in collaboration with Professor Eija Paavilainen
The research project describes and examines the operating conditions and change adaptability of future healthcare professionals as well as those currently working in the field within an aging service system. The aim is to strengthen the attractiveness and retention of elderly care work in social and healthcare services.
The research is focused on the following areas:
- Nursing students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to gerontological competence
- The development of nursing students’ ethical decision-making – a study conducted in Japan and Finland (2023–2026)
- Work communities in elderly care environments – a study conducted from 2022 to 2026