Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk) (in Finnish: Oulun ammattikorkeakoulu (Oamk)) is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Finland with approximately 9,000 students, including around 240 international degree students. The number of incoming exchange students annually is approximately 280.
AIM:To communicate ethical concerns about recruiting internationally educated nurses (IENs) from outside the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) to the Nordic region. BACKGROUND:Nurse migration from low- and middle-income countries to the Nordics is increasing, and national and international organizations have raised ethical concerns about active recruitment. METHODS:This paper employed a reflective analysis using heuristic experience in a postmodern paradigm drawn from secondary sources and experiential knowledge from nonprofit work. FINDINGS:Key ethical issues include high costs from multiple service fees, IENs' limited understanding of contracts and working conditions, and deskilling after arrival, where nurses perform tasks below their competence. Even experienced registered nurses are often placed in practical nursing programs and first hired as care assistants. DISCUSSION:Existing laws on labor exploitation and trafficking alone are insufficient, covering the complex exploitation in transnational nurse recruitment. Without legal frameworks, international nurse recruiters can ignore the principles of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel CONCLUSION: States relying on international nurse recruitment should enact laws regulating recruitment actors and embed ethical guidelines in national legislation to protect IENs from exploitation. WHO member states must monitor international recruitment and ensure compliance with the WHO Global Code of Practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY:Nursing science perspectives and transnational migration governance must be integrated into policy-making and implementation to protect IENs, their colleagues, patients, and families, and to prepare nurse managers to handle ethical issues in international recruitment.
In nursing homes, function-focused care aims to support older people's functioning and activity by promoting participation in everyday life. Digital gaming is one potential tool within this approach, but little is known about its use in staff-led daily practice. This study aimed to describe staff's experiences of the benefits of digital gaming for older people's functioning and activity, as well as its suitability for nursing home settings. Eighteen staff members participated in semi-structured focus group interviews following a 3-month digital gaming intervention. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The study was reported according to Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines. According to staff, digital gaming was perceived to support older people's functioning and activity through both short- and long-term benefits. Digital gaming was perceived as a useful tool for supporting function-focused activities and meaningful daily life. To maximise benefits, attention should be paid to organisational support and to staff competence in using technology to comprehensively support the functioning of older people.
There is very little published research about evidence-based practice (EBP) in occupational health services (OHS), and none to date in Finland. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) model of evidence-based healthcare provides a clear and intuitive conceptual framework for exploring how research evidence and the practice of medicine could be better integrated. Thus far it has seen very little use within the occupational health arena. This study explores the extent of organisational support given to OHS professionals in providing EBP in Finland. We collected survey data (n = 524) from Finnish OHS physicians and nurses involved either solely in patient care duties or also in a managerial, development or expert role, using a validated online questionnaire (EBP-OHS) that was made available in two waves: in November 2020 and August 2021. We analysed quantitative data using descriptive methods and qualitative data using content analysis. Most respondents reported that their organisations value evidence-based practice (83
Introductory programming courses (CS1) face persistent challenges with high failure and dropout rates. A systematic literature study [5] found that collaborative methods are mostly positive for study motivation, though specific aspects such as competition can be both motivating and demotivating. Self-Determination Theory explains some of that variation with concepts of autonomous and controlled motivation [7]. Yet whether students are ready for collaboration remains largely overlooked compared to how the activities themselves are designed. This doctoral research investigates whether collaborative readiness helps explain variation in students’ motivational responses to collaborative methods. The third study adapts the Students’ Readiness for Computer-supported Collaborative Learning (SR-CSCL) instrument to a face-to-face setting and uses pre- and post-tests with SR-CSCL to measure collaborative readiness and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) to measure intrinsic motivation toward the CS1 course, in two implementations of the same course. The intervention implementation includes structured collaborative activities and activities designed to support collaborative readiness, while the comparison implementation does not. Approximately 60 students are expected in each group. Pre-test data collection is complete, and post-test data collection is scheduled for the end of the course. The analysis plan is currently being finalized. The expected contributions are methodological, empirical, and practical: an adaptation of the instrument to a face-to-face CS1 setting, evidence on collaborative readiness’s role in the collaborative methods-motivation link, and guidance for CS1 instructors.
Autonomous aerial systems are rapidly transforming how societies monitor environments, deliver services, and manage infrastructures. This introductory chapter situates the DroneAI volume within these accelerating technological and institutional shifts. As drones and UAVs expand into areas such as precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, logistics, and emergency response, they expose governance challenges that outpace traditional regulatory models and demand new forms of coordination, ethical oversight, and policy capacity. The chapter highlights how autonomous aerial systems act not only as technical tools but also as catalysts for broader societal change, influencing sustainability goals, rural connectivity, crisis management, and data-driven service provision. It outlines the volume’s four thematic sections—sustainable innovation and societal impact, swarm intelligence and autonomous coordination, regulatory frameworks and policy analysis, and drone logistics and infrastructure integration—showcasing research that spans engineering advances to policy analysis. Together, these contributions illustrate the multidimensional impact of autonomous aerial systems and their growing role in shaping future infrastructures, institutions, and modes of public service delivery.
