news 16.6.2026

New vocabulary for multicultural guidance supports the integration of foreign-language nursing students

Photographer
Oskari Villanen

The OVE practical training project carried out by JAMK University of Applied Sciences has compiled a practical Finnish-English vocabulary to help nurses who guide foreign-language students – the vocabulary also helps in the orientation of new foreign-language colleagues. 

Projektin asiantuntijat luovuttamassa sanastot sairaanhoitajille.

"The vocabulary covers key areas of nursing, such as asepsis, pharmacotherapy, vitals and specialty terms, and also includes ready-made colloquial phrases for the student's guidance and feedback discussions," says Marina Hirjaba, an expert in the OVE practical training project. 

The glossary will be distributed in printed form especially to the nurses of the project's partner wards in Nova. There will also be a digital version of the glossary and a word gameimplemented by students in the field of business administration (Bachelor of Business Administration) and IT.

In addition, a series of three videos has been produced in the OVE practical training project to support the guidance of multicultural module training in nursing.

"The aim of the videos is to illustrate and support the activities of multicultural teams, to give tips to team instructors and students on teamwork and peer tutoring. The videos provide instructors with a model for guiding a team, assessing the clinical competence of foreign-language students, and giving constructive feedback," Tuija Kontinen, head of department OVE practical training project Tells. 

The vocabulary and videos have been produced as part of the OVE practical training project, which develops a multicultural modular training model for nursing. The aim is to support instructors in guiding multicultural teams and to strengthen the competence of work communities in language awareness and cultural sensitivity. The project is co-funded by the European Union. 

Check out the vocabulary here (pdf)!

Watch the videos below or on Jamk's YouTube channel behind this link! 

More information about the OVE practical training project can be found on the project's website!

More information

Tuija Kontinen

Lehtori | Senior Lecturer
Terveysinstituutti | Institute of Health
Hyvinvointi | School of Health and Social Studies
+358503057621