Nordic nursing students explore the importance of nature for health

Eleven nursing students from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland gathered at Luleå University of Technology to explore how nature and digital technology can promote health and wellbeing. During an intensive course, they learned about current research, experienced nature through virtual reality and developed ideas for the future of healthcare and social care.

This year’s intensive course focused on the importance of nature for health and a sustainable future, with an emphasis on digital solutions. The course comprised two weeks of study and concluded on 11 September.

During the first week, the students worked at their home institutions, exploring the theme from the perspective of their respective countries. The second week took place at Luleå University of Technology. The students compared how nature is used in healthcare and social care and discussed how new approaches and digital solutions could contribute to more health-promoting and sustainable services.

“The students encounter research in several different ways. They attend lectures on nature and health and experience nature through virtual reality. This makes it easier to see how research and digital technology can be used in the healthcare and social care of the future,” says Päivi Juuso, Professor at Luleå University of Technology and one of the teachers in the Nordvind network.

The intensive course was organised through Nordvind, a network comprising Luleå University of Technology, Novia University of Applied Sciences in Finland, UC SYD in Denmark and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. The collaboration is funded through Nordplus and enables students and teachers to exchange knowledge and experiences across the Nordic countries.

Nature and technology offer new perspectives on care

The intensive course gave the students an opportunity to compare nursing education and healthcare and social care services in different Nordic countries.

One of the participants was Tinja Kataisto, a second-year public health nursing student at Novia University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Her group explored stress and the positive effects nature can have on people’s health.

The programme included a study visit to the Erikslund care home for people with dementia in Boden, where time in nature, gardening and animals are part of everyday activities.

“Above all, the intensive course made me realise how important nature is for people’s health and wellbeing and how it can be incorporated into care. I will particularly remember the visit to the Erikslund care home, where we saw how nature can contribute to older people’s wellbeing,” says Tinja Kataisto.

The students also took part in team-building activities and shared meals. Students from Luleå University of Technology showed the visiting students and teachers around Luleå and parts of Norrbotten.

Danish nursing student Melissa Mustajbasic describes the opportunity to experience virtual reality and see how technology can be used in education as one of the highlights of the course.

“It was really exciting to try the VR headset. The experience felt very realistic, and I was surprised by how quickly I became immersed in it. It was also interesting to see how technology and education can be combined and how VR can be used in different areas,” says Melissa Mustajbasic.

Päivi Juuso hopes the students will take away a deeper understanding and new ideas about how nature, technology and health-promoting initiatives can be used in the healthcare and social care of the future. The course has also created connections between students and institutions that may continue beyond their week in Luleå.

Read more about the research subject Nursing.