My blog has its genesis in my memories when I performed my first role as a night-shift hospital superintendent during the year when I had finished my nursing bachelor’s degree. At least at first, although overwhelming I found the whole exercise to be interesting.
I purposely start-off with a poem –the acts in the poem are all taken from “my initial thoughts of what nurses do” before I joined the profession. The poem is written in the third person voice to indicate the universality of the nature of my initial thoughts about nurses.
The nurse is, a mother, husband, a child, excreta ….
The nurse learns to care, and
To look out for those that need care.
She seeks diverse knowledge that link
the body, and the person.
To be able to have a clue on the dynamic
patients´ condition, she assesses, documents
and makes care plans.
The nurse monitors, listens, encourages,
and fills her plan with patients´/ family needs
that require him to resolve. Certainly, this is not the only things that nurses offer. Such a truth, has been with me through my nursing career.
In the real world of practice, nurses not only take care of only patients, but they are also involved in administration and other roles. Below, I decided to mention this first experience of my role as a night-shift hospital superintendent, this possibly expanded my insight beyond my initial thoughts on nurses´ roles.
Imagine an evening in a hospital´s administrative block in 2016. A young lad is sitting at a table with books spread out all around him — documents on the number of patients, hospital wards, and emergency contacts. Besides those documents, he has a personal notebook of information he scribbled during his internships, clinical training, and pre-hospital periods.
I pulled out a big spiral notebook in which activities of the hospital are noted on a day and night schedule basis. At the top of each page, a heading for the shift e.g., night shift is written. The pages are blank with columns to record the number of patients on each ward, number of births (day or night), mothers in the hospital, surgeries conducted, normal deliveries etc. It is the task of the administrator on duty to fill in the columns and give a report in the early morning meeting. The sky will grow bright by the time one finishes the report. Throughout the shift, I learned to organize, communicate, time management and resolving complicated situation. Speaking of time, we noted everything by hand in the books —the format for today’s records remains quite close to the one we used then.
In addition, to the clinical nursing roles that I had conducted before, I got great satisfaction from my experience as the night hospital superintendent—I learned that nurses also take on managerial, leadership and research roles. Perhaps therefore I became interested in pursuing a researcher career later in my career so I could better navigate other contributions that a nurse can have on healthcare. I am proud to say that as a doctoral student, I have become more research minded— this has given me the ability to juggle to generate evidence, inform practice, and contribute to developing nursing knowledge.
This blog and poem reflect on my personal nursing journey – it’s also an invitation to think about the things that stimulated my interest in other activities and where I started my nursing experiences and where I am today in my professional life.
Frank Kiwanuka, MSN, RN, is a nurse, and a doctoral student at the University of Eastern Finland, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, Kuopio
Note: Some part of this blog was published in an earlier story telling video in Global Nursing Caucus – “Vital signs: stories from courageous nurses across the globe, February 24, 2021. Visit: https://www.globalnursingcaucus.org/events/vital-signs-stories-from-courageous-nurses-across-the-globe-february-24-2021/
Picture: Frank Kiwanuka during clinical training in 2013 at Mulago National Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
the funding which facilitated my researcher exchange to #Deakin_University in Victoria, #Melbourne, #Australia for five weeks in October-November 2022.
The visit preparations started before Covid-19 pandemic. I came across with Deakin 
Elizabeth and Tracey kindly organized an interesting program for the exchange period. I had an amazing opportunity to network with 
Professor Julie Concidine
I’m Salvatore Gigantino, an Exchange Erasmus student from Italy who spent 4 months at the Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland in 2021. My experience in Finland, even though so short and I’d have liked to spend more time, was phenomenal: I met a lot of other Erasmus students like me coming from a lot of parts of the world and we shared each other a lot of study’s moments and fun times. I really appreciated that the University with its associations has offered numerous chances to participate in a lot of events: the visit to Koli National Park, the trip to Lapland, the disco parties and more. All of that has enhanced and made this experience so global and complete. 
Studying was satisfying because it was always possible confrontations among us as students during the lessons or to make assignments- I had some group assignments so sharing with others was essential- and also, not less important, the confrontations with the teachers. I found kind and friendly people every time who not only have made my staying here easier but also more interesting and more stimulating. I learned a lot through them and also, learned more about myself. 
I considered myself very lucky until now, but my fortune was more because I was capable to admire the boreal aurora three times and it was spectacular, I saw three different types of aurora in different places but seeing this event left me every time breathless just like the first time. It was my dream to be able to see it and its realization in front of my eyes was awesome, I didn’t believe to make it.
Salvatore Gigantone, 
Blogin kirjoittaja: Elisabeth Kokko, TtM opiskelija, 
Meneillään olevat terveydenhuollon ja kliinisen hoidon toimintaympäristön muutokset sekä pula osaavasta hoitohenkilöstöstä haastavat uudistamaan johtamista koko organisaation tasolla, myös hoitotyön johtamista. Lisäksi Covid-19 pandemia on asettanut suuria haasteita niin hoitohenkilökunnalle kuin hoitotyön johtajille. Keskusteluun ovat nousseet kriisijohtaminen, ja poikkeusoloihin varautuminen, sekä henkilöstön työssä jaksamisen tukeminen ja huomioiminen työpaineiden alla. Rakenneuudistusten lisäksi myös johtamiskulttuuri on muutoksen edessä. Keskustelukulttuuri ja vuorovaikutus kuuluvat osana moderniin johtamiseen. Tyypillisesti suomalaisen johtamisen piirteisiin ei ole kuulunut keskustelun ylläpitäminen, eli että asioista puhutaan avoimesti ja että kysymyksiin haetaan useita erilaisia näkökulmia ja ratkaisuja.
I made my Registered Nurse degree in Helsinki City Nursing School. I remember walking Lääkärinkatu to Laakso Hospital (school located there) and thinking, that one day I will study nursing science. I started my nursing career in Helsinki University Hospital, specialized in surgical care and working in coronary surgical ward and ICU in Meilahti. It was great time and I really liked work as a RN, but soon nursing science and health management studies brought me in Kuopio. Nurse manager position and different development duties in Kuopio University Hospital prepared me to my next step, university career. After different phases in UEF I am a professor in Preventive Nursing Science. I also have been working as a vice head of department several years and now I started as a head of department.
My previous work experience in university includes many aspects, research in international and national groups and networks and teaching. International research and collaboration are very close to me and must be for every researcher. I have been very privileged to have several visiting researcher periods at the University of Pittsburgh, USA, which has been important for my career and even personally, creating new friendships. I also like to highlight some other collaborators, Kansas University, USA and Medical University of Warsaw, Poland and collegues in Italy and Uganda. I am also a member of 
As a head of department my goals are to strengthen and support research activities based on our strategy, teaching and take care of good spirit of department. New and innovative research ideas are warmly welcome. Excellent research is a good basic for high quality teaching. Our skillful staff is already doing all this, but always we can be better.
There is life outside work. I love summer and activities of it. Gardens at home and summerhouse make me busy, it is relaxing to see how the new experiments grow up and old species give the big harvest.
Sonkajärvi, which I am very proud of, I learnt early to bake special crepes (in Finnish muurinpohjalettu). They are my specialty; our staff and many international visitors have enjoyed them. Sitting more than an hour in smokesauna by summerhouse is something I really miss in winter. Summer is also time to meet family members, friends and organize crepe parties with neighbors and group of old collegues from the hospital.
One special hobby, following NHL hockey, I found when I visited first time in Pittsburgh 2009. It is very clear: I am a Penguins fan!
More than 40 years Nursing Science in Kuopio, first in Finland, motivates all of us to continue and renovate our research, teaching and visibility. Last words to you, who are considering to study Nursing Science in Kuopio, it will be a good choice. 
Best regards, Tarja Kvist
Terhi Saaranen: 
In my free time I enjoy sports in a different form. Especially skiing is relaxing in the winter My children (my son 18 years old and my daughter 10 years old) also enjoy sports in various forms and our whole family can often be skiing or other sports on the weekends.
