Riikka Halmesmäki

Seinäjoki University of Applied Science, Finland

Title: Experiences of Nursing Teachers and Immigrant Nursing Students in Using a Virtual Learning Environment for Learning Finnish Language and Clinical Nursing Skills

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Biography

Riikka Halmesmäki is senior lecturer in Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences. She teaches acute care, medication management and outpatient nursing. She is interested in acute and prehospital care, simulations and virtual teaching.

Abstract

Background: Immigrant nursing students often face linguistic challenges that may hinder learning, transition to clinical placements, and integration into Finnish work environments. Nursing teachers are expected to use language-aware pedagogy, apply principles of plain language, and possess diverse digital teaching skills. Virtual learning environments offer new opportunities to combine language learning with professional competence, but their pedagogical use in nursing education remains under-researched. 

Aim: The SUVI360 project, co-funded by the European Union, aims to develop a bilingual (Finnish–English) 360-degree virtual learning environment to support immigrant nursing students’ Finnish language development and preparation for clinical practice, and to describe user experiences among nursing teachers and students. 

Methods: The project identified teachers’ needs related to language awareness, plain language, and virtual teaching methods, as well as students’ views on bilingual instruction and language-supportive virtual environments. A bilingual 360 learning environment was developed around key nursing situations. User experiences will be collected in spring 2026 through a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. 

Results and Conclusions: Teachers show strong pedagogical readiness and interest in 360 solutions, though time constraints and support needs limit implementation. Students find bilingual teaching essential and motivating but require support especially in spoken Finnish and practical nursing situations. The 360 environment appears promising for language aware nursing education but requires clear guidance and sufficient resources for successful adoption.