New dynamics of professionalism within caring professions

Three main empirical research areas

The project involves three main empirical research areas within which the principal researcher carries out research:

1. Practical nursing as an occupation and the work identities of practical nurses in elderly care.

The substudy involves documentary analysis and an interview study. It is carried out in collaboration with Academy of Finland project The Politics of Recruitment at University of Tampere (project leader docent, academy research fellow Lea Henriksson). Together, the projects also take part in a Nordic network on the recruitment crisis in formal caregiving (network leader Ole Johnny Olsen, University of Bergen).

One Ph.D. student and one Master’s student conduct research within the substudy:

Malin Grönholm: The work identity of practical nurse – caring work in a professional context (doctoral dissertation)

Laura Tainio: Occupational ethics in the work of the practical nurse (Master’s thesis)

2. Pain, Fear and Politics. The Social Shaping of Hospital Birth in Finland.

The substudy involves documentary analysis and analysis of professional journals. It is carried out taking part in the international research network Birth by Design . The aim of the international collaboration is to examine the social organization of modern obstetrics and the Finnish research is carried out so that it can be used in the cross-country comparison.

One Ph.D. student carries out research within the substudy.

Pia Liljeroth: The medicalization of fear of childbirth (doctoral dissertation)

3. Nurse migration and the Finnish health care labour market.

The substudy involves documentary analysis and analysis of professional journals. Research is conducted so that it can be used in the cross-country comparison on the internationalization of professional groups that is the topic of an international study headed by Professor Cecilia Benoit
(University of Victoria, B.C.) and Associate Professor Ivy Bourgeault ( McMaster University).