Nursing
BSN
Nursing is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding profession. As members of the health care delivery team, nurses have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of health care recipients within a vast array of health care settings.

Students enrolled in the Nursing Program at Finlandia University are offered a balanced curriculum designed to blend technically based nursing courses with liberal studies. The nursing courses at Finlandia University focus on caring for patients and their families experiencing acute or chronic illness across the age continuum. The nursing faculty at Finlandia University takes pride in coordinating clinical nursing experiences to enhance the student’s learning experience within a wide variety of health care settings throughout the local community.

Students interested in attending Finlandia University’s Nursing Program are encouraged to apply. Students interested in nursing can currently enter the program in one of two ways.  To be eligible for direct admission to the Nursing Program, students are required to have a high school GPA of 2.5 or greater, have completed two years of high school biology and chemistry, and one year of algebra with an average grade of B- or greater. Students transferring from another college or university who have completed one semester of algebra and chemistry with a grade of C or better may also be eligible for direct admission into the nursing sequence.

Students who do not meet the above requirements may enter into the Pre-Nursing Program. The Pre-Nursing Program is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to complete the required sciences and algebra necessary for the nursing sequence.

Upon successful completion of the Nursing Program at Finlandia University, students are eligible to write the national certification exam (NCLEX-RN) required for practice as a Registered Nurse (RN).

Nursing is an open market right now and jobs are becoming more available everywhere, everyday. Nurses at all levels are currently needed across the great State of Michigan as well as throughout the country. Check out the job board link below to explore some of these exciting and new opportunities.

Nursing Jobs

Physical Therapist Assistant
AAS
The Finlandia University Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program is a wonderful choice if you are seeking a healthcare career that allows you to work closely with patients. Our program provides a strong academic foundation for the physical therapist assistant. Simulated clinical experiences in the classroom and on-site practice in selected clinical settings allow the student to apply their academic learning. Our rural location allows us to stress the unique needs of the patient in the rural American environment.

We offer an individualized learning environment. Faculty helps each student to maximize their learning experience and facilitate their development of professional behaviors. These behaviors are the core ingredients for success in the field of physical therapy and for becoming a life long learner. Graduates of the program are valued members of society who provide needed health care services to those with movement dysfunctions in a variety of rural and urban settings. (See career opportunities below)

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) since 1998, the program offers a solid curriculum and diverse clinical practice in both rural and urban settings. So, if you like a challenge and are interested in a career in physical therapy, the Finlandia Physical Therapist Assistant Program is the place for you.

Finlandia University's Physical Therapist Assistant Program Accredited through 2014

Finlandia University’s Physical Therapist Assistant program has been awarded accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association (CAPTE) through 2014.

CAPTE grants specialized accreditation status to qualified entry-level education programs for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. CAPTE is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  Specialized accreditation is a system for recognizing professional education programs for a level of performance, integrity, and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public they serve. Accreditation status signifies that the program meets established and nationally accepted standards of scope, quality, and relevance.  Once awarded accreditation status, a program must submit reports regularly to the Commission ensuring continuing compliance with the evaluative criteria. Each program is formally reviewed every five to 10 years.

Finlandia University’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program prepares students to work as skilled health care providers. Duties of the PTA include components of treatment procedures performed by these workers, under the direction and supervision of physical therapists. These procedures include therapeutic exercises, functional training, and other physical measures including massage, electrical stimulation, paraffin baths, hot and cold packs, traction, and ultrasound. Physical therapist assistants record the patient’s responses to treatment and report the outcome of each treatment to the physical therapist.

Physical therapist assistants work in a variety of settings, including hospital system, public health department, private practice, skilled nursing facilities, orthopedic & sports medicine centers, schools & education, and wellness programs. Finlandia University’s PTA program is full-time and offers a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree, which prepares graduates for entry-level positions.
For more information, contact Chair & Assistant Professor Cameron Williams PT, MS at (906) 487-7308 or cam.williams@finlandia.edu

For additional information relating to the accreditation status of the program, you may contact the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 1111 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 684-2782 or (703) 706-3245; accreditation@apta.org.

* The State of Michigan does not require licensing for Physical Therapist Assistants which may explain the low number of graduates taking the NPTAE

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