Clinical practice mentors for international students in private social and health care services in Satakunta have received a wide range of support through the ESF+ funded Welcome to work! project. At the end of the project, the experiences of both mentors and students with the new multilingual and multicultural MUNDO clinical practice model were collected and analysed. The data collected provides valuable insights into the utilisation of diversity in professional learning.
Private sector cooperation partners’ staff experiences regarding the project support activities
At the beginning of the project, a preliminary questionnaire was conducted among the staff of the partner companies, which was used as a basis for planning and implementing education sessions on the themes of multilingualism, plain language use, cultural diversity, language proficiency levels and the MUNDO clinical practice model. According to the closing questionnaire, the education sessions were found to be useful: it increased language awareness, clarified the clinical practice goals of international students and supported guidance. For example, the language agreement helped to specify the language skills and language objectives of the trainees. Concepts related to language awareness became clearer, guidance received more support, and the instructors felt encouraged to work with international students. The threshold for using English was also lowered. Practical ideas and tools for supporting Finnish language learning were provided for guidance, and highlighting cultural differences increased understanding of working with people from different backgrounds. Information and experiences were also shared within the work community. The pocket dictionary and the tips list were useful. In addition, the project offered the opportunity to participate in peer network events.
MUNDO clinical practice has promoted the internationalisation of work communities, increased positive attitudes towards international students and strengthened appreciation for linguistic and cultural diversity. The pair clinical practice model, in which a Finnish and an English-speaking student work together, has lowered the threshold for taking on international students for clinical practice, lightened the workload of mentors and encouraged the use of Finnish. Although supervision requires more time and initial language skills can be challenging, the clinical practice was seen as an important opportunity, and the language agreement in addition to other concrete tools have effectively supported the supervision process.
The students’ clinical practice experiences
The MUNDO -clinical practice student participants said that they had received good cultural knowledge about Finland and were treated equal to that of Finnish students. They emphasized the importance of Finnish language in clinical practice even though combining it with the profession was challenging. The language support actions were appreciated by the mentors and the student pairs.
This clinical practice model confirmed that language is best learned through practical interaction. The promotion of multilingualism, language agreements and training of mentors have contributed to a more diverse working culture.
Linguistic and cultural diversity as an asset in the workplace
International students’ clinical practice requires language and cultural awareness guidance, which needs cooperation between workplaces, students and the support of the whole working community.
The Welcome to Work! developed actions, such as pair clinical practice, teacher support, onsite education and language learning tools, have contributed to an inclusive atmosphere and intercultural understanding. Experiences from the MUNDO clinical practice model demonstrate that language development is best achieved in an interactive environment where the learner is supported. Learning tasks and a language-aware training model reinforce language learning in the context of practical work.
A message written by one nursing student sums up the essentials well:
"In clinical practice, multilingualism strengthens communication, cultural competence and empathy, enabling healthcare professionals to better understand and connect with diverse patients. These skills are essential for effective orientation, teamwork and patient encounters, as they help build trust and ensure accurate and respectful care."
The Welcome to work! project would like to thank its cooperation partners, management, workers and all those involved for an interesting and rewarding MUNDO clinical practice journey in which steps were taken towards a linguistically and culturally diverse working culture. Cooperation and clinical practices will continue in different forms, making use of what was learned in efforts to continually develop.
The EU co-funded Welcome to Work project aims to increase recruitment (internships and employment) by small social and healthcare enterprises in Satakunta from students and professionals whose first language is not Finnish. The goal is to enhance Satakunta’s attractiveness to social and healthcare professionals, create sustainable models between education and working life, and support multicultural competence in small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector.