Health and education in Iceland

Name

The Icelandic school system

Fundamental principle of the Icelandic educational system:

“Everyone should have equal opportunities to acquire an education, irrespective of sex, economic status, residential location, religion, possible handicap, and cultural or social background.”

The Icelandic school system

1. Pre-primary provides education and care for children who have not reached six years of age
2. Compulsory education organized in a single structure system. Education is mandatory for children aged 6–16.
3. Upper secondary education is not compulsory, but anyone who has completed compulsory education has the right to enter an upper secondary school. Students are usually between 16 and 19 years of age.
4. Higher education (universities)

Educational system in Iceland is divided in four levels:

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The Icelandic school system

• Municipalities are responsible for both pre-primary and compulsory education
• Central government is responsible for the operation of upper secondary schools and higher education institutions.
• Education in Iceland has traditionally been provided by the public sector.
• Certain number of private institutions are in operation today, primarily at the pre-primary, upper-secondary and higher education levels.

Health care in Iceland

The Icelandic health care system

• Iceland has universal healthcare.
• The healthcare system is largely paid for by taxes (84%) and to some extent by service fees (16%) and is administrated by the Ministry of Health.
• There is almost no private health insurance in Iceland
• There are numerous private clinics and other medical facilities but no private hospitals.
• Anyone who has been living in Iceland for over six months is entitled to health care.

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Main objective of the Health Services Act No 40/2007 ...all people of Iceland shall have access to the most optimum health service that can be provided at any time

The Icelandic health care system

• Founded on values similar to those of other Nordic countries.
• Easy and equal access to good health care services for all citizens.
• Health centers providing primary care are located throughout the country and are sometimes run jointly with small hospitals or health institutions.
• Specialized hospital services are provided at Landspítali University Hospital in Reykjavik and Akureyri Hospital and a few other hospitals and healthcare facilities.

The Icelandic health care system

• The Icelandic healthcare system consists of seven districts, each health centres.
• All of Iceland’s hospitals are government funded.
• Health care Regions (7)
• Main hospitals (2)
• Regional Hospitals (6)
• Health Institutions (10)
• Primary Health Care Centers (approx. 80)
• There are three to four doctors per 1000 patients.

Health services

Health and social indicators

• Life expectancy at birth in Iceland is among the highest in the world at 84,3 years for females and 81,2 years for males.
• Infant mortality is extremely low at 1.3 per 1000 live births.
• Maternal mortality is also among the lowest in the world at 3 deaths per 100.000 live births.
• Fertility rate slightly declining - 1,72 births per woman in 2020 – 2,3 births per woman in 1990.

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• Still favorable demographics – relatively young population

Health and social indicators

• Good results in the prevention of smoking. In 2017, 8% of adults in Iceland smoked daily compared with 35% in 1989.

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• Warning signals: 27% of the population in Iceland aged 15 years and over was obese in 2018.

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• This is higher than the OECD average of 17%.

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• Participation in the National vaccination program for children in Iceland is about 91%

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Challenges

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• The health care system faces challenges involving the financial sustainability of the current system in the context of an ageing population and new public health challenges (‎such as obesity)‎.

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• Statistics show that there’s been an important increase in specialist visits. They went from 373,878 in 2003 to 658,855 in recent years. Which is far more costly for the State, and a troubling development.

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• The biggest challenge now is the lack of health professionals especially nurses and nurse assistants

Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurnesja - Sudurnes Comprehensive College

Was established in 1976.

A comprehensive college or upper secondary school.

Offers both classical and vocational education.

Students are around 900 and teachers and other staff about 90.

FS is...

Most students are 16-19 years old but some are older.

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Special education

6%

FS is organized on a unit-credit basis and

most courses are five credit courses

a class

is 80 minutes long.

Introduction videos about FS

Practical nursing

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Mind - heart- hand

Practical nurse

• Practical nursing education is 200 ETC units.
• The study line is divided into general subjects, health related subjects and the specialties of the nursing program.
• The education is both academic and practical.
• Practical training takes place in our school and in health institutions.
• It takes six semester or three years to finish as a nurse assistant.
• Descriptions and major professional words/vows used in nursing listed in English and Polish

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Examples of courses

• Physiology and anatomy
• Bacteriology
• Pathology
• Pharmacology
• Ethics
• Communication
• Nutrition
• Public health
• First aid
• Ergonomy

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Health related

• General nursing
• Practical nursing
• Nursing adults-two phases
• Nursing elderly people
• Community nursing
• Final project

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Nursing related

Practical training

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• Practical training takes place at:
• General wards in hospitals such as surgical and medical departments
• Nursing homes and healthcare centers
• Special units such as psychiatric wards, women's wards and rehabilitation units.
• Student is under the guidance of an experienced practical nurse in each ward.

Practical training

The purpose is for students to practice as best they can the skills they have acquired and school and to become familiar with departmental work and shift arrangements.

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Learning portfolio/ Process folder

Goals:  Student sets his own goals at the beginning of each workplace study

Review from contact person: The student supervisor gives the student mid-season review

Self-assessment: The student makes self-assessment in the last week of practical training

Checklist: student and contact review and mark the activities in which the student has participated

Learning projects: reflection projects, patient documentaries, ward and / or patient group discussion.

There is a need for people like you for people like me ����

The bridge

• The fall 2021 we started with a ,,bridge,,
• Solution for students that have worked in healthcare for over 3 years time and are 23 years or older
• Today we have 12 woman from the age 25-60 years old from all over the world
• Those woman are working and have made a contract with their  employer to leave work for school as a benefit for both the workplace and the students
• Afternoon classes from 14-17 3 times a week

Validation

Upon graduation from school, a student can apply for certification of a job title to the Office of the Medical Director of Health and then acquire the right to work as a practical nurse in Iceland.

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The job title of practical nurse is legally protected.

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Thank you!