Career pathway
Radiography and radiographers in the Finnish social and health care system
Finland is a Nordic welfare state, where social security and health care have been under development under centuries. There is a comprehensive network of municipal services and other forms of public health care, which is supplemented by private service providers.
Radiographers are registered and licensed with the title of “röntgenhoitaja” .
Radiographers in Finland are employed in municipal health centres, in hospitals, in private clinics and various institutions, and in occupational health services.
A radiographer uses their expertise and knowledge of patient care, physics, human anatomy, physiology, pathology and radiology to assess patients, develop optimum radiological techniques and evaluate the resulting radiographic media.
This branch of healthcare is extremely varied, especially between different countries, and as a result radiographers in one country often have a completely different role to that of radiographers in another. In Finland caring for patients throughout the whole radiographic or therapy procedure is the radiographer’s role.
Radiographers in Finland have a holistic approach in clinical radiography, we look after the needs of our patients. This means that for instance all the IVs’ and contrast medias are given by radiographers.
Radiographers in Finland start their careers as radiographic practitioners, developing and expanding their scope of practice into enhanced, advanced and consultant practitioner roles. Professional development takes place through an approved higher education qualification and continuing professional development (CPD). A radiographer should be appropriately educated, trained, and assessed as competent for their scope of practice and maintain a record of CPD for their role.