ensihoitajat

Ensihoitajat are professionals who provide prehospital emergency medical care in Finland. They form part of the country’s emergency medical services (EMS) and typically work in ambulance teams, rapid-response units, and other field settings. Their main tasks are to assess patients at the scene, deliver initial life support, stabilize conditions, and arrange safe transport to appropriate facilities. Depending on qualifications and local protocols, they can perform a range of measures, including airway management, oxygen therapy, cardiac monitoring and defibrillation, wound care and bleeding control, immobilization, medication administration under standing orders, intravenous access, and patient handover to hospital staff.

Education and career paths: In Finland, most ensihoitajat hold a higher education degree in emergency care (AMK) or an equivalent approved program. Graduates are employed by regional EMS providers and often work in crews with ambulance drivers; many pursue further specialization or education and engage in continuing professional development to maintain competencies.

Regulation and practice: Practice is governed by national guidelines for prehospital care and by the regulatory framework for health professionals in Finland. Ensihoitajat collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other EMS personnel and may be involved in disaster response and mass-casualty incidents.

Work environment: Work occurs in urban and rural settings, with shifts that cover days, nights, weekends, and on-call periods. The role is central to rapid response, patient assessment, stabilization, and the bridging of prehospital and in-hospital care.