– As soon as I became a practical nurse, I continued my studies and graduated as a public health nurse. I had a double degree and also graduated as a registered nurse. During my studies I worked the whole time as a practical nurse mostly in specialized care units like cardio and surgical units. I really liked my work and thought of myself being someone who enjoys keeping very busy.
After graduating as a public and registered nurse Minna continued her work in the surgical unit.
– The work in the public health field also interested me and at some point I contacted the department manager of health services and got a substitute job as a public nurse. I worked in the maternal and child health clinic, as a school nurse, in home care and in a doctor´s office as a nurse on call, for example. By chance I got a longer work contract in home care and I really liked it. Eventually I got a permanent work contract and with that my perspective shifted: the acute fast-paced situations were replaced with holistic long term patient relationships.
In 2002 Minna came across RAI for the first time.
– In the beginning I was almost anti-RAI. I didn´t understand what it was. But I´m that kind of person that if something is asked to be done or used in my profession then I want to learn about it and do my job properly. I started to familiarize myself with RAI and really get to know what using RAI means to the whole care team and to the care team supervisors, which I had been appointed to.
– RAI became a central tool in the care work. We also used it when planning the care together with family and clients. And together with the clients we looked at the results of the reports. One particular comment by a client has stuck with me forever. A client asked me when we are going to do that assessment again so we can see how much we have accomplished!
All in all Minna worked in home care for about five years.
– It took about three years to see the results of RAI and to really establish that the work in home care has become more effective, the clients are happier and that our work has got more visibility than before. I felt that my own work as a team leader was valuable. I wanted to make my own team, the clients and families understand the importance of RAI.
Minna´s work effort in RAI, her participation in developing care work through a project, her co-operation and initiative was noticed elsewhere too. In 2007 Raisoft contacted Minna and asked if she would be interested in working as a RAI educator.
– I almost fell from the chair. I didn´t have the guts to jump head over heels to a completely new job, but in spring 2008 I started as an on-demand trainer until I went on my maternity leave. In September 2008 my first son was born. My younger son was born in January 2010 and in between in 2009 I did some training. The social support network became really important at that time; grand-moms took care of my son a couple of days a week as I was giving training sessions and simultaneously studying for a degree in Management and Development. It was quite busy times! After my second son was born and after the parental leave I began working full time at Raisoft in February 2011. In December 2012 I got my management degree from the University of Applied Sciences.
At home Minna has two active boys and a husband who takes care of the chores when Minna is travelling for work.
– Both boys and my husband play floor ball and football and I am the team leader of one of the boys´ teams. We are living the rush hour years, that´s for sure! Luckily my husband is really good with the boys and with the household. One time when I told the boys that I have to go away on a business trip for a couple of days one of the boys exclaimed: "Yesss, – we´ll have man time!" Minna laughs.
When Minna left Toholampi, a small rural community east of Kokkola, to go to nursing school she never would have imagined ending up as the Chief Customer Officer at Raisoft. Looking back the route is quite logic.
– In my current work I have benefited a lot of the fact that I have made a vast tour in the field of care work. And the Management degree has helped me a lot in my job. It has broadened my understanding of the strategic points of views and helps me in the co-operations with our clients. Now I am really in the front seat watching the health care situation in Finland and I am learning something new from our customers every day. Often I also ask our customers if I can tell others about their ways of doing things. It´s great to experience new functional practises and to convey them to others. Why invent the wheel again?
As a health care professional and RAI expert Minna has a clear view of the big picture.
– Good quality client-based care work is essential. This is also the core for savings: when things are done right to the right person at the right time. For this RAI is the best tool.