“Kainuu has a culture of doing things and you can trust your colleagues.” Kirsi Moisanen, senior lecturer, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences
I am Kirsi Moisanen, originally from Kajaani, but a mother who has lived in Sotkamo for over 30 years. I currently work as a senior lecturer in the Master’s degree programmes in Social and Health Care in Kajaani University of Applied Sciences . I am also involved in politics, including in the Kainuu Regional Government.
I graduated from Kajaani Linna Upper Secondary School in 1992. I graduated as a nurse in 1996. After that, I started a family and did various jobs as a nurse. Social and health care management has always interested me and I completed my specialization studies in administration and management in 2005 at Savonia University of Applied Sciences. In the early days of the Kainuu Regional Government, my employer organized a specialized vocational degree programme in management and at the same time I wanted to study a higher degree in management and development, which I graduated from in 2009. I have worked in management during the years 2003–2012. During my higher education at the University of Applied Sciences, I also became interested in research and development. I completed my vocational teacher qualification in 2011, and discovered that I was also interested in teaching. I was appointed as a lecturer at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences in 2012, and in the same year I also continued my studies at the University of Eastern Finland at the Department of Social and Health Management. I defended my PhD in Social Sciences in 2018. The topic of my dissertation was customer-oriented competence management in elderly care services.
The highlights of my career have been encouraging superiors and colleagues. At the beginning of my nursing career, my then geriatric supervisor urged me to study nursing management, and she supported my studies. During my higher education at the University of Applied Sciences, the teacher supervising my thesis was both encouraging and supportive, but also demanding. She gave me excellent opportunities to continue my doctoral studies.
The changing operating environment and the need for continuous competence development have been challenges, but also opportunities in my career. For example, the work of a teacher has changed significantly in just over ten years. Now my work involves writing various projects in network cooperation. Internationality is also a significant part of my work, unlike in the early stages of my teaching career.
My superiors have encouraged me to develop my competence and, for example, at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences I have been able to work as a senior lecturer after completing my doctoral degree.
Remote work became more widely possible after the Covid pandemic. In expert work, work is in principle not tied to time or place, although in practice work tasks are carried out during so-called office hours. In expert work, you can plan the rhythm of your work yourself.
Welcome to Kainuu!
The people of Kainuu are open, warm-hearted people. We are happy to collaborate with different people. The people of Kainuu are very committed employees. We are hardworking. We don’t brag about what we do, we’re even too modest.
In my opinion, the best part of living and working in Kainuu is that you enjoy your work, it’s a demanding job where you can constantly develop your skills. You don’t spend time traveling, but you also have free time, which I like to spend doing sports or being in nature. Kainuu has a culture of doing things and you can trust your colleagues.
Text and photos: Kirsi Moisanen
