Digital Life as a Nurse, Parent, and Student: My Experiences and Reflections

In today’s world, digital services are a natural part of everyday life, whether you’re a parent, a healthcare professional, or a student. In our family, services provided by Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland) play an important role in everyday life. Especially now that we’re living the baby life with our first child, who is under six months old. I’m currently on parental leave and receiving parental allowance from Kela. We also receive child benefit, which helps balance the family finances. Each of us has our own Kela card, and both my spouse and I also have European health insurance cards. With Kela cards, we get reimbursements for prescription medications, for example. The European Health Insurance Card entitles us to receive medically necessary public healthcare while temporarily staying in any EU country, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. By presenting the card, you can receive treatment under the same conditions and at the same cost as residents of the respective country. In some countries, the treatment is free of charge.

Secure Identification

When I log into Omakanta, I use strong electronic identification. I actually have three options: online banking credentials, mobile certificate, and a smart card. I usually avoid using my banking credentials to minimize the risk of data breaches. OmaKanta has been a helpful tool for checking prescriptions and following my health data. I also use it at work as a nurse, so I’m used to answering patients’  questions about OmaKanta’s security.

My Future Pension?

I also wanted to check what my future pension might look like. I couldn’t find the details on Keva’s site, but through the työeläke.fi service I learned that, based on my current situation, I would receive around 1712 euros per month if I retire at age 68. Since I’m not yet allowed to retire at 63, the site didn’t show how much pension I’ve accrued by that age.

Overall, these kinds of digital services make everyday life smoother, but they also require a certain level of digital skills, time, and interest in order to truly benefit from them. And even though I consider myself very capable of using digital services, I still find Kela’s website very confusing whenever I have to fill out their forms.

Shopping from AliExpress: Cheap or Risky?

I visited the AliExpress online store and compared the prices to Finnish shops. AliExpress has almost everything from clothes and electronics to kitchen tools. Many products were much cheaper than in Finland. For example, phone cases cost only a few euros, while Finnish online stores sell them for 10 to 20 euros.

I have also ordered things from AliExpress myself, like clothes for me and some battery-powered decorative lights. I always wash the clothes before wearing them, and I only use the lights when I’m home and watching them. I would not order anything that goes into the mouth or could be dangerous, like food, cosmetics, or electronics without safety certificates.

Even though the prices are tempting, the information given to customers is not always as clear as in Finnish online stores. Product descriptions can be short or badly translated, and the reviews are not always helpful. Sometimes the pictures do not match the real product, so there is more uncertainty when shopping.

Delivery times are usually long, sometimes many weeks or even months, and returning a product can be difficult or expensive. The product quality can also vary, and warranty or return rights are not as easy to use as in Finland.

Is AliExpress a reliable service?
AliExpress is one of the biggest online stores in the world and it can be reliable in some ways. If you are careful, check the seller’s reviews and choose popular products with good feedback, the risk of problems is smaller. But it is important to remember that consumer protection is not as strong as when buying from inside the EU. AliExpress products include value-added tax (VAT), so there is no need to pay it separately to Finnish customs.

Digital app for expecting mothers: Ipana äitiys

I chose the iPana äitiys maternity app from applications related to my own field. I chose the app because I find it very usefull for expecting mothers to get information from their pregnancy. I used the app last year and found it very useful that I could enter my blood pressure readings, weight, and other necessary measurements directly into the app.

The app can be used either as a mobile application or on a computer. An expecting mother can enter her contact and health information into the app and fill out questionnaires, for example about nutrition, substance use, and so on. She can also do self-monitoring and record values such as blood pressure results in the app. The app also provides information about fetal development week by week and works as a secure communication channel with the maternity clinic. Logging in to the app requires strong identification.

In my opinion, the app is good and functional. However, using it requires some level of digital skills. The target user group is mainly young people, who are most likely already familiar with digital tools nowadays.

Digital gap in health care

From a nurse’s perspective, the digitalization of healthcare offers many benefits, such as faster communication, improved access to information, and more efficient services. However, it also creates challenges for people who do not use or cannot access virtual services. One major risk is exclusion from care. Patients who lack digital skills, internet access, or suitable devices may struggle to book appointments, view their medical records, or communicate with healthcare providers. This can lead to missed diagnoses and delayed treatments.

Another challenge is inequality. Elderly patients, people with disabilities, immigrants with language barriers, or individuals with lower education levels are more likely to fall into the digital gap. They may feel overwhelmed, anxious, or ashamed when they can’t manage digital systems, which can discourage them from seeking help. For example, when patients are asked to contact the health center by phone, the service is often a callback system. Patients may not answer the call because the number appears as unknown or unfamiliar, which causes frustration and delays in communication.

Self-reflection:

I realized how extensively digital tools are embedded in both my personal life and professional role as a nurse. From using OmaKanta and iPana maternity app to managing official services like Kela and checking my pension details, digital services are part of my everyday routines. I also became more aware of the challenges faced by people who lack digital skills or access, which strengthened my motivation to support patients who may struggle with digital systems.

Additionally, taking the Digital Competence Test helped me identify my strengths in digital environments. According to my test results, I have strong skills in all five core areas of digital competence: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety, and problem solving. I know how to evaluate online information, tailor my communication to different audiences, and solve problems using digital tools. I also prioritize online safety and data protection, which is especially important in healthcare. Overall, this course deepened my understanding of the role digitalization plays in modern society and healthcare, and gave me tools to support others in closing the digital gap.

Blogs I comment on:

DIGI CITIZEN – Niina’s site

DIGI CITIZEN – Aunt Hanna´s site