Compability of Swedish Authorities’ Directives

A Comparision of the National Agency for Eduation’s and the National Board of Health and Welfare’s competence Requrements for Elderly Care Staff – Focusing on Norms and Values

Abstract

The Swedish education for assistant nurses, offered at the secondary level in upper secondary school and adult education, has undergone significant transformations to ensure competent personnel in elderly care. An explorative document analysis was conducted to investigate how norms and values are expressed in the regulations of the Swedish National Agency for Education and the National Board of Health and Welfare, and the knowledge and competence requirements for elderly care personnel.

The analysis reveals a discrepancy between the National Board of Health and Welfare’s competence requirements, which include specific laws and regulations not addressed in the Swedish National Agency for Education’s governing documents. Concerning culture, norms, and values, students are expected to learn about other cultures and to treat care recipients from diverse backgrounds. This expectation suggests an assumption of pre-existing knowledge and adoption of societal norms, despite nearly half of the health care students in adult education being foreign-born.

Drawing on the theory of situated learning, the analysis emphasizes the political landscape of practice to understand the significance of regulatory authorities for communities of practice in education and elderly care. The vocational teachers’ awareness of different parts od this landscape is crucial. The article also highlights the teacher’s key role in bridging the differences identified between the authorities’ binding regulations within the educational context. A conclusion drawn is that more knowledge is needed about where and how norms and values are conveyed and discussed in the communities of practice in adult education and elderly care.