Nanette works as a Project Researcher and Project Manager at Novia University of Applied Sciences. She has a background in social and healthcare services and has worked in elderly care, care for people with memory impairments, and social services. Nanette is also a self-employed entrepreneur in the social sector and works as a social service dog handler together with her trained social service dogs.

She holds a Bachelor of Social Services (UAS) and a Master of Social Services (UAS), and also has a vocational qualification in entrepreneurship.

Teaching

Nanette has taught:
• Entrepreneurship in Social and Healthcare
• Entrepreneurship in Health and Welfare
• Entrepreneurship and Interprofessional Collaboration
• Gender Diversity and Gender Awareness
• Nature-based Activities for Promoting Occupational Well-being

Projects

• Living and Learning (2018–2023)
• Peer Mentor for Informal Caregivers (2018–2022)
• UUDO – New Career Paths through Digital Social and Healthcare Competence (2021–2023)
• School Coach (2021–2024)
• Health Forest (2023)
• Kolibre Mapping – Access to Information for the Visually Impaired (2023)
• Entrepreneurship, Health and Welfare (2022–2024)
• The Golden Hour in Elderly Care Homes (2023–2025)
• Stronger Together – Substance Abuse Prevention for Working-Age Adults (2024–2026)
• Regional Pathway to Social Services in Early Childhood Education (2022–2027)
• Nightingale Mentorship Programme (2025–2027)

Areas of Expertise

• Entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurship in Health and Welfare
• Elderly Care and Well-being of Older People
• Dog-Assisted Interventions
• Nature-Based Methods
• Health Promotion

Areas of Interest

• Entrepreneurship
• Elderly Care and Well-being of Older People
• Green Care and Nature-Based Methods
• Dog-Assisted Interventions
• Health Promotion
• Physical Activity and Movement

Publications

Behovsanalys - Service inom hälsa och välfärd på landsbygd och i skärgård i Österbotten (Needs Analysis – Services in Health and Welfare in Rural and Archipelago Areas in Ostrobothnia)
https://www.novia.fi/assets/Publikationer/Serie-R-Rapporter/Behovsanalys-Service-inom-halsa-och-valfard-pa-landsbygd-och-i-skargard-i-Osterbotten.pdf

Att komma till skott - entreprenörskap inom hälsa och välfärd (Getting Started – Entrepreneurship in Health and Welfare)
https://novialia.novia.fi/novialia/bloggar/fui-bloggen/att-komma-till-skott-entreprenorskap-inom-halsa-och-valfard

Westergård, N., Salo, C. & Jungerstam, S. (2024b). Entreprenörer inom hälsa och välfärd efterlyses. (Entrepreneurs in Health and Welfare Wanted) Vasabladet, 12 January 2024.
https://www.vasabladet.fi/Artikel/Visa/748813

Att förebygga arbetsrelaterad stress och främja arbetshälsa genom naturvistelse (Preventing Work-Related Stress and Promoting Occupational Well-being through Nature Exposure)
https://svangrum.sofuk.fi/73-2023/november/445-att-forebygga-arbetsrelaterad-stress-och-framja-arbetshalsa-genom-naturvistelse

Återhämtning genom naturnära metoder – ett sätt att klara av stress (Recovery through Nature-Based Methods – A Way to Cope with Stress)
https://novialia.novia.fi/novialia/bloggar/fui-bloggen/aterhamtning-genom-naturnara-metoder-ett-satt-att-klara-av-stress

The Healthforest – Pilot Project in Ostrobothnia
https://centriabulletin.fi/the-healthforest-a-pilot-project-in-ostrobothnia/

Förebyggande rusmedelsarbete för personer i arbetsför ålder i Österbotten (Substance Abuse Prevention for Working-Age Adults in Ostrobothnia)
https://novialia.novia.fi/bloggar/fui-bloggen/forebyggande-rusmedelsarbete-for-personer-i-arbetsfor-alder-i-osterbotten

Olika sätt att se på saken - Finlandssvenska synskadades informationstillgång (Different Ways of Seeing – Access to Information for Swedish-Speaking Visually Impaired People in Finland)
https://novialia.novia.fi/novialia/bloggar/fui-bloggen/olika-satt-att-se-pa-saken-finlandssvenska-synskadades-informationstillgang

Ökade digitala kunskaper inom social- och hälsovård (Increased Digital Competence in Social and Healthcare)
https://novialia.novia.fi/novialia/bloggar/fui-bloggen/okade-digitala-kunskaper-inom-social-och-halsovard-

Podcast

Westergård, N., Salo, C. & Jungerstam, S. (2023). Efterlyses: Entreprenörer inom hälsa och välfärd. (Entrepreneurs in Health and Welfare Wanted.) [Vetenskapskarnivalen, 20 December 2023]. Podcast.
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-waerx-152e75a?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share