After four intense days of competition, Norwegian practical nurse Henrik Solberg Bølgenhaugen was met with applause as he completed his final task at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. With the competition finally behind him, he was visibly relieved and satisfied with his performance.
– I believe that I have given everything and shown the best of what I can do. Of course, some things slip when there is a lot of stress, but that happens to everyone, Henrik told the Norwegian union Fagforbundet shortly after completing his final task.
The 48th WorldSkills Competition took place in Shanghai, China, from 22nd to 27th September, bringing together 1,385 competitors from 68 countries and regions across 64 different skills. One of these was Health and Social Care, a competition in which young healthcare professionals demonstrate their abilities in a wide range of simulated patient situations.
Unlike competitions where the finished product is the main result, the judges also assess how participants interact with patients and respond to their needs throughout each task.
For Ann Georgsson, President of the European Council of Practical Nurses (EPN), WorldSkills is an important opportunity to highlight the competence of practical nurses and strengthen the recognition of the profession.
– Practical nurses have every reason to be proud of their profession. WorldSkills gives young professionals an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and professional judgement that are so important in healthcare. These are competencies that deserve greater recognition across Europe.
From a Norwegian hospital to the world championship
Henrik works in the surgical and orthopaedic ward at Ringerike Hospital in Norway. Bølgenhaugen qualified as a practical nurse in April 2024. In Norway, the profession is known as helsefagarbeider, a vocational qualification normally obtained through two years of school-based education followed by two years of apprenticeship training. Practical nurses work in hospitals, nursing homes, home care services and other health and social care settings, providing nursing care, observing patients’ conditions and contributing to treatment, rehabilitation and daily care.
Before travelling to Shanghai, Henrik had already established himself as one of Norway’s most promising young professionals in his field. He won the Norwegian national skills championship in 2025 and went on to secure a silver medal at EuroSkills in Herning, Denmark, later that year.
His family also played an important part in the preparations. Henrik’s grandmother, Anne, is herself a practical nurse, having qualified under Norway’s former hjelpepleier education programme. In one particularly memorable training session, she wore a simulated stoma five times in succession so Henrik could perfect his technique. Speaking to Fagforbundet in Shanghai, she described how much she had gained from the experience herself.
– Imagine being able to help your grandson achieve something like this. It’s incredibly exciting, and I’ve learned so much. I learn something from Henrik every single day, she said.
Henrik Solberg Bølgenhaugen with his grandmother Anne, who is also a qualified practical nurse. She played an important role in helping him prepare for the world championship. Photo: Oscar Aaslund Hovin / Fagforbundet
During the four competition days in Shanghai, Henrik encountered patients with different healthcare needs. On the final day alone, he had to care for a young adult with a nosebleed and wounds following a fall, provide palliative care to an older man with kidney failure and conduct a home visit to a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis.
On 27th September, the results were announced. Henrik had secured the bronze medal in Health and Social Care, behind gold medallist Sida Min from China and silver medallist Chayanit Seesawatpen from Thailand. With 734 points, he was also awarded the Best of Nation distinction for achieving the highest score among the Norwegian competitors.
The medallists in Health and Social Care at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. From left: Chayanit Seesawatpen from Thailand (silver), Sida Min from China (gold) and Henrik Solberg Bølgenhaugen from Norway (bronze). Photo: WorldSkills International
Ann Georgsson, President of the European Council of Practical Nurses (EPN), congratulates Henrik on his achievement:
– Henrik’s bronze medal is a fantastic achievement, not only for him and Norway, but also for our profession. He has shown what young practical nurses can accomplish through education, dedication and hard work. I hope his success will inspire others to choose this profession.
An opportunity for further development in Europe
Yvonne Soggemoen, a registered nurse who served as team leader of the Norwegian national skills team in Shanghai, believes that Health and Social Care has an important place in WorldSkills.
– It is a very important and exciting skill to have in WorldSkills. It has been part of the competition since 2006, and it is important that we continue to develop it. There is still a lot of potential, particularly in Europe, Soggemoen told Fagforbundet during the championship.
Her reflections are also relevant to the continued development of practical nursing in Europe. Although educational pathways, professional titles and areas of responsibility vary between countries, practical nurses share many important responsibilities in delivering health and social care. WorldSkills provides an opportunity to demonstrate these competencies internationally, while also encouraging discussion about educational standards, professional development and the recognition of vocational qualifications.
For Henrik, the bronze medal in Shanghai was the result of several years of hard work.
Ann Georgsson believes WorldSkills also offers an opportunity to draw attention to the contribution practical nurses make to healthcare services throughout Europe.
– Across Europe, practical nurses make an important contribution to healthcare every single day. Yet their skills and responsibilities do not always receive the attention they deserve. WorldSkills is a wonderful opportunity to put our profession in the spotlight and remind people how much competence good patient care requires.
By Oscar Aaslund Hovin, Fagforbundet, Norway
