Teija Toivari
To expand her expertise in nutrition, Teija qualified as a nutrition adviser in Estonia in 2020 and as a nutrition therapist in 2024.
Throughout her career, Teija has worked in a wide range of roles, including clinical nursing, service development, management and professional education. In 2017, she received a state decoration from the President of Estonia for her contribution to developing palliative care.
Teija has worked as a bariatric nurse since 2020. She has supported patients preparing for bariatric surgery and the associated lifestyle changes before surgery, during their hospital stay and throughout postoperative recovery.
In recent years, Teija has also worked as a locum nurse in Finland and maintains the medication-administration authorisations required for her nursing work there.
Work Experience
| 2025 – present | Health Clinic, bariatric nurse and nutrition therapist |
| 2024 | Bariatric Services AS, bariatric nurse and nutrition therapist |
| 2024 – present | Locum nurse at Sinisiipi, a care home for people with memory disorders (Kouvola, Finland) |
| 2021 – 2024 | Bariatric Services AS, Director of Nursing and developer of holistic nursing care; bariatric nurse (also a clinical nurse in the surgical ward and recovery room) |
| 2020 – 2021 | Bariatric Services AS, bariatric nurse |
| 2019 – 2021 | Locum nurse at Sinisiipi, a care home for people with memory disorders (Kouvola, Finland) |
| 2018 – 2020 | Fertilitas private hospital, nurse in the outpatient clinic, rehabilitation ward and surgical ward |
| 2017 | Marjoniemi Hospital (Kouvola, Finland), locum nurse in the palliative care and post-acute care wards |
| 2011 – 2012 | University of Tartu, research team member in the RTPC international dementia-care research project |
| 2010 – 2018 | AS EELK Tallinn Diaconal Hospital, Director of Quality and Nursing and Ward Manager of the hospice ward |
| 2008 – 2010 | AS EELK Tallinn Diaconal Hospital, Director of Nursing and educator |
| 2008 – 2009 | Diaconal worker at the Finnish Congregation of St Peter in Tallinn, Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church |
| 2008 – 2009 | DEM dementia-care training and development project: contributed to curriculum development and worked as an educator at different care institutions |
| 2007 – 2008 | MSH (Norway) project-based practical-nurse training programme: curriculum developer and educator in palliative care and the nursing process |
| 2003 – 2018 | Nurse educator through various projects and by invitation from training centres at Estonian hospitals. Subjects included palliative care, dementia care and teamwork |
| 2002 – 2007 | AS EELK Tallinn Diaconal Hospital, nurse and Ward Manager in the palliative-care and home-nursing units |
| 1999 – 2001 | AS EELK Tallinn Diaconal Hospital, nurse and training coordinator |
Education
| 2024 | Tervisekool, Nutrition Therapist training |
| 2020 | Rahvatervise Akadeemia, Nutrition Adviser training |
| 2012 | University of Tartu, Master’s degree in Health Sciences (Nursing Management) |
| 1997 | Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Deaconess-Nurse qualification |
Selected Continuing Education and Conferences
In addition to the training listed below, I have helped organise and participated in two to four continuing-education courses related to palliative or long-term care each year. From 2021 to 2024, I also worked as an internal educator at Bariatric Services, covering subjects such as nutrition, teamwork, conflict resolution, ethical issues, holistic care and the application of ERAS principles.
June 2024 – Baltic and Nordic Bariatric Surgery Conference (participant)
April 2024 – Annual Meeting of the Estonian Bariatric Surgery Society (speaker)
August 2023 – IFSO World Congress of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery (participant)
April 2023 – Annual Meeting of the Estonian Bariatric Surgery Society (participant)
June 2022 – Baltic and Nordic Bariatric Surgery Conference (participant)
2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 – Estonian Nutrition and Exercise Conference (participant)
April 2022 – Joint conference of the Estonian Bariatric Surgery Society and nutrition therapists (speaker)
2017 and 2024 – Medication-administration authorisation training and examination in Finland
2016 and 2017 – Taina Semi development training: Creating a Person-Centred Culture of Care (participant)
2016 – Long-Term Care Research Conference, Barcelona (participant)
2016 – MTÜ Pallium training day: Teamwork (speaker)
2016 – SA EELK Tallinn Diaconal Hospital, Living with Dementia conference (speaker)
2014 – MTÜ Pallium Palliative Care Conference (speaker)
2011 – EGGA training day: Living with Memory Disorders (speaker)
2011 – IAGG VII European Congress (participant)
2011 – MTÜ Pallium training day: A Dignified Death (speaker)
2010 – Third Palliative Care Conference at AS EELK Tallinn Diaconal Hospital (speaker)
2010 – MSH Norway continuing education for adult educators (participant)
2008 – Second Palliative Care Conference at AS EELK Tallinn Diaconal Hospital (participant)
2008 – IVA Integrative Validation: Communication with People Living with Dementia, training by Nicole Richard (participant)
2006 – First Palliative Care Conference at AS EELK Tallinn Diaconal Hospital (speaker)
2003 – MSH Norway, basic training in hygiene and palliative care (participant)
2003 – Tervisekool, continuing education in home nursing (participant)
2002 – E-katedraal occupational safety course, with refresher training in 2008 and 2014 (participant)
2001 – Tervisekool, Organisation of Nursing Care (participant)
Professional memberships
2003–2009 – Palliative Care Association, Finland
2006–2010 – EGGA, Estonian Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Board Member
2011–2017 – MTÜ Pallium, Estonian Palliative Care Association, Board Member
Honours and awards
2016 – Certificate of recognition from the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church for long-standing service at a church-owned institution
2017 – Medal from the Family Caregivers Association for contributions to developing dementia care, jointly awarded with Jelena Leiburin and Hanna-Stina Heinmets
2017 – Order of the Estonian Red Cross, Fourth Class, awarded by the President of the Republic of Estonia for contributions to developing palliative care in Estonia
