Today was day 10 of our Erasmus plus experience in Sweden and we are enjoying everyday as we know how fast the time is going. Today Sarah and I started our first “Day” shift as we had done our first and last night shift on Friday in the orthopaedic ward. This was a strange experience for us, being up while everyone else was asleep. We were glad that today wasn’t a 7am start, but a 2.30pm one. This gave us some time in the morning to get ready for the day ahead and prepare some food.
Sarah, Martyna, Emma and myself all got the bus together today as we all started at similar times, which was good. We all arrived at the hospital and done our usual thing which consisted of going to the uniform room where we collected all our uniforms. This consisted of: t-shirt, trousers and uniform top. We then headed to our allocated lockers where we were allowed to keep all of our belongings. Sarah and I headed up to our ward while Emma and Martyna headed to theirs. We first met with Kent, our supervisor, who is extremely friendly with great English which is such a big help. We all gathered around with the nurses who had been working in the morning as they gave us their “report” from the day, on each patient. They would all speak in Swedish while writing down every detail and afterwards, Kent would then translate everything into English for me and Sarah to write down and understand. Kent allows Sarah and I to take vital signs on patients by ourselves. I find this really rewarding and good for my confidence. The one thing I find difficult is the language barrier between me and the patients. I find it hard to communicate with them as not many have English, this was one negative thing that I found from today, but it is a challenge that makes me aware of the importance of communication. Later in the day, Sarah and I went with Kent to collect the “dinner wagon” from the ground floor. We distributed each dinner to each one of the patients and then observed how much the patient ate from their plate. Later on, the staff had their dinner break where we all went into the staff room and chatted for a bit. After our 7 and half hour shift, we were all ready to head home and relax as we had another day in the hospital ahead. The weather here is getting warmer and the sun is out, this is equally as beautiful as the snow that we’ve had. -Hannah
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After an action packed Easter Sunday we had a day off work due to the bank holiday known as ‘Helgdag’ in Sweden. As most of the shops and other attractions were closed we had a relaxing day at our cabin where we got an opportunity to reflect on the week. We went for a walk around the forest and admired the breath taking views of Lake Iggesund around our cabin.
Friday night was our first night shift. Both Hannah and I were nervous but excited to do a night shift. We started at 9pm and finished at 7am in the morning. We met with our supervisor Kent in his office on the orthopaedic ward. He made us take down the patient’s names and a brief description of their condition. There were only 6 patients on the orthopaedic ward that night. There were only two health assistants and one nurse on night shift with us. We learned that in Sweden a health care assistant is the equivalent to a nurse in Ireland and that they can do so much more here in Sweden than in Ireland. One patient had a catheter as they were not able to urinate properly and it needed to be flushed every few hours. Kent showed us how to flush the catheter. It was very interesting to see it being done as it is our first time to observe such a process after learning about it in nursing theory class. After that, most of the patients were getting ready to go to sleep so we learned that you have to take all the patients vital signs at 1am at night and 6am in the morning. We began by going into all the patients’ rooms and taking their blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate and respiration rate. We had to take all their vital signs down onto a special chart and then Kent showed us how to put it into the computer. In Sweden, they rely on this computer system more so than paper medical charts. After taking all the patients’ vital signs the ward was very quiet for a while. Most of the patients were sleeping so were allowed to sit in an office until any patients needed assistance. We chatted and had ‘Fika’ for a while. We chatted to the other nurses and they were telling us a lot of facts and useful information about Sweden. An alarm went off in the office which showed a flashing light with the number of the room the patient was in. We followed Kent into the room and found out that the patient wanted more pain relief as he broke his leg. We told the nurse and she had to administer the appropriate pain relief. At 2pm one of the patients needed their blood sugar level taken because they were diabetic. I never took someone’s blood sugar level so it was very helpful to learn a new skill. Throughout the night there were a few patients that needed pain relief and help to go to the bathroom. At 6am we repeated the process of taking all the patients vital signs and putting them in the computer system. Although it was quiet during the night and we didn’t do as much as we would during the day it was still a very beneficial experience. We had more time to practise the vital signs which was extremely helpful. I found it difficult to stay awake for the whole night but that in itself is an experience of being a real nurse. -Sarah After an exciting and eventful week it was time to wind down for the weekend. Similarly to Ireland, Sweden too celebrates Easter but in a different way. Instead of chocolate filled Easter eggs and chocolate bars they have a huge plastic egg and fill it with lots of sweets and goodies for everyone to share. It is great to experience the different cultures around the world and how they all celebrate in different ways.
Today we were invited by Eva, one of the teachers in the school, to join her and her family to have dinner with them. Eva kindly offered to collect us from the camp and bring us to her home. From there we were greeted with warm and welcoming faces. We met her husband and two of her daughters one of which is a nurse on my cardiac ward. Lina, the nurse on my ward, made me feel at ease on my first day of placement kindly watching over me and making me feel safe and at ease with everything I did throughout the day. From there we were brought to the kitchen where the table was set for a big feast. We were informed by the family that a typical Swedish tradition before an Easter meal was to paint and colour a boiled egg and there was a prize for the best painted egg. This was a lot of fun and it brought out our competitive nature to win. From there Eva and her family produced several Swedish meals for us to enjoy, including various fishes, meats, pork and sauces. I have to admit all the dishes were delicious. After the meal, we went to the living room to relax. We then listened to a beautiful Swedish song by Kaysa and Lina. After a while we had dessert with homemade carmel sauce. The rest of the evening was spent chatting and learning about Sweden and Ireland. We had a very enjoyable evening with Eva and her lovely family who made us feel at home. I really enjoyed the cultural experience of how a different country celebrates Easter. It was something very different but enjoyable at the same time. Eva and her lovely family were very kind to all of us and we hope to catch up with them before we go home again. Emma D After a busy and stressful week of getting used to new routines and early wake-up hours, it was time to have some fun and explore Sweden. Our day began by visiting the local Protestant Church in Hudiksvall, to see the Easter concert that took place there. We were welcomed by the priest who explained to us what the service and the concert would include, which was very nice as were able to understand a bit more of the Swedish Easter traditions. In Sweden, Good Friday is very important, and most shops and business are closed. It is similar Ireland’s Bank Holiday after St. Patrick’s Day.
We were delighted when the college offered to give us Skiing equipment for our stay here. As none of us went skiing before, it was stressful, yet very exciting. After spending nearly half an hour trying to figure out how to connect the Skii’s to the skiing boots, we were about to set off. Not even five minutes passed since we all got our gear on, and all four of us managed to fall over at least once. I think we all underestimated how hard it will be to get up after falling. Although we were all covered in snow and managed to fall over while standing on the skis we were determinate to make a move on and see what this sport is really like. Camp Igge has a local forest, which has fantastic skiing tracks. Within a few minutes of skiing through the forest, we all managed to get a good grip on what it’s all about and were enjoying ourselves even more. Before we realised, we were skiing for 3 hours already and have skied for 6km! Although we arrived back at the camp exhausted and all sore from constant falling, we are looking forward to our next skiing trip on another track around the camp. It was a fantastic opportunity we got, all thanks to our host college here in Hudiksvall. Hopefully, by the time we leave Sweden, we will all have mastered skiing. -Martyna So we have only been in Sweden for 6 days with numerous of hours racked up in the hospital already and I can confirm that the experience that I have gained in the last number of days has resulted in my confidence soaring sky high.
I am located in the Medical Unit/ Stroke Unit of the hospital and it is my first insight into the work and skills of a nurse, on a practical level. Upon arriving in the unit I was introduced to my two supervisors and a male nursing assistant who was in charge of making sure I get to see as much as possible during my time at this hospital. I was given a short introduction to the ward, those working there informed us of the work they do. They explained to me they wanted to push my limits in terms of gaining experience and I had to lay out the boundaries, they truly want me to gain as much from this experience as possible. I then shadowed my nursing assistant who brought me around to meet all her patients and explained their illnesses to me, and the severity of them. She introduced me as the 'student from Ireland' and those who had the ability to respond, did so with a warm smile. I was extremely nervous but all the staff put my worries to rest. Straight away I informed them I had some experience with patients in a care setting but no experience in a hospital setting and explained the role of the health care worker and nurse in Ireland, in comparison to Sweden. I was then faced with my first challenge, I was asked whether or not I would like to do a bladder scan on a patient, I jumped at the chance. My supervisor talked me through the process which was very simple to do. My only worry was whether I would hurt the patient if I did it wrong, to which she responded that I could not. A short while later I got to take multiple patients' blood sugar levels, something I have never done before either. Over the next few hours I assisted the nursing assistant in providing oral and physical hygiene to numerous patients and watched as she filled out the paperwork, documenting what the patients had and had not eaten/drank throughout the evening. I also helped move patients, to change their positions to avoid bed sores etc. as they did not move frequently enough and needed assistance. After dinner, we went around to our patients to take all their 'obs', which I got the opportunity to do myself. I took their blood pressure, temperature, blood oxygen levels and their heart rates. I found this very enjoyable and loved being able to do the test myself and read the results myself, the more patients I did it on the more confidence I had. I then got a tour of the different departments in the hospital and got the chance to walk through their ICU which was extremely small, smaller than I expected, with only 6 beds. I was informed that I would get to experience a day working in the ICU during one of the days over the next three weeks which I am very excited about. I also decided to ask about spending some time in the maternity ward to which they told me they will do their best to get me a day there too which I am delighted about. I thoroughly enjoy the ward I am on, yet I also have a huge interest in midwifery and would like to take full advantage of this chance while I am here. Most of my experiences thus far have been positive but there has been some sad parts as I have witnessed patients coming to the end of their lives, with family around to say goodbye and I must admit I struggled hugely with this today as I found it very difficult and sad to see. I have expanded my skills thus far and look forward to gaining more. I am extremely grateful for my experience so far and I look forward to continue building my confidence in my abilities. I thoroughly believe I have made the right career choice more and more each day. -Emma G It is day 5 of this amazing experience in Hudiksvall, Sweden. We as a group are enjoying everyday and trying to experience everything that Hudiksvall has to offer. Today was my first proper day in the hospital as we were not able to start in the hospital earlier due to a bug in the hospital. Sarah and I were shown the ropes by two young care assistants Zach and Martina, both very friendly and helpful. Zach didn’t have much English, so Martina translated for us. We began by being shown around the orthopaedic ward.
For me, today was almost indescribable. The first thing we were shown by Zach was how to take blood from a patient, a patient who was quite sick and had just returned from surgery. After the blood was taken we got to go to the lab where the blood is sent away to be tested. This was just the beginning of what we got to see today. Sarah and I were so lucky to get a tour of the hospital and all the different departments. We went from the dialysis unit, to cardiology, the stroke unit, radiography and then the morgue. We also had a chance to visit the ICU where we met the critical patients. We had the opportunity to observe a procedure in which a stent was being inserted into the upper leg of a patient while we were on tour of the hospital. I found this incredibly interesting and something you wouldn’t get a chance to see back home. Before it was time to head home again, Sarah and I met up with our supervisor, Kent. We spoke with him about our schedule for the next 2 weeks while he told us about wound care and how to care for patients. One thing that stood out to me today whilst in the hospital was how highly thought of nurses are in Sweden. Needless to say we had an amazing experience today. We hopped on the next bus back to Camp Igge, our home for the next 2 weeks. Here we met one of the teachers from the local school who kindly provided us with skiing gear that we hope to avail of tomorrow. -Hannah On Monday morning we woke up on our second day at camp Iggesund. Looking forward to the day ahead. We were up bright and early as today was the first day in the hospital. We had a tour of the hospital with Ingela one of the nursing tutors. We were left a little disappointed when Hannah and I found out that we couldn’t begin our work experience in the hospital due to a contagious bug in the orthopaedic ward.
So today, we again left our cabin early, grabbed the bus and headed for “Bromangymnasiet” the local college in Hudiksvall. We were greeted by Eva one of the teachers on the nursing programme in the college. She brought us to their staff room where we had ‘Fika’. After this we got a tour of the college and we were also brought to the clinical skills lab where the student nurses get to practise their skills for their career in nursing. Eva showed us how to take blood on an artificial arm. I found it interesting that we were allowed to practise taking blood as we do not have the opportunity to do this in Ireland. We used stethoscopes and sphygmomanometers to take each other’s blood pressure. While we were in the clinical skills lab we had to wear uniforms that you would wear in the hospital. I thought it was a really good idea as it felt like we were in a real hospital. After spending some time in the clinical skills lab we had lunch in the canteen. We all ate a typical Swedish dish. Mea the college coordinator kindly offered to give us skis. We found this very helpful as we all plan on going skiing and having fun on our day off. I had an eventful few days here already and I am eager to continue my work experience and learn new skills. -Sarah After the long and busy weekend, it was time to start work experience. I woke up to this unique scenery this morning. On Monday, I met with a lovely lady called Ingela who showed Emma and myself around the hospital and gave us our timetables for the coming weeks. We then proceeded to my ward where I met with my supervisor and my 'under nurse' for an introductory hour. My biggest fear when I was left in the ward Monday was that I would not be able to understand what was going on and I would be left behind as it is constantly busy. The exact opposite happened. The nurses and staff members alike could not have been nicer and they were more than willing to talk to me and show me new things. They were happy to communicate through English which made it a lot more easier for me.
This morning we awoke at 5am to the sounds of our ever appealing phone alarm. Our bus left Iggesund at 6am and we were in and changed for 6.30am. The nurses requested that I come in for this time so that I get to fully experience and understand how their routine works. I walked in and was greeted with friendly faces full of warmth and welcome, all excited about the 'new Irish student'. The changeover began and patients details and conditions were discussed over a 'Fika' which in Sweden is a coffee break. The nurse translated as much as she could about the patients that I would be assisting today. At about 10am I was asked if I like to see a pacemaker surgery on one of the patients and of course it was an opportunity not to be missed. At 11am I assisted the nurse and the porter to bring the patient to surgery, from there I met the two surgeons, the theatre nurses and the junior doctors also studying there. We were asked to change into the theatre clothes and cover our face and wash our hands. Nervously, we all scrubbed up and entered the theatre room. The surgeon could not have been more enthusiastic and bubbly about teaching us about what he was doing. Throughout the surgery he explained what he was doing and visually showed us. It was an experience that I will never forget on my journey as a nurse and I was so glad that I had this opportunity. After returning to the theatre the male nurse showed me how to take bloods and how to test blood sugar levels on a patient. After demonstrating on a patient how to do this, he allowed me to carry it out on another patient. The patients and staff could not have been more friendly and I thoroughly enjoyed my first day of work experience. I look forward to many more days ahead. -Emma After a long busy weekend full of travelling and visiting Hudiksvall, it was time to settle into our work placements. Myself, Sarah and Hannah had a very early start this morning, as we had to be up and ready to go for breakfast at 5.30 am. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as hard to get up as we thought it would be. Camp Igge was covered with a thick layer of fresh soft snow, which has fallen overnight. The view was phenomenal and pictures don’t do it justice.
Upon arrival at the Hudiksvall Hospital, we were greeted by Ingela, a nurse tutor from the college in Hudiksvall. We received a brief tour of the hospital, clearly explaining what department is on what floor. Ingela translated the floor plan to us, which was very helpful as we were able to recognise the different departments and begin making our own way in the hospital. My first week of placement takes place in the Eye Clinic, as well as the Eye Surgery Department. Today I had the opportunity to work aside Ingela, an Ophthalmic Nurse. At first, communication with Ingela and other staff members was a major challenge, as only Ingela was able to speak a little bit of English. After a while, the communication barrier began to disappear, which not only made me feel more comfortable in the new surroundings but also made Ingela less stressed as she was getting more and more confident in speaking English. Before starting our daily schedule, myself and other staff members enjoyed our ‘Fika’. Fika is a concept in Swedish culture with the basic meaning "to have coffee", often accompanied with pastries and cookies. It was a nice form of interaction with the staff, who informed me of interesting facts about local towns and cities. Our daily schedule began by preparing the operating room for surgeries that were planned for the day. Alongside Ingela and Maria, who is an ophthalmologist, I got to observe a Cataract Surgeries. It was my first time witnessing a surgery, which will definitely be an unforgettable experience. After observing the procedure on two patients, Ingela gave me the chance to put eye drops and flush down the patient's eye. All of the patients were very enthusiastic and had nothing against me being in the room to observe their procedure. The remaining part of my day involved assisting Ingela in sterilising the room and cleaning the equipment before it gets sent off for sterilisation. Even though my day began early, it was exciting to witness today’s surgeries and I look forward to my next few days in the Eye Clinic. -Martyna Today the 5 of us budding future nurses set off from Galway city at 6:45am, on a bus bound for Dublin Airport. Tired and groggy but our were spirits were high and each of us were anticipating the adventure ahead. We were all aware of the day that was ahead of us but I doubt any of us knew exactly how long it would take to get there.
We landed in Stockholm at approximately 3pm and had another 2.5 hours to wait for the train which would take us to Hudiksval. We ate and strolled around the huge train station/airport, trying to get our bearings. The language barrier that many of us feared turned out to be an unnecessary fear as everyone we met was more than willing to help us and all spoke English. This made the day of travel so much easier. We then took the train, which lasted a further 3 hours. We finally arrived at our hotel for the night and then next morning took an opportunity to explore the town and find out exactly where the hospital was and also the best way to travel each day. Once we got the hospital, it all became real and we all became extremely excited and very aware of how lucky we all are to get this opportunity. Some of us even found our assigned wards. After this we made our way to our accommodation which is based in Camp Igge. Our accommodation is located right beside a huge forest. We are living in warm cabins surrounded by snow for the next three weeks and we could not be happier. Tomorrow we will start work in the hospital. Each one of us are a little nervous about starting work but an excited nervousness for what we are about to embark on. This is an amazing chance to improve both our skills and learn as much as possible during our time here. We are looking forward to making the most of this Erasmus trip and we intend to take everyday as it comes and have the greatest three weeks. -Emma |
Nursing Studies Students 2017/18Hannah Glynn Map of Sweden |