Thursday

So the last few days have been crazy! Yesterday I went to clinical, which is completely different than in the U.S. We can do anything and everything as students over here. I'm with 2 District Nurses, and they for the most part run this clinic. The clinic is in a poor area of Eskilstuna, Sweden. There are also doctors, physical/occupational therapists, physiotherapists, home health nurses, and a lab located there. The clinic serves both adults and children newborn to age 6. From age 6 on, the school nurse takes care of everything.

Everyone gets the same basic care. Going to the clinic and having operations at the hospital are free. The doctor diagnoses and prescribes medications, and then the patients must set up and appointment with the nurse to learn about their disease and get check-ups.

The nurses take "Reception" or appointments for half a day, every day. I spent the morning with the Spirometry Nurse. She treats patients with asthma and COPD. I even found out that my lungs are like an 18 year old :) I spent the afternoon going back and forth with my 2 nurses, Maria and Lota. Both are hilarious! Lota has lived everywhere, including New Zealand and Canada. She's a Yoga instructor, and travels to the US a lot because we have Yoga conventions all the time. (She said the Americans have mastered Yoga & really taken it over).

Both have a lot of fun with their patients as well. It's nice because they give each patient about 30 minutes with them, and there's no waiting to get in when you get to the office. Unfortunately, a lot of these patients have been waiting for months to get in to see the Nurse.

They have coffee breaks aaaallllllll the time. They call them fick (the i pronounced like an e). Everyone says it's the most important part of a Swede's day. haha. They also make fun of our coffee, it's like black water compared to theirs. And man is it.

It's quite an interesting trip to get to clinical as well. It takes me about 25-30 minutes to walk to the Central Train station in Vasteras...then a 30 minute train ride, and then I have to wait for the bus to pick me up in Eskilstuna to take me to the edge of town. It took me about 2 hours to make my way home :) I'm very thankful for a car at home!!!! And it's their way of life over here.

We're heading to Stockholm tomorrow to spend a few days! Stockholm is supposed to be one of the prettiest cities in the world. I can't wait!

So here is a few pictures. Oh and last night we went to a Pub on campus with some nursing students here! We had some type of beer...well it was cider with alcohol. Amazing :)

Eskilstuna

Malardalen University is where we're studying

Outside the window on the 4th floor of the Nursing school in Eskilstuna

Sarah at the ICA (grocery store) with our cute little cart

At the Pub...It's called Karen.

Like my new scarf?! I need to learn to wear it like the Swedes do!

The next few pictures are of our campus in Vasteras. It's gorgeous, very modern and tons of windows! This is the library.

The Swedish Flag

The sign to use the restroom, we thought it was funny

The next few pictures are of pictures on the walls of the college, they tell a story, which is sweet, but we also found them hilarious. They would never be found at a college in the U.S.