Here I am completing a clinical placement for my nursing studies at a university hospital. During this first month, I have worked in the operating department, the intensive care unit, and a surgical ward. The departments change every week, which helps us make the most of the exchange period and gain experience in different areas.
Our practice has been going well thanks to the local nursing students who have been assigned to us as mentors. On the wards, the nurses generally do not speak much English, so without the mentors the language challenges would be especially significant. For the most part, the staff have been kind and friendly. The doctors in particular have explained different things to us in English, for example aspects related to monitoring a patient under general anesthesia.
I am here with two of my friends, and on weekends we have been exploring Pilzen, getting to know different restaurants and the nightlife. During the weekdays, we have mainly focused on resting and going to the gym. In addition, we plan to travel during the exchange. Last weekend, we visited Munich in Germany.
Working here differs somewhat from Finland. Nurses here usually work 12-hour shifts, although sometimes they also have 8-hour shifts, similar to Finland. In the departments where I have been, I have not noticed any significant differences compared to Finland in terms of daily work.
One thing that surprised me, however, is the level of privacy. On the surgical ward, for example, patient rooms have three or four beds, and there are no curtains or other visual barriers between the beds. Morning washes, for instance, are carried out in front of all the other patients in the room.
Comments