International Practicum:
Finland
2007
March 19th, 2007
What an unbelievable experience! I have been here for just over
ten weeks now, and I love it here. The time has gone so fast,
I find
it hard to believe I will be headed back to Saskatoon soon. I
arrived in Helsinki, Finland January 5th and started my community
practicum
the following week, at Viiskulman Terveysasema, the ‘five
corners health station'. This community clinic consisted
of both Finnish and Swedish speaking services, which is new for
the Finnish health care system. I was working on one of the Finnish
speaking floors of the Health Station, but was able to work with
patients in English as well. What an interesting experience to
work with the community and to learn about the Finnish people,
culture, and language.
I am fortunate to be living with other students, seven to be exact from all over the world, studying different subjects here at the Polytechnique Institute Arcada. When I arrived in Helsinki the weather was rather mild, there was no snow for the first two weeks, but it has become much colder and the snow has come and stayed for quite some time now. On a cold day of -20, it really feels like home. The days are getting longer now but when I arrived the sun would rise around 0900 and set about 1600, which took some getting used to, going and coming home from work in the dark after only an eight hour shift. Helsinki is a beautiful city as is the country of Finland, I have done a little exploring during my free time but plan to do more as time is running out more quickly than I anticipated, and there is still so much to see and do.
I am now four weeks into my final senior practicum here in Helsinki,
Finland at the Burn/ICU unit of Töölö Hospital, in Helsinki Finland. It
started out a bit overwhelmingly in comparison to the Health Station, but I am
learning a lot and understanding more and more each day, which is exciting. I
have only two weeks left in the acute care setting, which I will now really miss.
Before I'm finished here and fly back to Canada, I have arranged to meet
and lead a seminar with the second year nursing students at Arcada. I look forward
to this added experience of meeting and sharing ideas with nursing students of
Finland. Overall this experience has been everything I dreamed it would be and
more.
Best Regards from Helsingfors, Suomi.
~ Allie Laird ~
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Communities Practicum |
Helsingfors Suomi |
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Erasmus Students of Arcada |
Töölö Hospital |