vss04

I´m not the one to critizise the american political/economical system but from my (rather small) corner of the world (Sweden ) I will try to explain how our system works and why I can´t look upon it as communistic in any way.The basic thought behind our health care system is that each one contributes after ability and the money will be distributed to each one after needs. Of course, there are flaws in our system, some of them under continuos discussion but the bottom line is that everyone is assured health care. Expensive? I don´t think so. And, if I´m not satisfied with the way our government handle my tax money I´m entitled to kick them away every fourth year :chuckle. Note well, I always keep in mind that the money they have are mine, not the politicians! Philosophically one can discuss a shift i paradigm, wich in fact took place here in Sweden, let say 60 - 70 years ago when the labour party took over the government. Before that we had no or very few social insurances, if you belonged to the non-privileged people you could only hope for som altruistic assistance from more privileged people. The british economist Johm Maynard Keynes had a great influence in Sweden politics at that time with his intervening ideas. Maybe one can compare J M Keynes thoughts with Pharao´s dream i Genesis (seven fat cows and seven skinny cows). A system that makes us all to contribute for the benefit of the whole community is in fact moneysaving in the end. If youre unable to work because of lack of health care the community will miss your contribution to it. A health care to everyone is, as I see it, in length pays for itself. //VSS04

Being a nurse from Sweden I follow your discussions with great interest. Although my skills in the American language have many gaps I´ll try my best to describe our insurance system. It has for many, many years is a public insurance system where every citizen pays from his salary to the health insurance system. Of course there are also private insurances you can take beside this public system. But the main system is governed by the state. Each one of us, that counts all inhabitants on this planet, has responsibility for his/her health but when the day comes when you need medical/hospital care it´s a charitable thought that you shall have this without any questions like "How have you lived your life?" People who hasn´t been able to work due to whatever reason are a subject to this charity as well as all others. I have a really hard time to regard this as some kind of communism, isn´t it more a christian thought? There will always be a market for private insurance companies and they will have no problem finding customers. vss04/Sweden, for the moment governed by a conservative administration :typing

We do have a lot of doctors from other countries, maybe not so many nurses, although that should mean a lot of positive things for nursing in Sweden, as a profession, I think. (To be honest, during the last decades there´s been an increasing number of foreign nurses too). One difficult issue is the language of course, some say swedish is just as hard to learn as, for example chinese. I don´t know if that´s quite correct:bugeyes: I don´t have any specific advices for the moment. Maybe you can contact some swedish consulate or embassy and they can help you further. I´ll give you the adress to the university of my town, maybe a letter to them can sort things out for you: Högskolan i Gävle S-801 76 GÄVLE Sweden Wish you all the best, Gunnar

Hi, I´m from Sweden and I´ve heard similar thoughts about nurses in Kuwait from a doctor i know who comes from that country. Here in Sweden we are well respected as professionals, from the public but also from (most) of the doctors. Gunnar :typing

We aren´t all on strike, so healthcare is still carried out even if in a smaller scale at those places where nurses are striking. The question is rather, will our opposite part ever listen to us? Many, well most of us, are working for the "state" even if private clinics are becoming more and more common. Working for a private facility generally gives a better payment but it´s what the state will pay us that kind of sets the limits overall. Many thanks for your support! Gunnar

Being sadly underpayed Swedish nurses has been on strike for some weeks now. When I´m writing this there´s no solution in sight. After three years of university studies it doesn´t show at all at the end of the month when the paycheck arrives. Payment per month is approximative 3200 US dollar as a new nurse. After several years in work, maybe >30, some nurses don´t reach more than 4200 US dollar, even if specialists. If you instead study three years to, let´s say a computer-engineer you can start with a salary at maybe 5100 US dollar. Conclusively; it´ll pay more to heal machinery than people!! People in common support our struggle for better salary. Although negociations are a buisness of give and take we surely hope for a real good utcome this time. I have no idea of what level Swedish nurse salary is compered with other countries (as always it´s also a question of living costs). The only country I can compare with is Norway who pays a lot more to their nurses. That´s also why many nurses from Sweden go there to earn some extra money. I love my work, even if it has it´s dark sides, which work hasn´t? But I want to see in my wallet that my experience, my knowledge and my skills are payed enough! Gunnar

Although I don´t know your fellow RN I sympathize with you in your grief. I´ve often thought about the risks one takes going home after the nightshift, for me, often by bike but sometimes also by car. I have the advantage of living only 7 kilometers from the hospital in a rather small town (about 80'000 inhabitants). But nevertheless I have to deal with the morning traffic along the streets and I've noticed several times that I'm a danger to me and others because of my sleepiness (correct spelling?) Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss. Gunnar RN, Sweden

Well, I´m quite sure that most nurses and other professionals in America are just as nice and friendly as they are in Sweden :smilecoffeecup:. My satisfaction over my work could be explained from the fact that I became RN rather late in my life (today I´m 54 years old). I think I´ve found my place in life and will have the intention to keep it up as long as possible :). Gunnar

So, I´ve made my first year as a nurse, working in a ward for patients with different kinds of heart failure/diseases. So, what do I feel today? Well, there´s +/- of course, although the positive sides dominate (otherwise I shouldn´t still be there!) I´ll start with the negative parts (than my thread will end in a positive way . Am I responsible for to many patients? On the evening shift (14:00 - 22:00) I usually take care of 11-12 patients of wich usually half of them are under telemetry surveillance. Often 1 or 2 patients are teminally ill and can be expeced to die in any hour of my shift. The nightshifts (21:30 - 07:00) are usually rather calm (most of the patients are sleeping!) but every now and than also nights can be very busy. During day shift (07:00 - 16:00) there´s of course a lot of activity. Doctor´s round, telephone calls torelatives, to other facilities in the hospital, transport of patients to different activities, measurements, giving pills a.s.o. On top of that I´m obliged to fill in different statistic forms . I´m not alone of course (even if I feel so sometimes), but the amount of "things to do" are many times overwhelming and the stress one can feel over never to be able to finish anything is somewhat annoying. So, what´s positive than? First: The friendship! Never before in my life I´ve had so many lovely, kind, professional, and in any other way positive characteristic, friends around me. Nurses, doctors and all other personal, they are all real good friends! Second: The patients: Although most of them are really, really sick they are giving me so much back. Many times just by listening to their stories. The experiences I learn by from them helps me to become (hopefully) a better nurse as well as a better person. Greetings from Sweden, Gunnar :redpinkhe

Got a job directly after exam at a cardiac clinic. I´ve been working in the same place before as a nurse assistant to finance my studies. It´s quite a difference, I must say, to work as a nurse. Swedish hospitals, as in many other countries have economic problems. Problems that leads to cut downs in staff. So for that matter I´m really happy I actually got a work. Swedish caregiving is mostly financed by the government and everyone is guaranteed professional care by the state. Nevertheless, at least where I´m working, economic cut downs has led to many problems. The flow of patients forces prioritation several times a day. Who´s to stay in our departement and who´s to leave? We have originally 20 beds and have possibility to squeeze in three more patients if necessary (in corridor). Many times doctors phones us from the emergency ward and ask us to make room for more patients. But what patient safety is that if we already squeezed in the extra three patients? And what comfort is it laying as a patient in the corridor? Well, I started with saying I´m happy at may work and thats true. I love the work and I love my colleagues, they are wonderful. But the stress that comes upon me when I have responsibility for 11-12 patients (many of them seriously ill) makes me tired. Of course, much of my fatigue comes from my lack of practise which has as a consequence that every moment in my work takes unproportional long time to handle. That in itself makes me stressed (and tired of course). Many days I´ve been thinking when leavin the job "Sh-t, I forgot to do this or that!". Gradually I can notice that pieces are falling in to the right position and I´m sure that one day I´ll feel satisfied with my day at work. Gunnar, Sweden

No, you are not in the wrong profession. Nursing needs all kinds of personalities to deliver the "right" kind of care. Since I been studying to be a nurse at a quite "old" age, I´m 53 years old now, I guess that you will see focus of interest will be different depending on what phase of life you are going through. Follow your passion for the moment, you´ll be a great nurse, I´m sure! :pumpiron:

Thank you Kristyn81! It was really helpful. Although I read many articles in english and almost every movie on TV is english it´s quite another thing to write an abstract in a scientific manner. Thanks again! vss04, nurse to be in less than five weeks!

Of course! I´m sorry! Got an advice from one of my teachers to reach out for help from anyone, really good in english (or american). Thought it could be a good idea to ask fellow nurses round the world. Maybe it was not such a good idea? Anyway, got one answer in Norwegian!! Still, I think my abstract will be as I´ve made it.

Thank you, mange takk, tack så mycket, kiitos paljon! Engelska är lite svårt emellanåt! vss04

Well, the job is already done, my problem is just the english language I must use in the abstract. The rest of the essay is held i swedish. My request was only about spelling, grammar and so on... vss04