Fika with Ainhoa, a Nurse from Spain working in Sweden
BY: Susanna Sjunneryd,
Account Manager Sweden at MediCarrera
We are in Uppsala to meet Ainhoa, a nurse from Spain who started working at the Hematology Clinic at Akademiska University Hospital one and a half months ago. It is Walpurgis Night (Valborg) when spring is celebrated in Sweden, and a festive atmosphere is in town. Ainhoa tells us that in Zaragoza, where she went to university, they celebrate similarly. All the students go out and rejoice in the parks like here in Sweden.
We have a Swedish Fika at one of Uppsala’s oldest confectioneries to talk about Ainhoa’s experience from the language course and her new workplace. Ainhoa says that the language course in Budapest was good and that the participants came from seven different countries.
“I was in a very nice study group, and we spent a lot of time together in our spare time. In the beginning, we used to speak English outside the classroom, but after two or three weeks, we decided that we had to speak Swedish to practice as much as possible,” says Ainhoa.
The teachers were very good and could methodically explain the grammar, which she believes is essential when learning a new language as an adult.
Ainhoa is enjoying her new workplace. She works and studies Swedish part time, so there is not much time left to other things. It is an intense time now, and she says that all the focus is currently on learning the language. She tells us that she has a long experience as a nurse so she can manage most of the things, but many routines are new, and it is important for her to work according to the rules.
“I always ask my colleagues to correct me if they see me doing something wrong; it is vital,” she says.
Ainhoa says that she is living with a psychiatric nurse and that she is comfortable with it. “It was quite supportive at the beginning,” she says. The landlord has two bikes, and soon Ainhoa will start bicycling to work. It is about 15 minutes from home, and the toughest challenge will be the university slope up to the hospital.
We wish Ainhoa good luck and say goodbye until we see her again. Ainhoa is going home to study Swedish, and we are going to celebrate Valborg.