Tuesday 16 May 2017

International nursing.

This year I was lucky enough to get chosen to participate in the ENNE IP. The ENNE IP embodies cooperation between nursing students from 14 countries in Europe (and the UK). It also helps them to learn about and from the differences between nursing in different countries through which the student nurses develop their intercultural competences. And we get to explore the city/ country that hosts the programme.


The ENNE IP took place in Barcelona this year and during the programme I was in group 4, the best group. Our first task was to create the ideal nurse, for which we created a new curriculum that we would love to see used all over Europe. So international important health care people, look at the picture below carefully as it shows you the best nursing currucilum you have ever seen! All teachers were impressed which was an amazing achievement as we made it during the first days we were together with our group so we didn't really know each other that well either. So yeah I am very proud of what we achieved with this task. And the other tasks as well, we weren't the best group for no reason.

Never did I think this week would become the best one in my nursing career so far, and will probably stay the best week in my nursing career until it's over. It was absolutely amazing to get to know nursing students and fellow young adults/ adults from all over Europe. We got to share not only a lot of information on our nursing curriculum and health care system but also on our personal lives. I got the chance to meet some amazing and really interesting new people and make a lot of new friends. Plus I now have a lot of places in Europe I have to visit soon if only for an ENNE reunion. 

I was extremely surprised by the crazy amount of differences in both nursing and a health care systems between the countries. Aren't we all here to care for our patients? To make sure the care we deliver is the best care? This brings me back to the amazing European nursing curriculum our group developed above. A curriculum that shows you all fields of health care, makes sure you have enough practical experience and theoretical knowledge, plus it offers you the opportunity to go work as a bachelor nurse all over Europe without having to re-do the bachelors programme in the other country.

So the ENNE IP was super interesting in a nursing / theoretical way, as another task was creating a care plan for a certain case. It was also super interesting and just amazing in a personal and social way. I got to meet so many new people and learn so much about different countries (every country had to present themselves and their country on the first night). But let's not forget the sight-seeing activities we've done with the water activity as an absolute favourite. A lot of people cancelled this one due to the bad weather but the people that went had an amazing time, including myself. I went paddle boarding, and for a first time I think I did amazing. plus it was the best opportunity to do some more socialising with the other students. 




Then there were the parties. We Dutchies organised one in honour of Kingsday that was celebrated on April 27th, where we had typical Dutch games but also a lot of drinks and laughter. It was amazing. The other truly amazing party was the goodbye party, there was homemade sangria, musical chairs with the teachers, students playing music typical for their country, and a lot of tears and hugs. The atmosphere among students and teachers just shifted 180 degrees that night and it was incredible. Saying goodbye has barely ever been so hard, although it was more of a see you later as I am definitely going to visit most of them and their cities somewhere in the future!

Europe get ready for me! Nurses on tour!

Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96