Author: Logan Shiflett | Major: Nursing | Semester: May Intersession 2024
Hiked to the top of a mountain to get a gorgeous view of Jonkoping, where we spent most of our trip
May Intersession of 2024, I was given the opportunity to study abroad and compare healthcare in Sweden versus the United States through Health Teams Abroad through the University of Arkansas. I chose to study abroad because the U of A offers many opportunities to gain these life changing experiences, and I wanted to take advantage of the resources that they offer to students. I chose to attend this program in Sweden specifically because I felt that this program would give me the greatest opportunity to expand my knowledge of healthcare and how it functions around the world. I am studying nursing at the university, so I felt that this trip would give me the most benefits as a future nurse because we attended many site visits and were able to talk to and learn from many members of the healthcare world in Sweden. On this trip, our group of students attended lectures provided by Jonkoping Univeristy that discussed taxes in Sweden, interprofessional learning and teamwork in the healthcare setting, accommodations and disability access, etc. We were privileged to learn from a variety of speakers that all held different credentials and studied in different fields, not always related to healthcare.
We also had the opportunity to tour many different healthcare sites on this trip such as a nursing home, a private and public primary care facility, a rehabilitation clinic, and so many more. At these sites, we were given tours of the facility and were shown a presentation discussing what the facility does and how they are funded, typically through the government. This trip opened up my perspective to how I should handle interdisciplinary work in my own professional life and how to better communicate with and provide resources for patients. One of my favorite moments from the trip was when our group toured a nursing home in Sweden. As a nursing major, I just finished my clinical rotations at a nursing home in the spring of 2024. I very much enjoyed this site visit because it was fascinating to me to see the differences in sites that I had experienced very close hand. I loved examining how the two environments compared and contrasted and how they prioritized care for their patients.
If I had to give advice to future students that will attend this trip or any study abroad trip, I would remind them to embrace the culture and remember that these trips are supposed to be fun. On this trip, I tried to say yes to every experience that my peers or my mentors offered to me, within reason of course. I told myself that I didn’t want to look back on this trip and wish I had not missed out on an opportunity. While we did have assignments and presentations that were due, I also took advantage of having fun and spending time with other students on this trip that I would not have met otherwise. While this trip contributed greatly to my academic career and future professional identity, it was also an amazing experience filled with memories that I would not ever have another opportunity to find. I would remind future students to embrace that.