Three students from Norway have ventured to the UNMC College of Nursing-Omaha campus to gain a new perspective on nursing and learn more about American culture along the way.
Vegard Valen, Annikken Olsen and Cecilie Hornburg are participating in this year’s exchange program with the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. This is the second year of the program with Agder. As part of the program, the students will spend the semester in the undergraduate program at college of nursing in Omaha.
Attending school in a new country, the students already have seen differences both in the classroom and the culture.
Hornburg said she participated in the program to gain exposure to new experiences and different perspectives. So far, she’s seen contrasts in health care between the United States and Norway, particularly concerning the roles of nurses.
“What I hope to learn here is mostly related to what (nurses) do in clinicals at the hospital,” she said. “All the procedures and how much more nurses do here, often taking on tasks that doctors typically do in Norway.
Valen added he also joined the program to see how the U.S. system differs, with the understanding that a knowledge of global health is beneficial to all involved.
“Building a global network and gaining an international perspective is important between individuals and nations, so the cooperation between the University of Agder and UNMC is important,” he said. “So we can better understand how the same problems are solved on the other side of the world and, through this, be more aware and conscious of how we do it in one way and why we do it in that specific way.”
Olsen said as she progresses through courses in Omaha, she hopes the experience will add to her skills and give her more confidence in her career.
“I’m hoping I will get more comfortable in my tasks as a nurse,” she said. “In clinicals here, they always ask, ‘Why are you giving that medication? Why are you doing that for the patient?’ I’m learning a lot from that.”
Outside of the classroom and exam rooms, the students have experienced American culture as well. Skydiving and a Nebraska Cornhusker football game were highlights of a trip full of new cultural experiences that emphasize for the students why it’s important to take the opportunity to study abroad.
“It’s important for people to live as a foreigner in a country for a while once in their life, especially when they are going to work directly in contact with other humans,” Valen said. “It gives you a completely new understanding of how to be new to a place and how you want to meet others that are unfamiliar with a place.”