I arrived on a Sunday and organised my own transport to my private accommodation. I was impressed with the information provided at our initial meeting on-campus and appreciative of how welcoming everyone was. I was given a good orientation of the campus and library, gym that we could use, and a backpack that came in very handy for my placement. We were assisted with obtaining our KI student cards and the assessment requirements were well explained. We were guided to the student health centre and it was a very easy and efficient process to complete screening.

I organised my own private accommodation through Airbnb. I stayed in Hornstull, a very trendy and vibrant area, in a one-bedroom apartment. I loved not living so close to the hospitals where I was doing my placements, as it gave me a nice break from working. The cost of my accommodation was a lot higher than if I had organised it through KI, however I accepted that.

I didn't participate in any activities organised by KI. I met some other students at my arrival meeting and we spent a lot of time seeing the sights of Stockholm, going for dinner, shopping, and more. I feel I made some good friends during my exchange. 

Applying for the exchange programme was a last minute decision, and one that I made only when learning that KI was a participating institution with my university. I had previously heard of the excellent research and teaching opportunities that KI offer and I wanted to be exposed to this type of environment. I had also regularly heard of the Swedish healthcare system's reputation for providing excellent care to its population, and the prospect of becoming immersed and learning what makes the system different to that in Australia was very appealing. The information provided by KI prior to departure was fantastic. I had a very long lead-time from learning that I was successful in being chosen for the placement to actually travelling to Sweden. This enabled me to ensure I found the most suitable accommodation and flights, and was well organised for a smooth trip. KI sent me some great resources by email and post, including maps and general information to help with my travel and exchange. They were so flexible with my arrival dates and organising our initial meeting and MRSA screening. I was contacted by my two host-hospitals prior to arriving in Sweden and both were so welcoming and helpful. They provided excellent information for each placement and also were very happy to communicate with me directly, answering questions that I had.

My KI exchange was the highlight of my degree programme. I loved everything about the experience and would encourage anyone to apply and participate. I learned a lot about healthcare in Sweden, Australia, and what I would like to achieve in my future career. 

I had no idea how to speak Swedish before I arrived. I quickly learned how to read many of the medical terms and I focused on body language and interpreting this so that I could try to understand what was happening in the clinical environment. Many of the staff in the hospitals I worked in spent time to teach me some Swedish and I feel I gained some great skills. I felt confident enough to start conversing in limited Swedish with colleagues by the end of my exchange. I now want to learn the language properly!

I had a mid-placement meeting with my supervisor and the KI facilitator during my first placement. The KI facilitator was very accommodating and explained the assessment requirements well. My supervisors on each placement were so great. They took the time to answer all of my questions, encouraged active learning, and I felt so supported. Each ward environment was very welcoming, and although not everyone could speak English, those who couldn't were still so friendly. It seemed like everyone wanted to learn more about my home country and our healthcare system and it was great to be able to compare it to that of Sweden. Most of the patients I encountered didn't speak English which meant that I had to really rely on communicating by other means. I feel that it was a great learning experience. The clinical work and interventions were very much the same that we do in Australia, so I was comfortable. There was so much mutual professional respect in the hospitals that I completed my placements in. This was between nurses and other colleagues, including doctors, administrators, and management. It was so refreshing and I really hope that Australia can be like this one day.