School of Nursing - University of Minnesota

education
the view from abroad
SoN students experience health care in denmark
For School of Nursing graduates from the Rochester campus
Philip Gyura, BSN ’09, and Jennifer Heath, BSN ’09, the summer
between their junior and senior year was definitely one of the
highlights of their undergraduate education. That was the summer
they participated in the Nursing in Scandinavia program.
Offered by the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in cooperation
with the School of Nursing at the Multidisciplinary University
College of Copenhagen, the program offers comparative views of
health care and nursing systems in the United States and
Northern Europe.
access for all
“I’ve always been in favor of some kind of national health system,”
Heath says. “After experiencing the Danish system, I still feel that
way, but I don’t think that the Danish system translates well to the
U.S. The two cultures are so different.”
Gyura agrees. “Denmark is a small, fairly homogenous country,
and people pay high taxes to provide needed services,” he says.
“The Danes aren’t ‘rugged individualists.’ They believe health care is
a right, and they ensure that everyone has access.
He was impressed by a nurse-run hospice for poor and homeless
patients and a street medicine program, which relied on nurses to
provide primary care. “It was like home health for homeless
people,” he says.
person-centered theory
The students also noted the importance of nursing theory in
everyday practice. Danish nurses carry pocket interview guides
based on the caritative caring theory of nursing developed by Katie
Eriksson. “It’s a kind of person-centered communication with
patients that defines their nursing practice,” Heath says.
Gyura and Heath encourage other students to consider enrolling
in the summer in Denmark program. Heath was especially
interested to see how public health concerns are approached in
another culture. Gyura enjoyed classes featuring Danish
policymakers and health care experts. “I’d definitely do it again,” he
says. “The teaching was amazing, and overall, it was just a great
experience.”
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