My Erasmus + Programme experience in Carlisle: a short report by Tay Duc Nguyen
My Erasmus + placement was in the Westmoreland General Hospital in Kendal. This report will briefly present my experiences.
The Hospital in Kendal is a community hospital with a variety of services. My placements were in the Primary Care Assessment Unit (PCAS), Langdale Unit North, Integrated Rapid Response Service(IRRS) and with the district nurses.
My contact person for the whole time was Diane Grahame. She is the current Unity Ward Manager in the PCAS. She is a wonderful person and always took great care that everything was all right for me.
Back in Germany I booked the trip to Kendal from Cologne/Bonn Airport to London Stansted and from London Euston with a train straight to Oxenholme and then a final change of train to Kendal. Of course, I stayed in London for a day to have a look around the capital of England. I booked all my tickets a month before traveling so I got some good discounts on my tickets.
The place I lived in was called Staveley, where I found a room to stay for the six weeks. I found the room via Spareroom.com and I just tried my luck with every advertisement I could find. Most of the landlords wanted a lodger to stay for at least 3 months. My alternative would have been a hostel in Kendal. Staveley is a lovely little village to stay. I took the bus or the train to get to Kendal. It is cheaper to buy monthly or weekly tickets beforehand, but in my stay in the Langdale Unit I was fortunate that one of the workers there gave me a ride to work.
I really enjoyed my work in this hospital. Everyone took great care of me and was willing to teach me what I needed to learn. I was able to observe differences in the work between these two great nations. I was also able to learn new English medical terms and my English in general is now much improved.
All of the team leaders adjusted my working hours to suit my train or bus times, which made my working experience more comfortable. Furthermore, my weekends were free. So, I had time to explore the breathtaking scenery and landscapes, hills, mountains and seas, cities and villages of the Lake district.
All in all it was a unique work experience, which broadened my horizons and my thinking about the work of nursing. It was a great opportunity to develop my character and a really enjoyable part of my education as a nurse.
