Blanka-Erika Nagy

Name: Blanka-Erika Nagy
Age: 27
Nationality: Romanian
Company: Lillebælt Hospital
Title/education: Nurse

I ended up in Denmark because

My boyfriend has been living and working in Denmark for several years, and I wanted to join him. I had a really good impression of life in Denmark. I looked for jobs online, and I saw this job at Lillebaelt Hospital. It was really great that you get a contract, and that the first three months is a Danish course at the hospital with other nurses from other countries.  

What surprises me most about working in Denmark is

That we do not run unless there is an emergency. In Rumania, I often had to run from one room to another, and run from one task to another. It is quite funny how my Danish colleagues reacted when I ran at work. All of my colleagues dropped what they were doing and started to run fast towards me shouting "which patient is it?" So I learned that in Denmark, if you run, it is because a patient is dying and it signals to all of us that there is an emergency. That is a big difference. In Denmark, we have to stay calm and be careful with our job, and we are not supposed to stress about things, because here the belief is that stress means making mistakes. My job here is less stressful and I really like that. 

My Danish colleagues are

Nice, smiling and helpful. I feel really welcome. They are ready to help, and my boss is also super nice. She told me that I can always come to her with any questions - and I have, and it really is possible to ask her, and she helps me! They prefer that I ask instead of me guessing if I have understood a task correctly. I have learned that in Denmark, the culture is that if you ask questions, you are seen as professional and a treasured colleague, so that is something that most of us internationals have to learn. In many countries, asking questions is the same as loosing face. But not in Denmark. 

Life in Denmark is

Good - the salary gives you all of the opportunities for having a good life. Denmark is expensive, but the salary is high too, and you have enough money to be independent, to pay for all of your expenses and still have money to travel, go out, and have fun! The work-life-balance is just better! 

I would recommend anybody moving to Denmark to

Try it! I recommend that you try it out, it is a nice country to live in, and for me, it has been a change for the better. Learn the language, it is difficult, but really worth your time.