Fatima(33)

For six years I worked as a nurse at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. I loved my work, but the pressure was unsustainable. Understaffing, unpaid overtime, and the feeling that you're not valued as a healthcare worker. When a Swedish recruiter contacted me via LinkedIn with a position at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö, I was curious.

Recognition of my Dutch nursing diploma was a process. Socialstyrelsen, the Swedish health authority, evaluates foreign diplomas. My degree was recognized, but I had to pass a Swedish language exam at B2 level. The SFI course wasn't sufficient — I took an extra kursus i vårdsvenska (medical Swedish) that the hospital paid for.

The difference in work culture is enormous. In Sweden I work maximum eight hours per shift, with a mandatory rast (break) of thirty minutes. Overtime is rare, and when it happens it's compensated double. Staffing is better, there are more resources, and documentation is fully digital. After six years in Rotterdam it felt like a different planet.

I had my personnummer within four weeks thanks to my permanent contract. Through Försäkringskassan I'm insured for sick pay, dental care and potential föräldrapenning. Swedish healthcare for staff is generous: free physiotherapy, access to a company psychologist and an annual hälsokontroll (health check).

Malmö as a city suits me perfectly. As someone from Rotterdam I feel at home in this port city with raw charm. Möllevångstorget is the multicultural market that reminds me of Rotterdam's Afrikaanderwijk. I regularly use the Öresund Bridge to Copenhagen for weekend trips. And Swedish nature is everywhere: within twenty minutes you can cycle from the hospital to the beach at Ribersborg.

My advice to Dutch nurses: if you love your profession but are breaking under the system, look at Sweden. The salary is comparable, but the conditions are incomparable. The language barrier is real, but conquerable. And the feeling of being respected as a healthcare worker — that's priceless.