Group Work

I feel that we in the Mentor Group have come to a good start with everything.
In the begining it was a difficult task to get everybody focusing on what is expected of us, and get every on to participate in the work.
But now all are eager to contribute to the process and the end product. They are really creative people in my group - so it's going to be a creativ but also very interesting presentation.


The group work is begining to show it's dificulties for some of the students. They try and cope with it - patience is testet, some handel it better than others. You can easy see which students are used to group work and who is not, but it is still a struggle for them all.

I do think that it is a very fine balance between giving cleare instructions for the students and letting them be creativ. If I look back on the whole process until now I do think the instructions could be more cleare and the frame for them to work under should be tighter.

First day in the second week

I realy feel that we have moved forward in the Mentor group today. All the film, pictures and interviews are done wich feels realy nice. It looks good and I think we should be proud of what we have maanged to create until now.
The editing is a big essue, but it seems that everybody is happy with the way things have played out.
We are meeting tonight to discus the extra part we want to do - showing differences and similaritys in mentoring around the parcipating countries. So hopefully everybody will have something from each contry to add to this discussion, so we can create at good presentation. And we will see the first draft of our movie.

Timing everything is going to be interesting, I'm looking forward to hear all the students great and very ambitious ideas. Even when they are frustrated they try and go for it....I do admire the drive they have.

Today I had the opportunity to watch some of the groups work, they do that in very different ways -it's very interesting. Some are very group oriented others are more going solo....

Everybody is going to have a long night tonight so lets se......

The weekend and looking back at the week as a whole

It's Sunday and time for some reflections on what has been experienced until now.
I have found that Friday was the day that we realy started the group work.It's much cleare after all or discusions in the mentor group how we can bring our part forward.

To work with so many different people, with different cultures and expectations for this work is challenging but also very exeting.
It takes quiet a lot off work to bring everybody together and focus on our task....
It's not only the task but also the language, not all are able to follow when we all speak at the same time. But also to understand the mening behind what is said, so that their are NO misunderstandings.

One of the things I have been thinking of is, that even when we are very different in backgrounds and way we practise nursing and teach the students we are also very similar.
We all have the same problems and frustrations about the students and our mentoring job. And that I find very interesting, because we then have a commen starting point.

The rest of the weekend have been more in the sign of party, witsh I think has been great for the students....they are bonding trough it.
I'm looking forward to be doing my interviews for the digital story with students.

The first week of MINE is comming to an end

The first couple of days have been filled with a lot of information.
Which has been really good....but still I'm strugling to see the hole picture.

As as first time on MINE for Denmark many things where new.
The strategy behind MINE wasn't that cleare, but by networking with the other Mentors and students it's easyer to see the picture now.

Reflection on the Program:
One of the things that struck me when I saw the program was that we where starting so late..... I'm used to being up and in action at 7:00 at work. That is when I'm most productiv. But I do think it's a great idea to be a little later, because we then have the time in the evnings to interact with boot, students, mentors and academics.

The danes are very structured when we do meetings and causes for students, nurses or any other people. Time is always keept, witch I feel is important so that the ones who are giving a lecture or presentation do have the time that they have prepared for.
I think time should be used properly when we are so many people that have travled to come together....but I do regotnice that there can be things that shifts the program....and makes things difficult.

I have been creating a lot of nephrology conferences in my time, and getting enough breaks in have always been very difficult, because we wanted to do so much when you finaly have people together. I'm really impressed of all the breaks we have, because the discusions and interations are really very important.

The country presentations where really good, and I would have liked more time for discussions and debat. I think that even if we are many people it can be good to hear the questions from others...and inspirer even the shy ones to ask a question.
I have found the information on the way they structure there nursing programes really good. It gets you thinking that nursing education can be done in many ways, not just in the one way you know. It gives you ideas to how we can improve our own ways....it was very inspiring. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the presentations on Friday.
But one of the things I was notisting is that it was only the academic that did the presentations. I do feel that the hole groupe(academic, mentors, students) from each country should contribute to this. Every part of the group have a unike view on nursing from where they are.

The European Marked:
The marked was a really great idea and got people talking.
I was thinking that it could be a great thing to have the marked the first day, it would make a good way of interacting... And food and drinks bond people.

More will follow tomorrow.........

First Day of MINE is finished

We arrived safely in Pori, but 1 1/2 houres later than planed because of flight delay in Helsinki. 2.30 in the morning we Got to the hostel!

So after 4 houres sleep we started MINE for the First time.
It has been a great day, we have seen the hospital - I got to visit the nephrology ward but also as a favor for me to see the haemodialyses ward. A Big thank you to Harry for that!!!!!
They have the same Fresenius mashines as we have, and the biggest room is for 6 patients.

We did quiet some teambulding wich was fun and very good for interacting with new people.
The presentation during the day from last years students, and all the others where good. And it is a little bit more cleare what we have to accomplish during the next 12 days.

The organising people from Pori are dooing a good job, they are very helpfull and friendly in every way.

Now we are so tiered, and fuld of impressions that it is spion bed time.