Work shadowing for municipal employees in Agder

The emergency department’s main task is to ensure that patients are examined, stabilised and given the necessary treatment as quickly as possible, and to provide care and support suited to the needs of patients and their next of kin.

As a work shadowing participant with us, you will primarily learn to make rapid assessments and initiate urgent measures. You will learn to observe vital signs, measure objective parameters and obtain a medical history. You will also learn how to use procedures, which are an important part of treating acutely ill patients.

You will also gain insight into how we collaborate with ambulance personnel, the out-of-hours medical service and other units/specialties involved in the patient’s care in the emergency department.

We will provide professional development through teaching and discussions about practical solutions, various procedures and principles. To get the most out of your placement, you need to consider what is important to you in relation to your own work situation and what you hope to gain.

You will work day shifts on the first and last days. We want to share as much knowledge as possible with you, and experience shows that patient flow/admissions increase later in the day and during the afternoon. Therefore, you should expect to work a late shift on a couple of the days in the middle of the week.

Our work shadowing programme lasts 4 days (Mon–Thu) during the relevant week. You will receive the final programme, including shift arrangements, when you are offered a place.

Target group for our work shadowing programme:Nurse.

The Department of Substance Abuse and Addiction Treatment (ARA) provides treatment for patients with substance abuse and addiction problems and their next of kin. We offer assessment, diagnosis and treatment to people with substance use or gambling problems or addictions. We also offer couples, family and individual therapy for families and their next of kin.

Our work shadowing programme lasts three days (Mon–Wed) during the relevant week. As a participant, you will spend one day at our outpatient clinic in Arendal, one day at the detoxification unit at Bjorbekk (Arendal) and one day at ARA’s inpatient unit in Byglandsfjord.

During your placement, we will provide professional knowledge about substance abuse and addiction issues, our treatment services, and referral and collaboration opportunities.

You will receive the final programme when you are offered a place.

Target group for our work shadowing programme:Nurse, environmental therapist, social educator.

As a work shadowing participant with us, you can primarily learn a great deal and exchange experience about geriatric patients. You will accompany one of our staff members in various activities related to the patient’s assessment and treatment.

Geriatric patients are cared for in three units in Arendal:

• Geriatric Unit, Medical Department 2C
• Orthogeriatric Unit, Surgical Department 2C
• Outpatient Clinic for Ageing and Memory

During the three days (Mon–Wed) of the work shadowing week, you will visit the Geriatric Unit in the Medical Department, the Orthogeriatric Unit and the Outpatient Clinic for Ageing and Memory.

You will receive the final programme, including shift arrangements, when you are offered a place.

Target group for our work shadowing programme:Nurse, social educator.

The Pulmonary Section UC in the Medical Department is an inpatient ward where most admissions are emergencies.

As a work shadowing participant with us, you will primarily learn to observe, take action and provide care for acutely ill pulmonary patients.

Our most common pulmonary diagnoses are: lung cancer, COPD, emphysema/empyema, pneumonia and pulmonary embolism.

As a work shadowing participant, you will primarily be based in UC, so the focus will be on pulmonary patients. You will learn and exchange experience with us about the observations, clinical assessments, measures and care provided to this patient group.

The most common diagnoses in the Cardiology Section are heart attack, heart failure, pulmonary oedema, arrhythmias, chest pain, post-angiography/PCI monitoring, and pulmonary patients requiring BiPAP treatment.

Our work shadowing programme lasts 3 days (Mon–Wed) during the relevant week. You will receive the final programme, including shift arrangements, when you are offered a place.

Target group for our work shadowing programme:Nurse, social educator.

As an observer with us, you can gain insight into the care of patients with stomas, acute abdominal pain, appendicitis, pancreatitis, gallstones, cholecystitis, diverticulitis, cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, and stoma patients.

In addition to treating acute conditions, we also treat general infections, gastrointestinal diseases, liver disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, electrolyte imbalances, malnutrition, and dehydration.

Some relevant procedures:

• Stoma: care and treatment
• NEWS
• Blood gas/ABG,
• Peripheral IV catheter/CVC – use, care, and observation
• Various IV infusions—blood, antibiotics, fluids, and nutrition
• Medication management

• Volumetric and syringe pumps
• Various drains
• The surgical patient
• Isolation and infection-control procedures

The 3C medical and surgical ward and outpatient clinics at Sørlandet Hospital in Arendal collaborate on this four-day observer programme (Monday–Thursday in the relevant week).

You will receive the final programme when your placement is confirmed.

Target group for our observer programme:Nurses, social educators.

As an observer in the hospital kitchen, you will take part in and receive an introduction to the kitchen’s operations and tasks. Assessment of nutritional status is part of the clinical examination and treatment services. All adult patients are assessed for nutritional risk.

Food services at Sørlandet Hospital:
We follow the guidelines in the Food and Nutrition Handbook. The kitchen aims to serve four meals a day, with snacks also available.
 
• Breakfast
• Dinner. Two options are offered daily, preferably one meat dish and one fish dish.
• Afternoon meal
• Supper, possibly with soup
Special diets: distinguishing between diets and allergens
 
We consider it our responsibility to prepare diets so that patients can eat safely.
We are responsible for clearly labelling allergens, but patients are responsible for checking and avoiding them.

Target group:Institutional chef

As an observer with us, you will gain insight into mental health conditions that require assessment and treatment in a hospital ward. We will also provide teaching on the legislation governing our work, as well as theory on some of our treatment methods.

PSA is the specialist hospital service in psychiatry for the adult population of the Agder counties. The department has units in Arendal and Kristiansand. PSA is one of nine departments in the Department of Mental Health – Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment at Sørlandet Hospital Trust.

We provide emergency services, assessment, and diagnosis requiring inpatient admission. We offer planned, targeted treatment for patients with severe eating disorders. We also provide services for patients with severe mental illness combined with extensive substance abuse, and treat patients who have been sentenced by the justice system to psychiatric treatment.

Acute Units A and B, General Psychiatry Unit C, and Psychosis Unit D in Arendal collaborate on the observer programme. The programme runs for four days (Monday–Thursday) in the relevant week.

You will receive the final programme when your placement is confirmed.

Target group for our observer programme:Nurses, social educators, environmental therapists, and support workers/healthcare workers.

As an observer with us, you will meet patients with incurable cancer who have completed treatment. These patients have a short life expectancy and complex physical, psychological, social and/or existential concerns. The aim is to provide patients with the best possible palliative care.

Our unit works closely with the palliative care unit in Kristiansand and collaborates with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, the “children as next of kin” service, and a chaplain.

In collaboration with the oncology outpatient clinic and the mobile palliative care team, the Medical Department, Ward UC, has developed a three-day observer programme (Monday–Wednesday).

You will receive the final programme, including the shift arrangements, when your placement is confirmed.

Target group for our observer programme:Nurses, social educators.

As an observer with us, you can learn about patient groups with postoperative wound infections, chronic leg ulcers, abscesses, cancer-related wounds/radiation injuries, autoimmune wounds, diabetic wounds/complications, and patients who must be isolated due to suspected or confirmed infection with ESBL, MRSA, VRE, or clostridium/gastroenteritis.

At the wound clinic, our main focus is assessing and treating patients with chronic wounds. Through the medical outpatient clinic, we provide people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes with information about relevant aids, treatments, lifestyle advice, and other relevant topics.

Some relevant procedures:

• Blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, TILT
• Blood gas/ABG
• Peripheral IV catheter/CVC – use, care, and observation
• Various IV infusions—blood, antibiotics, fluids, and nutrition
• Medication management
• VAC pumps
• Volumetric and syringe pumps
• Various drains
• Wound care
• Isolation and infection-control procedures

Surgical Ward 3C in Arendal, in collaboration with the surgical and medical outpatient clinics, has developed a four-day observer programme (Monday–Thursday).

You will receive the final program, including shift arrangements, once you have been allocated a place.

Target group for our job-shadowing program:Nurse, social educator.

The main task of the Emergency Department is to ensure that patients are assessed, stabilised and given the necessary treatment as quickly as possible, and to provide care and support tailored to the needs of patients and their relatives.

As a job-shadowing participant with us, you will primarily learn to make rapid assessments and initiate urgent measures. You will learn to observe vital signs, measure objective parameters and obtain medical histories. You will also learn to use procedures, which are an important part of treating acutely ill patients.

You will also gain insight into how we work with ambulance personnel, the out-of-hours medical service and other units/specialties involved in patient care in the Emergency Department.

We offer professional development through teaching/discussions about practical solutions, various procedures and principles. To get the most out of your job-shadowing placement, you need to consider what matters to you in relation to your own work situation and learning needs.

You will work day shifts on the first and last days. We want to share as much knowledge as possible with you, and experience shows that patient flow/admissions increase as the day and afternoon progress. You should therefore expect to work a late shift on a couple of days in the middle of the week.

Our job-shadowing program runs for 4 days (Mon–Thu). Target group: nurses. You will receive the final program, including shift arrangements, once you have been allocated a place.

Target group for our job-shadowing program:Nurse

As a job-shadowing participant with us, you will gain insight into the services we offer for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.

DPS Lister has three locations:

• Flekkefjord
• Farsund
• Kvinesdal

We have two general outpatient clinics, in Flekkefjord and Farsund. In Kvinesdal, we have an inpatient unit, a FACT team, an acute outreach team (AAT), a day unit focusing on physical activity, an anxiety team, Individual Placement and Support (IPS), and various group therapies.

Our job-shadowing program runs for 4 days: Monday and Tuesday at Vollan in Kvinesdal, Wednesday at the psychiatric outpatient clinic in Farsund, and Thursday at the outpatient clinic in Flekkefjord.

You will receive the final program once you have been allocated a place.

Target group for our job-shadowing program:Nurse, social educator, milieu therapist, support worker, psychologist

As a job-shadowing participant with us, our main aim is to give you insight into the care of orthopaedic and general surgical patients.

The surgical ward is divided into 3 sections: orthopaedics, general surgery and gynaecology. The outpatient clinic sees patients in surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology and wound care.

During the 4 days you spend job-shadowing with us, you will receive teaching from an infection control nurse, a continence nurse and an anaesthetic nurse on relevant topics. You will shadow a nurse and a physiotherapist as they work with patients. We will focus particularly on the hospital’s role in collaborating with municipal health services.

Topics you may learn more about:

• Mobilisation of orthopaedic patients
• Wound care
• Practical nursing procedures, such as administering intravenous infusions, inserting urinary catheters, stoma care and managing surgical drains
• Outpatient care

The Surgical Department has developed a job-shadowing program together with the outpatient clinic.

The program runs for 4 days (Mon–Thu) during the relevant week.

Target group: Nurse, social educator.

You will receive the final program, including shift arrangements, once you have been allocated a place.

Target group for our job-shadowing program:Nurse, social educator.

As a job-shadowing participant with us, you can primarily learn a lot and exchange experiences concerning general medical patients (gastrointestinal, lung and heart conditions).

We have 3 beds in the palliative care unit and a stroke unit with 4 beds. You can expect varied and challenging tasks, as well as collaboration across different patient groups. Several multidisciplinary teams work here, including doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and a chaplain.

The medical ward is an acute medical department with 26 beds divided among four teams.

• Team A/Palliative care: Mainly palliative care and cancer patients
• Team B: Gastrointestinal and lung patients
• Team C: Cardiac patients
• Team D/Rehabilitation: Mainly stroke patients

Most admissions to the department are acute, but we also have elective patients. We work closely with, among others, the medical outpatient clinic.

During the 4 days (Mon–Thu) you spend job-shadowing with us, you will take part in a joint program with those shadowing the Surgical Department on the first day.

For two days, you will shadow a nurse on the ward, and for one day you will be at the medical outpatient clinic. If there are many students in the department during the day, you may need to work an evening shift on one of the days (this will depend somewhat on which group/team you are interested in).

You will receive the final program once you have been allocated a place.

Target group for our job-shadowing program:Nurse, social educator, healthcare worker.

ABUP provides specialised services to children and young people (aged 0–18) with mental health difficulties and their relatives. These may include assessment and treatment of anxiety, behavioural difficulties, developmental disorders, ADHD, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, suicide risk, eating disorders and more.

ABUP in Kristiansand offers a three-day job-shadowing placement to municipal employees who work with the above patient group in their day-to-day roles.

ABUP’s job-shadowing placements rotate between the Family Unit (offered in spring and autumn 2025), the Outpatient Clinic (offered in spring and autumn 2026) and the Acute Outreach Unit/AAE (offered in spring and autumn 2027).

The Family Unit:The unit consists of an Infant and Toddler Team, which works with children aged 0–5 and their parents; a Neuropsychology Team, which assesses and follows up children with neuropsychological conditions; and a Family Team, which works with children, parents and families, focusing on systemic understanding and interaction. As a job-shadowing participant with us, you will receive a brief introduction to the different teams. You will take part in intake assessments and, if appropriate, it may be possible for you to join an emotion-focused parenting guidance session (part of the Family Team’s services). The activities scheduled for the relevant week will determine the program. You will receive the final program closer to the job-shadowing placement.

Outpatient Clinic:The ABUP outpatient clinic provides specialised healthcare services to children and young people under 18 and their guardians. The clinic has teams comprising specialist positions across all the traditional clinical occupational categories within mental healthcare. The clinic offers a structured assessment service, and treatment appointments are scheduled regularly. Treatment is provided individually or in groups using a range of therapeutic approaches. As a visitor at the outpatient clinic, you may take part in intake assessments and the multidisciplinary case discussion team. You may also join a therapist in assessing and mapping the child’s/young person’s symptoms in relation to the referral. In addition, we will endeavour to let you take part in some group activities, as well as family or individual therapy. You will receive the final programme closer to your visit.

Acute Outreach Unit/AAE:The AAE consists of an acute response team and an outreach team. Working hours are currently organised in a two-shift rota, with work every sixth weekend at present. The unit is responsible for providing emergency mental healthcare to children and young people under 18 in western Agder and Setesdalen. The unit has a clear network-oriented profile and works closely with guardians, child welfare services, BUFetat, schools, GPs, the out-of-hours medical service and other relevant parties. The unit also provides outreach services and family therapy. The target group is children, young people and families who need more intensive services than a regular outpatient clinic can provide. As a visitor with us, you will receive a brief introduction to the different teams. The activities scheduled for the week will determine what the AAE can offer on the days you are visiting. Days at the AAE vary considerably. After your visit, you will have gained a brief insight into how an acute unit for children and young people operates in our region. You will receive the final programme closer to your visit.

Target group for ABUP’s visitor programme:Public health nurses, nurses and milieu therapists working with children and young people in municipalities in Agder.

As a visitor with us, you can first and foremost learn a great deal about how we work in our field at Sørlandet Hospital. We will give you a brief insight into how the units are organised, our approaches and the rehabilitation services we offer.

There are 2 units at AFR:

Specialised Rehabilitation Unit (ESR)

• Inpatient ward, 22 beds
• In specialised rehabilitation, we treat brain injuries, strokes, multiple trauma and leg amputations. An outreach rehabilitation team is affiliated with the inpatient ward.

Our programme lasts 3 days (Tues, Wed, Thurs) and is aimed at occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses or healthcare workers who work in rehabilitation.

You will receive the final programme when your place is confirmed.

Target group for the ESR visitor programme:Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, social educators and healthcare workers.

Occupational therapists and physiotherapists may be offered an extra day (“day 4”) at EFF:

Physical Medicine and Prevention Unit (EFF)

• Outpatient clinic
• Assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, pulmonary rehabilitation and morbid obesity (children and adults)
• Visits to EFF are only available to occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
• Only 1 day, to be arranged directly with the visitor.
• The day can be combined with a visit to ESR (4 days in total: 3 days at ESR and 1 day at EFF).

CHANGE FROM SPRING 2026: The visitor programme at the Emergency Department at Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand will, from spring 2026, be part of “targeted visits in preparation for the new emergency building and health centre”.

Until further notice, only nurses working at the out-of-hours medical service and/or emergency medical call centre in Kristiansand municipality may apply to visit the Emergency Department.

The description below applies to “regular visits”. This programme will reopen to others when targeted training for staff assigned to the new emergency building and health centre no longer needs to be prioritised.

The Emergency Department’s main task is to ensure that patients are examined, stabilised and given the necessary treatment as quickly as possible, and to provide care and support tailored to the needs of patients and their next of kin.

As a visitor with us, you will primarily learn how to make rapid assessments and initiate urgent measures. You will learn to monitor vital signs, measure objective parameters and obtain medical histories. You will also learn to use the procedures, which are an important part of treating acutely ill patients.

You will also gain insight into how we work with ambulance personnel, the out-of-hours medical service and other units/specialties involved in the patient’s care in the Emergency Department.

We provide professional development through teaching and discussions about practical solutions, various procedures and principles. To get the most out of your visit, you should consider for yourself what is important to you in terms of your own work situation and what you hope to gain.

Our visitor programme is aimed at municipal employees who work day-to-day at an out-of-hours medical service or an ØHD unit (municipal 24-hour emergency care).

Our visitor programme runs for four days (Mon–Thurs). You will work day shifts on the first and last days. We want to share as much knowledge as possible with you, and our experience is that patient flow/admissions increase throughout the day and into the afternoon. You should therefore expect to work late shifts on a couple of the days in the middle of the week.

You will receive the final programme, including the shift rota, when your place is confirmed.

Target group for our visitor programme:Nurses.

The visitor programme focuses on how we work in acute psychiatry. During the visit, we will endeavour to give you a brief insight into how the units are organised, our approaches/milieu therapy measures and the treatment we offer.

DPS Solvang FACT teamis an active outreach treatment team. The FACT model emphasises that the team should be able to provide closer follow-up during critical periods in order to prevent crises and avoid inpatient admissions, and otherwise help stabilise a difficult life situation.

Psychiatric Emergency Department (PAM) and Subacute Unitare locked acute units with a total of 20 beds.

PAMadmits patients who require emergency inpatient care.Subacuteis part of the clinic’s overall psychiatric services. The target group is patients admitted acutely who need more comprehensive assessment/treatment. This may include patients with psychotic conditions that pose a risk to the life or health of the patient or others; anxiety or depression with a risk of suicide; delirious conditions; or medically assessed acute substance intoxication alongside other disorders (ROP disorders), where “emergency care criteria” are met.

Our joint visitor programme runs for four days (Mon–Thurs): 2 days at DPS Solvang with the FACT team, 1 day at PAM and 1 day at the Subacute Unit.

You will receive the final programme once your visit has been confirmed and the visit period is approaching.

Target group for our visitor programme:Nurses, social educators, milieu therapists and milieu workers/healthcare workers.

As a visitor with us, you can first and foremost learn a great deal and exchange experiences in old age psychiatry. You will meet patients with dementia, depression, confusion and any other diagnoses that naturally fall within our unit’s remit. Observing the treatment and approaches used for the various conditions will be a natural focus. You will also gain insight into how we run the unit, attend all meetings and learn about the roles and responsibilities of the different professions in relation to our patient group.

The inpatient ward provides emergency care, and patients can also be referred directly. The ward has a multidisciplinary team comprising healthcare assistants, nurses, a psychologist, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and senior consultants. The patient group consists of people over 65, primarily with newly developed mental health conditions and behavioural problems. The ward provides assessment and treatment, with an average length of stay of approximately 25 days.

The outpatient clinic receives referrals from GPs and internally from other hospital departments or the DPS. It assesses people with mental health conditions and cognitive impairment. The clinic also carries out driving licence assessments following referral. In addition to consultations, the focus is on outreach services. The multidisciplinary outpatient clinic team comprises nurses, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a neuropsychologist, a psychologist and senior consultants.

Our visitor programme runs for 4 days (Mon–Thurs).

You will receive the final programme, including the shift rota, when your place is confirmed.

Target group for our visitor programme:Nurses, social educators, milieu therapists and milieu workers/healthcare workers.

As a visitor with us, you will gain knowledge about substance use and addiction issues, treatment services, and referral and collaboration opportunities.

ARA’s treatment services:

Outpatient treatment

ARA’s outpatient clinics offer assessment, diagnosis and treatment for people with substance use or gambling problems or addiction.

The outpatient clinics also offer couples, family and individual therapy for families and their relatives.

Various treatment methods are used: cognitive therapy, motivational interviewing, “Seeking Safety”, the 12-step model, neurofeedback, psychoeducation, and assessments using tests and samples (including urine and blood tests).

The outpatient clinics are also responsible for medication-assisted rehabilitation (LAR).

Day and inpatient treatment

1. Detoxification

The department has two units (Kristiansand and Arendal) offering detoxification, assessment and motivation for further treatment. ARA is not responsible for emergency care under the Specialist Health Services Act, but is part of the psychiatric services’ shared on-call rota.

2. Group Treatment Unit

Offers a long-term course of treatment based on a modified 12-step model, including preparatory consultations, day or inpatient treatment for 6–14 weeks, a rehabilitation ward and up to one year of outpatient follow-up groups. Patients are encouraged to participate in self-help groups. A parallel family program is offered as a four-day psychoeducational course for relatives.

3. Substance Use and Psychiatry Unit

Assessment unit for patients with substance use problems and mental disorders. Individual treatment plans. The service includes a dedicated secure unit for patients subject to compulsory retention under section 10-2 of the Health and Care Services Act.

4. Byglandsfjord Inpatient Unit

Offers substance use treatment focused on assessment, milieu therapy, physical activity and sleep treatment.

Our clinical placement program lasts four days (Mon–Thu) in Kristiansand and three days (Mon–Wed) in Arendal.

You will receive the final program once you have been assigned a place.

Target group for our clinical placement program:Nurse, milieu therapist

As a clinical placement participant with us, you will get to observe the daily activities. Among other things, we receive high-risk pregnant women from both Agder counties. At present, we can manage deliveries from week 26 and twin births from week 28. We also have an observation unit. Our patients include women who need monitoring during pregnancy, as well as those undergoing induction. The postnatal ward has 20 beds divided between two groups. Length of stay is 2–5 days. Individual assessments are carried out here. The department offers midwife-led education and physiotherapy. At the antenatal outpatient clinic, we provide both acute and elective consultations, admission consultations and ultrasound. At the postnatal outpatient clinic, mothers and babies can receive follow-up care after discharge from the postnatal ward, particularly for breastfeeding difficulties.

Our clinical placement program lasts four days and is intended for those who work with the same patient group as us in municipal health services.

You will receive the final program once you have been assigned a place.

Target group for our clinical placement program:Public health nurse, midwife.

As a clinical placement participant with us, you will get an insight into a busy and exciting workday, where you can observe a range of patient situations, with an emphasis on the treatment of heart conditions.

During the four days (Mon–Thu) of your placement, in addition to talking with the nurses on the ward, you will work with cardiologists, physiotherapists and nurses at the cardiology outpatient clinic.

You will receive the final program once you have been assigned a place.

Target group for our clinical placement program:Nurse and social educator.

As a clinical placement participant with us, you can primarily learn about and exchange experience in observations, interventions and care for acutely ill patients, including those with nephrological, rheumatic and gastroenterological diseases. You can accompany a patient to an examination in the gastroenterology lab and to treatment at the dialysis unit.

You will gain insight into how the diabetes nurse works on the ward and how patients are followed up at the diabetes outpatient clinic.

Our clinical placement program lasts four days (Mon–Thu).

You will receive the final program once you have been assigned a place.

Target group for our clinical placement program:Nurse, social educator, healthcare worker.

As a clinical placement participant with us, you can primarily learn a lot about and exchange experience in infection control. We dare to say that this is something we do well—and we would be happy to share and develop good solutions based on this knowledge!

The Infectious Diseases Ward works closely with, among others, the emergency department, radiology, microbiology, orthopaedics and surgery.

We treat patients who need to be isolated, including patients with diarrhoea, vomiting or suspected/confirmed contagious viral conditions, as well as chronic MRSA carriers and patients undergoing MRSA screening.

We also treat patients with soft-tissue infections, wound infections, postoperative infections, sepsis, meningitis/encephalitis, endocarditis, fever of unknown origin, tropical diseases, urinary tract infections and pneumonia.

We are a general medical ward, but many of our patients also have psychiatric diagnoses and substance use problems.

During your placement with us, you will interact with nurses on the ward and nurses at the medical outpatient clinic. Our program also includes teaching from the Infection Control Unit and a placement at the wound clinic.

We offer four days (Mon–Thu) of clinical placement every spring and autumn.

You will receive the final program once you have been assigned a place with us.

Target group for our clinical placement program:Nurse, social educator.

As a clinical placement participant with us, you can primarily learn a lot and exchange experience in pre- and postoperative nursing. You will have placements both on the ward and at the surgical outpatient clinic.

Our specialties are

• Gastrointestinal surgery
• Ear, nose and throat
• Vascular/thoracic surgery
• Breast/endocrine surgery
• Gynaecology
• Urology
• Chronic wounds

We provide stoma care, wound care and vacuum-assisted wound therapy, tracheostomy care, manage venous catheters (peripheral IV cannula, PICC line, CVC, port), provide tube feeding and insert urinary catheters.

When you do a placement with us, you will either meet with a stoma nurse, wound care nurse or urotherapist. You will also receive training from the ward’s specialist nurse.

Our placement programme lasts four days (Mon–Thu).

You will receive the final programme once you have been assigned a placement.

Target group for our placement programme:Nurses, social educators

As a placement student in the hospital kitchen, you will take part in and receive an introduction to the kitchen’s operations and tasks. Assessment of nutritional status is part of the clinical examination and treatment services. All adult patients are assessed for nutritional risk.

Food services at Sørlandet Hospital:
We follow the guidelines in the Diet Handbook. The kitchen aims to serve four meals per day, with snacks also available.
 
• Breakfast
• Dinner. Two options are offered daily, preferably one meal with meat and one with fish
• Afternoon meal
• Supper, possibly with soup

Special diets: Distinguishing between diets and allergens
We consider it our responsibility to prepare special diets so that patients can eat safely.
It is our duty to clearly label allergens, but it is the patient’s responsibility to check and avoid them.

Target group:Institutional chef

As a placement student with us, you will follow the work on the ward and can learn a great deal and exchange experiences about all types of palliative care.

The aim of treatment, nursing and care is to provide the best possible quality of life for patients and their families. Palliative treatment and care neither hasten death nor prolong the dying process, but regard death as a part of life.

We strive to take an interdisciplinary and holistic approach. One of our main tasks is to relieve patients’ symptoms “… so that the days get better”. We also aim to make a positive contribution to patients’ psychosocial wellbeing during palliative care.

The Palliative Care Unit is a resource for patients and their families, so it is important that everyone feels cared for and welcome here. Children as next of kin are an important topic for us. Conversations with patients and their families are a high priority. We want to provide everyone involved in the illness with a sense of security at the end of life.

During your placement with us, in addition to spending time with and talking to a nurse on the ward, you will meet with a nurse from the palliative care team.

Our placement programme lasts four days (Mon–Thu).

You will receive the final programme once you have been assigned a place.

Target group for our placement programme:Nurses, social educators.

As a placement student with us, you will gain insight into an active and exciting day on the ward. You will take part in patient care and join the doctor and nurse on rounds. You can learn a great deal and exchange experiences about COPD, lung cancer, pneumonia and other lung diseases.

During your placement, you will also spend time in our two outpatient clinics.
At the Respiratory Medicine Day Centre, patients with breathing disorders (hypoventilation, sleep apnoea and respiratory failure) requiring treatment with medical equipment such as oxygen, CPAP, VPAP and home ventilators are assessed and treated.
At the Pulmonary Outpatient Clinic (LP), lung function tests, walking tests, bronchoscopies and pleural drainage procedures are performed.
Placements are offered in spring and autumn and last four days (Mon–Thu).

You will receive the final programme once you have been assigned a placement in the pulmonary department.

Target group for our placement programme:Nurses and social educators.

Welcome to a placement in the Department of Neurology / Stroke Unit!

The Department of Neurology offers nurses employed by local authorities a four-day placement (Mon–Thu) every spring and autumn.

The Department of Neurology is a specialist department that provides assessment and treatment for patients suspected of having organic diseases and functional disorders of the brain, peripheral nerves and muscles. It is a highly qualified department that works across disciplines. The main neurological diagnoses are:

• Multiple sclerosis
• Epilepsy
• Parkinson’s disease
• Brain tumour
• Traumatic brain injury
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Guillain–Barré syndrome
• Myasthenia gravis
• Bleeding in the meninges and brain
• Infections of the meninges and brain
• Various types of headache
• Dizziness

The Stroke Unit is a specialist unit with specially trained staff where stroke patients are treated. Stroke patients are cared for by a multidisciplinary team during the acute and early rehabilitation phases.

The aims of the Stroke Unit are to:

• Limit brain damage
• Provide physical and psychological reassurance
• Prevent complications
• Regain the highest possible level of functioning
  
  

You will receive the final programme once you have been assigned a place.

Target group for our work shadowing program:Nurse, social educator.

Welcome to work shadowing at the Orthopedic/Orthogeriatric Ward!

The unit has two sections: Orthopedics and Orthogeriatrics

Orthopedics is a surgical specialty that treats patients with injuries and diseases of the skeleton. The orthopedic section consists of adult patients with a range of conditions, such as fractures, back problems, amputations and head injuries.

The orthogeriatric section treats orthopedic patients who also have geriatric issues—these patients are often characterized by advanced age and frailty. This patient group receives multidisciplinary follow-up from a geriatrician, orthopedic surgeon, nurse, physiotherapist and occupational therapist.

Patients are admitted for surgery, conservative treatment or diagnostic assessment.

As a work-shadowing visitor with us, you will gain insight into the patient groups we treat. We also aim to arrange work shadowing at the orthopedic outpatient clinic.

Our work-shadowing program runs for four days (Monday–Thursday).

You will receive the final program when you are allocated a work-shadowing placement with us.​

Target group for our work shadowing program:Nurse, social educator, healthcare worker.

​As a work-shadowing visitor with us, you can learn a great deal about how we work in a specialist unit. We will give you an insight into how the units are organized, our approaches and milieu-therapeutic interventions, and the treatments we offer. You will meet patients with substance use disorders, psychotic disorders and mood disorders.

Our days are shaped by working with people in crisis—which makes them unpredictable and exciting! You will take part in a cognitive group where we address cognitive issues. You will also take part in an ethics group where we discuss ethical issues.

Our work-shadowing program runs for four days (Monday–Thursday).

You will receive the final program when you are allocated a placement.​

Target group for our work shadowing program:Nurse, social educator, milieu therapist and milieu worker/healthcare worker.

What can you expect?
As a work-shadowing visitor with us, you will primarily gain insight into how physiotherapists or occupational therapists work and are organized at SSHF. Our work-shadowing program aims to reflect the treatment and services provided by physiotherapists and occupational therapists at Sørlandet Hospital.
The Department of Clinical Services (KLS) is a cross-hospital department serving both SSK and SSA. The department provides services to all somatic departments at both hospitals, as well as some psychiatric departments at SSK. It offers a wide range of services across all three professional fields.

Our work-shadowing program is intended for municipal employees who work directly with patients and service users in their daily practice and are relevant collaboration partners for the professions concerned (i.e. occupational therapy and physiotherapy).

Additional information about the social work service:Due to very limited capacity, work shadowing with the social work service is currently not part of the “regular work-shadowing program” (which runs during specific weeks in spring and autumn). However, if you are a municipal social worker (or a relevant collaboration partner in this field), you can still apply for work shadowing by sending an application to the Competence Unit’s mailbox. Apply by selecting “Others wishing to apply for work shadowing”on this webpage​ (follow the link to the Competence Unit’s mailbox and include the information described).

By shadowing us, you can gain:
• increased knowledge in relevant professional areas/fields of work
• insight into how internal and external collaboration can work
• increased knowledge of comprehensive patient pathways, in which social workers, physiotherapists and occupational therapists make important contributions.
We want your work-shadowing placement to provide you with professional development. To get the most out of it, you need to consider what matters to you in terms of how it can benefit your own work situation.

We offer three days of work shadowing (Monday–Wednesday) every spring and autumn (for occupational therapy/physiotherapy. For the social work service, see “Additional information” above).

You will receive the final program when you are allocated a work-shadowing placement.

Target group for our work shadowing program:Physiotherapist, occupational therapist.
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