The nursing director who feels at home at the healthcare center

Berglind Rós Ragnarsdóttir is the head nurse at the health centers in Hveragerði and Þorlákshöfn. We first asked Berglind about her origins. "I was born and raised in lower Breiðholt. So I am a regular city child, at least that was my belief until my family and I decided to move outside the capital just under 5 years ago. We live in Hveragerði and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. So I am a bit of a country girl after all!”
Berglind Rós Ragnarsdóttir is the nursing director at the health centers in Hveragerði and Þorlákshöfn. We first asked Berglind about her origins. "I was born and raised in lower Breiðholt. So I am a regular city child, at least that was my belief until my family and I decided to move outside the capital just under 5 years ago. We live in Hveragerði and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. So I am a bit of a country girl after all!”

Berglind Rós started working at the health centers in Hveragerði and Þorlákshöfn in the fall of 2020 and carried out various tasks that fall under health care, but were mostly in home care. It was in 2023 that she took on the position of nursing director.

Collaboration, joy, and respect characterize the team
What is your job description and work day like? "As a nursing director, I am responsible for daily operations, unit organization, and nursing services in good cooperation with staff. I also do clinical nursing at the same time and enjoy tackling all kinds of projects. This semester, there are several exciting projects going on at the health centers in Hveragerði and Þorlákshöfn that require meeting attendance, study days, and organizational work with a good group of people. My job is therefore very varied, no day is the same, and I always look forward to coming to work. It is valuable. The staff and the work ethic are number 1, 2, and 3 in my team. There is a lot of cooperation, joy, and respect here.”

Paramedics and nurses
How did the educational path go? "After primary school, I started studying at Fjölbrautskólann in Breiðholt and graduated as a paramedic with a matriculation examination in 2006. It was not until ten years later, in 2016, that I finally went into nursing at the University of Iceland and graduated from that program in 2020. Three years later, I had added a diploma in geriatric and home nursing. I aim for further education that will be useful in my work and am constantly keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunities to deepen my knowledge.”

At home in healthcare
But why did you choose this career and this education? "Deep down and ever since I can remember, I have always had the dream of working within the healthcare system. First, as a midwife, but then I was interested in becoming a surgeon or a surgical nurse. While I was in paramedic training, I worked in a nursing home, and that is where my interest in geriatric nursing was sparked, although I haven't always worked in that field since then. That interest then became even stronger in nursing school along with healthcare nursing, and now I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up, not later, hopefully, when I turn forty. At the healthcare center, I am at home. Healthcare is a diverse field of work where you get the opportunity to carry out all kinds of tasks and get to know a diverse group of clients. I am passionate about the profession and am very proud to be a nurse.”

Nursing home and psychiatric nurse
What did you do before? "I worked for a few years in nursing homes alongside my nursing program, and after graduating in 2006, I worked as a nurse in the psychiatric department at Landspítali for a few years. I briefly went into self-employment, but the healthcare sector always drew me in. While studying nursing, I had one foot in the Department of Neurology and Orthopaedics at Landspítali. However, I always dreamed of going more into geriatric nursing, and immediately after graduating from nursing, I worked in home care at the Capital Region Health Service."

Mother of three, married to an artist
We ask about Berglinda's family situation. ,,I am married to Sindri Arinbjarnarson. He is a tattoo artist at the Icelandic Tattoo Studio, one of the oldest tattoo studios in the country. Together we have two daughters, Heiðdís Lilja, 12 years old, and Sóldís Þúfa, 6 years old. In addition, I had a bonus girl, Efemía, who is a 25-year-old art teacher and lives in Norway.”

Always knitting
Finally, we ask about life after work. ,,I knit a lot and listen to a good crime story on Storytel. I always have to have something knitted, and I don't leave the house without my knitting bag. I am also very good at sharing the knitting message. For example, a few of us at work are knitting Christmas sweaters in time for next Christmas. We meet regularly outside of work hours and knit together. "I spend most of my free time at home with my family and our cat Mæja. We also travel regularly, both domestically and internationally, and enjoy experiencing new places and enjoying time together."