Nurse Gyða Arnórsdóttir is the head of the health department at Heilbrigðisstofnun Suðurlands (HSU) in the Westman Islands, with about 50 staff members and a wide variety of services. Gyða was born and raised in the islands and was born in 1975 shortly after the eruption. She went on a fairly traditional educational path and attended the Westman Islands Children’s School, the Westman Islands Secondary School and permanently enrolled in nursing at the University of Iceland. She also studied fish processing, shoplifting, cleaning in various places and as a nursing student at LSH.

Diverse and rewarding work

“I chose this career because I wanted to do a diverse and fulfilling job and deal with people. I had been looking to work in a hospital since I was a kid, and then my older cousin went to medicine, which definitely influenced me to study nursing,” says Gyða, who has worked at the Eyja department since 2001, been assistant department manager for 11 years, and department manager in 2007-2009, and now again since 2022.

Gyða has children Berglind, Rakel and Arnór, as well as two grandchildren, Mikael and Embla. Gyða’s life outside of work is filled with cross-fit and running, as well as walking on the mountains. At home, she enjoys back-to-back activities and cooking.

Best Colleagues

She says the best of her colleagues at the workplace. “But then I love the diversity of the work and how rewarding it is even though the stress is often and often. But if we only talk about Eyjar, then of course it’s one of the most beautiful places in the country and it’s a very good place to work. But overall, there’s also a very good solidarity among the people of Eyjar, especially if it’s a challenge.”

Gyða says that the morale at HSU in the Westman Islands is extremely good. “We work together and are a very good team. It shows itself best under a lot of pressure during difficult and busy times. We also like to meet outside of work and always have to have a good party. Here at the hospital we have taken up the idea of always having a Friday coffee and other staff in the building often check in and try to get something good with the coffee. It’s not without reason that we sometimes call the workplace simply BESTA.”

The role of the department head

Her job includes managing, overseeing and planning the department's operations and nursing and patient services. For example, she manages and organizes the work of nurses, paramedics and other staff members. "I also represent the department in a variety of team work with other healthcare professionals, as well as being actively involved in the clinical work, which I consider important. I take shifts and attend day-care units for medications one day a week where the wide variety of medications are mixed and administered under supervision."

A wide range of services

The hospital division of HSU in the Westman Islands is an 18 bed mixed unit that provides a wide range of services. We have 8 nursing rooms, 1 restroom, 8 general hospital rooms and 1 intensive care room. Most of the rooms are fully utilized at any given time. The unit is a hands-on medicine unit and is also an emergency room, which provides care for cancer patients and palliative care, as well as end-of-life treatment. There is considerable rehabilitation at the unit, for example after a breakdown. Birth services are available in the building and at the hospital as well. There is a day-care unit for drug pharmacists at the hospital, where, among other things, biopharmaceuticals and cancer medicines are mixed and administered along with other medicines.

Close cooperation

The department has over 50 temporary employees. Of these, 30 are paramedics, 15 nurses, 2 staff in the hospital, 1 staff in the general cleaning department and 1 secretary. In addition, a doctor is on duty every week, and a visiting doctor is on duty every week. "There is also good collaboration with other specialists who work for the department. Nurses come every working day, there is good collaboration with social workers and social services, priests, barbers and a foot surgeon. There is also close cooperation with primary care physicians and home health care."

Three Nursing Scientists

Of the new initiatives that lie ahead, Gyða mentions that the nurses will now be able to work as shift managers on weekday morning shifts in the ward’s senior unit. “I think it will be a fun and good addition to the important work that nurses do, which will help in the shortage of nurses we are facing. At least three of our nurses are starting their studies in nursing and hopefully they will stay on the ward after graduation.”

Increased education on the wish list

We finally ask Gyða if she wants to be on one of the wish lists. "At the top of the wish list is to keep up with education. I would like to have regular education related to the clinical part of the work with some format for the staff. We already have regular case exercises every other week, which are very necessary and helpful. Our ambulance staff is honored by them. I would also like to improve the facilities of the staff and have the organization even better, it makes all work easier and more efficient. It would also be a wish list to have access to occupational therapists. To mention some things!"