Our interviewee this time is Kolbrún Gunnarsdóttir, head of the emergency department at the Health Institute of South Iceland (HSU) in Selfoss. The staff there is about 40 and consists of paramedics, nurses, doctors, and excellent students in these three professions. Kolbrún originally studied English at university and planned to become a teacher, but her passion for nursing was interrupted at the nursing home in Sóltún, where she became fascinated with nursing. She says

DIVERSE WORK EXPERIENCE
Kolbrún was born in 1989 in Selfoss and attended primary school in Þorlákshöfn, Fjölbrautskóli Suðurlands, and the University of Iceland. She has a delightfully diverse career despite her young age. "For example, lobster processing and fish processing, as well as being both a shop assistant and a hot dog vendor in Laugardalur, but also a tanning salon employee! My experience in the healthcare sector includes the Sóltún nursing home, the B5 orthopedic surgery department, and the 22ED pediatric ward. Then I was a team leader in home nursing in Reykjavík and a department manager at a residential complex for the disabled in Þorlákshöfn. Now I'm here in the emergency department."

SPRETTUR THE DWARF HAMSTER
Kolbrún's husband is Andri Helgason, human resources manager at Garðlist, and together they have daughters Alexandra Hrafney, 7, and Arney Helga, 4. The family pet is Spretttur, a dwarf hamster. We are curious about life after work. "My time outside work is largely spent with my children and extended family. I also enjoy going to the gym and swimming, traveling around the country in my caravan, and checking out the countryside. But then I enjoy crafting and baking. I'm not a great baker, but there's plenty of sugar in what I bake, so it's at least tasty."

PLANNED TO BECOME AN ENGLISH TEACHER
But why did Kolbrún choose a career as a nurse? "I always wanted to be an English teacher and completed a BA in English at the University of Iceland to get a master's degree in teaching rights. At the time, I was living in Reykjavík with a friend of mine and she was working at the Sóltún nursing home. I needed a summer job and she convinced me to apply. This summer job, however, was my lucky break in life because it was there that I found my purpose and future career path."

SÓLTÚN "RAISED" KOLBRÚN
Kolbrún explains her lucky break in more detail: "It was Marta Jónsdóttir, a former nursing manager on the first floor of Sóltún, who strongly encouraged me to go into nursing. She saw something in me that I didn't see and if she hadn't pushed me, I would never have given up, as I had just finished one university degree and it felt crazy to start a new university degree right away. Sóltún raised me and there I started as an unskilled care worker and ended up as a nursing student. But if I were neither a nurse nor an English teacher, I wouldn't mind working in a bar in Portugal!"

VARIED WORKDAYS
Tell us about your job: "I manage the daily operations of the HSU emergency department. My days are very varied and I get all sorts of fun projects thrown at me. A large part of the day is spent answering emails and submitting work orders, but I also meet with all sorts of interesting people on various topics. Sometimes I also get the opportunity to be on the floor and work with my wonderful staff in patient care and nursing. We have a very diverse patient group and we are thrilled to be able to work with such a wide range of subjects."

A TIGHT AND GREAT TEAM
,,No day is the same in the emergency department and that is exactly what most of us find so fascinating about working here. The staff is the best thing about the workplace. I have never seen a tighter and nicer group and it is so great to know that you can always turn to them with all kinds of problems, as they are full of knowledge. They are also just incredibly funny and entertaining! The team here is very united in always doing their best and constantly improving the department and the work processes. We intend to continue this improvement work and improve the quality of our service even further in the new year!"