Nursing

Nursing is provided by university educated nurses as well as professionally qualified nurses assistants, both nurses and nurses assistants are licensed to practice by the Directorate of Health in Iceland. Nursing provides physical and emotional support, counselling and education to patients.

Role and aim of treatment

Nursing at Reykjalundur has a holistic approach, where needs of individuals are in the foreground. Nursing supports patients in focusing on and working with issues important to their health and wellbeing. Nursing assists patients in making relevant changes in lifestyle and areas such as self-care, sleep, relaxation, nutrition, quit smoking, and socialization.

On arrival the patient is allocated a liaison nurse who, together with the patient, organizes nursing interventions. Nursing interventions, diagnoses and treatment plans are made in accordance with recommendations from the Directorate of Health in Iceland. The role of nursing is: to provide evidence-based nursing to patients and their families, to provide education to students at all levels, to research nursing topics and develop methods to improve services, to encourage opportunities for continued work development within nursing and to participate in active and successful teamwork with other health professionals.

History

The first nurse, Valgerður Helgadóttir, started working at Reykjalundur in 1945. Together with Dr. Oddur Ólafsson, they were primarily responsible for developing the approach to rehabilitation, which is still practiced today. Presently there are 35 nurses and 13 nurses assistants.