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OUT OF LIFE.

MELANIE HIRZINGER,

QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE NURSE

 

Melanie Hirzinger settled in Tirol thanks to a spontaneous idea whilst on holiday here. The qualified nurse has now been living in the region for twelve years and has also been able to gain further professional qualifications with the support of her employer.

"I packed my bags and moved here"

Ever since I was a young child, I have spent skiing holidays in Tirol with my family, mainly in St. Anton am Arlberg, but also in Kirchberg and in the Zillertal Valley. My parents would always tell me how they would love to live here. As a child, however, I was not really sold on the idea, as I was very attached to my home town near Magdeburg and simply did not want to leave – because of my friends and my surroundings. But in February 2013, during a holiday in Tirol, I spontaneously applied for a job as a qualified nurse with the regional healthcare provider, Tirol Kliniken. I promptly received an invitation for a two-day trial in an operating theatre. Then everything happened quite quickly – I was offered the job and asked if I could start work in Innsbruck in March. So what did I do? I went home, packed my bags and moved here!

“Everyone gave me a really warm and friendly welcome”

The first year was quite difficult for me, but thanks to my job and my colleagues, I settled in quickly. Everyone gave me a really warm and friendly welcome. What’s more, my team is very close-knit and I have always been able to share both my problems and pleasures with my colleagues. My employer has also supported me really well and made a lot of things possible for me. At first, I was able to live in a special residence for nurses and also train as a surgical technician. In general, if you want to develop professionally, you can do that here too. Later on, during maternity leave and whilst working part time to look after my children, my employer was also very accommodating. They even offer childcare.

"When I spontaneously came to Tirol back then, I never would have thought that I would reach the professional level I have today and develop so much personally and privately."

"I now live where others go on holiday"

I now have lots of friends and a family. The quality of life in Tirol is simply much better: I now live where others go on holiday and am surrounded by nature. There are also lots of benefits for people who live here – there are special ski passes which give you access to many ski resorts, which means I can go skiing whenever I want. But though skiing is very big here, Tirol also has much more to offer – summer, for example, is a fantastic time of year. There are many lakes and outdoor swimming pools, and I also enjoy rock climbing. There is also a plenty of culture on offer as well as other things that don't require you to be so active. I often enjoy just going into town or taking the Hungerburg funicular railway up into the mountains and enjoying the view. Coming here was a difficult step at first, that's for sure. But would I make the same decision again? Absolutely!

About

Melanie Hirzinger is a qualified nurse and healthcare assistant and has been working as a surgical scrub nurse at Innsbruck University Hospital since 2013. She lives with her partner and two children in a small suburb of Innsbruck.

 

Tirol Kliniken

Tirol Kliniken is the largest healthcare company in western Austria and employs a total of 8,500 people at five locations in the fields of medicine, technology and administration. Employees are offered job-specific training and further education, a variety of working time models, a wide range of coaching services, healthy living initiatives and a selection of social benefits.

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