Marcus grew up in the village of Finnträsk, about 30 miles north of central Skellefteå. After studying at the agricultural college in Burträsk, he started a summer job at a nursing home and then substituted in the home care service.

- "It was challenging and fun. I developed and got more and more responsibility, and it was the technical aids that made me really want to further my education in healthcare," says Marcus.

In 2003 he started studying the three-year nursing program at Campus Skellefteå.

- 'It was three good years, where we alternated theory with practice,' says Marcus.

When he graduated in 2006, there was not the same demand for nurses as today, but Marcus had an acquaintance at the ambulance at Skellefteå Hospital who thought he should apply. After completing a number of tests, he got a summer job at the ambulance and stayed there for 14 years.

- "A very exciting job, where I learned as much about myself as about healthcare. Part of the job involves responding to accidents and tragedies and encountering situations you never thought you'd encounter. But we had a great team that cared and looked after each other and that made it a very stimulating environment to be in," says Marcus.

New employer and new role

Working on the ambulance meant a lot of work in the evenings, weekends and nights, and when Marcus' two daughters reached school age and started doing activities, he felt a change was needed.

- "My wife also has uneven working hours, so we often found ourselves working when Ester and Sally were free. I thought that a predominantly daytime job would be more suitable," says Marcus.

He applied for and got a job at one of Skellefteå municipality's resource teams and after a year he moved on to his current nursing position at Support and Service, where he is medically responsible for a number of homes.

- "A completely different role than I had before. Here I am the spider in the web in the work of finding the right form of care for the patients. It is an independent job, where I work closely with occupational and physiotherapists and together we try to make it as good as possible for the residents, regardless of their functional variations. We look at their abilities instead of their inabilities and work a lot with structures to ensure that they can be as independent as possible in everyday life," says Marcus.

Digital solutions are becoming more and more common in Skellefteå municipality's nursing and care homes and they facilitate both the staff's work and the patients' everyday lives.

- For example, we have medicine robots that remind the patient when it is time to take their medicine, and if it is not taken, the nearest staff is alerted. We also have the possibility to meet the patient digitally instead of going to their home. This helps patients become more independent and that is what we strive for. Skellefteå municipality is at the forefront of digital solutions, but we have only seen the beginning and it will develop even more, says Marcus.

Exciting times in Skellefteå

Working during the day also means that he can now spend more time with his family than before.

- "Outdoor life is my thing and I try to get the children to appreciate it too. We go camping, are out in nature and try to take advantage of the best that all seasons have to offer. And here in Skellefteå we really have all seasons.

Marcus lives with his wife Sandra and children Alexander, Ester and Sally in a house on Brännan in Skellefteå. A Skellefteå that is currently undergoing a major social transformation with several large company establishments, which means that thousands of people are expected to move here in the coming years.

- It is very exciting with everything that is happening. New restaurants are popping up and cultural events are being booked that we haven't had before, while we are still close to shops, services and outdoor areas. It's fantastic that the window to the world has opened.