Marloes(39)

I worked ten years as a nurse at Isala hospital in Zwolle. The work was good, but the pressure became unbearable: understaffing, overtime and ever more administration. When I read that France was recruiting nurses — especially in rural areas — I started researching. Brittany attracted me: the rugged coast, the mild climate, the Celtic culture. And the shortage of soignants (care workers) meant I was welcome.

My Dutch BIG registration as a nurse had to be recognized through the Direction Régionale de l'Économie, de l'Emploi, du Travail et des Solidarités (DREETS). The procedure is called reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles. I had to have my diploma translated by a sworn translator, obtain apostilles and submit a dossier. After five months I received my autorisation d'exercice — the right to work as an infirmière (nurse) in France.

I now work as an infirmière at a hôpital in Quimper, the capital of the Finistère department. The salary is lower than in the Netherlands: €2,100 gross per month starting (échelon 1 of the fonction publique hospitalière). But the working conditions compensate: 35 hours per week, 5 weeks' holiday, RTT days and a mutuelle d'entreprise. The workload is lower than in Zwolle — there's more staff per patient.

Working in French was the biggest challenge. Medical French is a specialized language: you need to know terms like tension artérielle (blood pressure), perfusion (IV drip), ordonnance (prescription). Before moving I took a course in French medical vocabulary at Alliance Française. In practice I learned most from my colleagues. After six months I felt at home on the ward. Patients appreciate that a foreigner makes the effort to speak their language.

Living in Brittany is affordable. I rent a 55m² apartment in Quimper for €520 per month. The city is charming: medieval center, cathedral, crêperies on every corner. The Finistère coast is spectacular — cliffs, lighthouses, beaches — and 20 minutes' drive away. I hike every weekend along the GR34, the coastal path that circles all of Brittany. Galettes au sarrasin (buckwheat pancakes) with cidre are my Sunday ritual.

My advice to Dutch nurses: France needs you. The recognition procedure is long but feasible, working conditions are better than in the Netherlands and quality of life is higher. Learn French — B2 minimum for healthcare — and be patient with the bureaucracy. The CPAM, mutuelle and impôts take time, but the system works. In Brittany I found what I'd lost in Zwolle: balance, appreciation and time to live.