Costa rica

There are many cultural differences I have noticed just by being in Costa Rica for one week. It has definitely been an eye opening experience for me. This trip has been the first time that I've been out of the country so I wasn't sure what to expect. 

The first moment I really noticed a difference was when we were leaving the airport in Costa Rica. Me and a few of the girls were still going through security when majority of the group went to meet up with Mrs. Laura. After we went through security, we tried to find the rest of the group but we couldn't. We walked out of the airport and there were so many people there yelling at us asking if we wanted a taxi. We couldn't understand what they were saying because we only knew little spanish. They kept trying to take our bags and we tried telling them no but they couldn't understand what we were trying to say. Finally, our group found us and took us to the bus.

The language barrier has been the biggest problem for me. While at the nursing home, we had to ask the patients important questions about their health but it was very hard to comprehend what their answer was. During the foot assessment, some of the patients would point to their leg or foot and I would have to get a translator over to where I was to tell me what they were saying. This trip has inspired me to learn more Spanish. I strongly believe that it will help me to become a better nurse. It will allow me to connect more with the patients who speak only Spanish. 

I love how close the families here are compared to families in the United States. I hardly ever see the families watching tv or texting. They are almost always together enjoying each others company. The children and grandchildren live really close and the son lives at home even though he is twenty seven. I will keep that in mind if I ever have a patient who is from Costa Rica. I will be sure to include the family in my nursing care.

Another thing I will keep in mind is that most people from Costa Rica have a very strong faith. They are majority catholic. Every time our host family even passed a church while driving he would do the like at the end of every prayer. They also have statues of saints all in their house. If I have a future patient who is from Costa Rica I could ask if they wanted me to bring the chaplain into the room to pray over the patient.