How do cultural differences shape healthcare?
Two Ohio Northern University senior nursing students set out to explore this question firsthand on a study abroad experience in Ferrara, Italy.
Friends Alexis Johnson and Hayley Solomon share a desire to become compassionate caregivers. They chose the nursing profession for the chance to provide direct patient care.
“I’m excited to be a motivator, teacher, and cheerleader for all the patients that I will get to serve,” said Alexis.
Both have jobs lined up: Alexis in the cardiac step-down unit at Promedica Toledo Hospital, and Hayley in the cardiac ICU at Kettering Health.
Before graduation, however, they wanted to take one last adventure together. ONU’s Study Abroad office connected them with an opportunity to spend a week in Italy during ONU’s winter break, observing firsthand the care provided in a country with a mostly public healthcare system.
The two spent the week shadowing Italian nurses in a hospital’s emergency and operating rooms. They observed robotic surgeries for the removal of a cancerous adrenal gland and lung lobe, and witnessed a cardiac conversion, an emergency heart catheterization, and triage.
From sterilization protocol to the medical equipment utilized, the differences between the Italian and American healthcare systems proved enlightening, said Alexis. “Both systems have their pluses and minuses,” she said. “But I am thankful I get to practice in the U.S.”
During the week, the friends also embarked on sightseeing expeditions to Venice, Padova, Bologna, and Rome, where they saw the Pope deliver his Sunday message.
“My biggest takeaway from the trip was that I want to travel more and learn more about different cultures so that I can best help patients from different backgrounds,” said Hayley.