In Country Discoveries 

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Knowing a little background on the culture I was going to immerse myself in helped me prepare for the journey I was about to embark on. When I arrived, I immediately noticed that cars were driving on the “opposite” side of the road, I knew this was the way that traffic flowed in Grenada, but it was hard to get used to. The first car ride was a little nauseating, but it was short.

 

Because of the study abroad pre-departure program I was able to take on roles and tasks to which I am unaccustomed with the knowledge that I was going to be talking to people who do not necessarily want to have this conversation.  Although we learned about the misconceptions associated with prostate exams, I did not realize how big of a taboo it was until I was in country attempting to start the conversation with men about the importance of getting a prostate exam. The interactions that I had with many men, including the television show host, lead me to the realization that Nursing involves starting conversation that can be difficult and thus therapeutic communication skills is critical in the field. Being from the states and coming into the Grenadians home, had I not known how to properly talk to the individuals I could’ve done more harm then good. I did not want to come off as a rude foreigner who only cares about feeding them health information, I wanted to discovery where the roots of the misconception forms and only then were we able to approach the conversation in a manner that would help break the stigma of prostate exam down.