When I studied abroad in Grenada I noticed some cultural differences that affected the way people interacted with one another, as well as how it affected their healthcare system. The culture of Grenada emphasizes that everyone be treated with respect and kindness. People go out of their way to help their friends and neighbors, and people who live there genuinely care about others in their community. Throughout our entire trip the citizens of Grenada were very enthusiastic about our presence and constantly wanted to give us gifts as a token of their appreciation for us providing healthcare. The United States has a more self-centered approach with people tending to care about themselves and people close to them. Although people in America aren’t as kind toward strangers, our culture does drive people to work towards bettering themselves and becoming successful.

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In the hospital, doctors and nurses weren’t in a rush when caring for their patients. They took their time and genuinely got to know their patient and talk about his/her condition. In American hospitals, we are always in a rush to move from one patient to the next. We try to perform our care quickly to be able to complete all our tasks. I have felt that this approach hinders our relationship with our patient and doesn’t provide the best possible care, but we are more efficient and able to perform skills faster. Being immersed in Grenada’s culture helped me put my culture in perspective to be able to see both the positives and negatives.