We took in our last sites and sounds of the city today as we met with faculty and students at the University of Athens Department of Nursing. Our team heard about the history of nursing education, the health care system, nursing programs, clinical structures, health economics, and care for older people in the community. I found it interesting that Queen Olga founded the first school of nurses who were called “Evangelismos” and at the time it was the third nursing school in the world.
Many nurses in Greece today are having difficulty finding jobs and leave after graduation for more opportunities in other countries, unlike the USA where there is a great need for nurses. One similarity between Greece and the USA is that we both spend too much money to treat diseases when many could be avoided by taking preventive measures such as eating a better diet and increasing physical activity. Another similarity among both countries is that we are seeing an increase in our population that is over 65 years old and with that comes different opportunities and challenges in how we can add life to years, not only years to life!
Overall most interesting, especially for the nurses in the room, was a lecture on the procedure to insert a central line. The tip of the day was to “tunnel” every line every time to help prevent infection. This is a common practice in Greece, but not as common in the USA.
Tomorrow we will say good-bye to Greece and return home with new knowledge, friendships, and the Ikarian island spirit that I hope to always carry with me.
– Kelsie Muller