Hola!
Today was the first day of our clinical! We also had our JMU class as well as Spanish class so it was a pretty packed day. It was an early start to the day to make it to my clinical placement in Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, which is a newer hospital with a modern architectural style located 15 minutes outside of Tarragona in Reus. Upon arrival at the hospital we could quickly relate it’s structure and architectural design to Dulles Airport back home in Virginia, which made it feel a tad familiar once inside! 
We were greeted by a nurse who talked to us about the history of the hospital and the floor we’d be placed in. I was surprised to find out I’d be placed on a medical floor and didn’t know what to expect, but was excited and anxious to begin observing the clinical setting. A nursing student from the university, Anna, accompanied me to the medical floor where I’d be placed for the day. She began speaking in Spanish, but with much relief she admitted that she knew some English and we switched back and forth throughout the day. The day consisted of going to patient’s rooms and administering medications as well as checking vitals, once before breakfast time and then again before lunch. In between those rounds of medication, Anna explained all the different medical supplies used and the system of checking on patients. It was interesting to me how two patients were placed in one room and how each patient was accompanied by a family member.
I am looking forward to learning more in the clinical setting and getting more familiar with Spanish medical terminology. We’ll see how much I expand my Spanish-speaking abilities in a healthcare context by the end of these two weeks!
Adiós for now!
Rana Shaheen