This morning, our group of study abroad students all went to their clinical sites from 8am to 1pm. It was my second day observing at the Hospital de Sant Pau I Santa Tecla on the maternity floor, and I have to say that I am really enjoying my time at clinical. The URV student nurses have been very welcoming and eager to show me all that they do as students there, and it’s been interesting for me to learn about how the medical staff takes care of new mothers and assesses the babies (who are all beyond adorable).
In the afternoon, we took a guided tour of the Centre d’Atenció Primària (CAP) Santa Tecla – Llevant, a primary care health center serving a neighborhood of Tarragona. This center was unique to visit as someone who grew up with the American healthcare system, because it focused mainly on preventative care and also had a small hospital inside of the primary care center, which is a type of facility that the United States does not have. Our guide explained that there are eight of these primary care centers in Tarragona and are all covered by the country’s universal healthcare system, so people of all backgrounds can afford to receive basic primary care. Another difference that I noticed was that the 47 consultation doctors that worked here had hours from 8am to 9pm everyday, which is longer than the limited hours that American primary care doctors have each day. They also had consultation rooms that were apart from exam rooms, rather than having both in one room for the doctor and patient. The hospital in this CAP was described to be very efficient, especially with surgeries, because patients expecting to go into surgery stayed in patient rooms on the same floor as the operating rooms. The center overall looked very modern. We toured patient rooms, the hospital, a physical therapy gymnasium and pool, and saw where nurses stored medication and took breaks.
After our tour, we headed back to URV’s Campus Catalunya for Spanish class. With the advanced Spanish group, we focused on famous Catalan traditions and read articles explaining them. One holiday tradition that stood out to our class was the Tió de Nadal. Similar to the way that Americans have the tradition of celebrating the arrival of Santa Claus and giving presents, families in Catalonia celebrate the arrival of the Tió de Nadal. This character is created from a large log with sticks for legs, wears a barretina (a traditional Catalan hat), and has a painted face. Families will set him out in their homes starting on December 8th each year, and children will “take care” of him by covering him with a blanket and protecting him from the cold. They also will leave out little snacks for him every night until Christmas Day for him to “eat.” When Christmas Day arrives, children will gather around the Tió de Nadal singing carols and hit him with sticks until he defecates presents, and the children will check under the blanket to find gifts like small toys or candy. Our class along with Erika, our professor, thought that this was very entertaining and unique, and some students want to try the Catalan tradition this upcoming holiday season and adopt it themselves.
To end a long day, our group walked back from campus to Rambla Nova together and ate some much-needed gelato. I personally have a new goal to try as many different flavors as I can from this gelateria before we leave Tarragona.
¡Hasta luego!
– Andrea Econa