Standing on a Paphos, Cyprus beach where legend states Aphrodite was born from the seafoam.

Author: Ava Wisinger | Major: Nursing | Semester: Summer 2023

This summer, I had the opportunity to spend four weeks in the capital city of Cyprus at the University of Nicosia (UNIC). As a part of their summer nursing program, I completed two courses: Provision of Nursing Care III and Comparative Management of Care. This program helped me complete my minor, Medical Humanities, and deepened my understanding of nursing as a profession and the healthcare system as a whole. I chose this program not only because of this, but because I wanted to gain some experience in health care facilities prior to my clinicals with the U of A and gain a global perspective on healthcare.

I had the same instructor for both of my courses, and this consistency helped the summer nursing students dive deeper into the material. My instructor started the UNIC nursing program and wrote all the curriculum after a long career of nursing, so I appreciated her expertise and experience. I enjoyed how she directed our discussion-based course and valued her perspective on the material. Her specific style of a discussion-based course is something I have not experienced before, especially in a science context. For example, I participated in patient simulation discussions. I have not yet learned most of the practices required to care for patients effectively, so in these simulations, I did not have much to contribute outside of the bare bones basics. However, we were all expected to contribute, so she picked our brains until we pooled all our collective knowledge and found a solution. After this, she would explain why… this is where I learned a lot of new things about the human body. It was especially memorable because of the intense interactive discussion prior. She also took our class on a hospice visit, the first palliative care facility built in Cyprus. It was fascinating to see all of the therapeutic communication practices we discussed in class in effect firsthand.

Cyprus has a unique geographical position, which contributed to the global perspective I was searching for. Since Cyprus is a part of the European Union, I got to learn about the standardized aspects of healthcare provision and management within the EU. It was also a unique opportunity to learn about health systems globally, since Cyprus is at the crossroads of 3 different continents that are all represented in the student body and staff. Since I plan to travel nurse for at least a few years during my future career, this gave me insight into international travel nursing and how it would differ from a career in the US.

I would describe the overall Cypriot attitude as kind and excited, but chill. Interacting with locals was always super fun. One time, a man gave another student and I a tour of Old Town Nicosia, including his favorite spots to eat and where to get a good view of the city. He even facilitated some interactions with shop owners, excitedly telling everyone we came across that we were from America. The chill, relaxed energy really shows itself in their mealtimes. My favorite meal there was a traditional meze dinner, which can last hours as around 20 small dishes circle around the table. I ate one of these meals with my instructor and the rest of my fellow nursing students, which is one of my favorite memories of this program.

The program offered many travel opportunities around the island, including a trip to the Troodos Mountains and to coastal towns like Paphos, Ayia Napa, and Famagusta, which is across the “green line” into the northern Turkish-occupied side of the island. The trip to Famagusta was particularly enlightening since I learned a lot about the country’s recent history of invasion and occupation. I feel like I got to broadly experience the country because of the program’s excursions. This program also enabled me to travel outside the country, since I was already halfway around the world. I took this opportunity to travel to Hungary and Greece with other students.

To students considering studying abroad in Cyprus: do it! Personally, Cyprus wasn’t on my radar before I was looking into my study abroad options; all I knew was that it existed. This was somewhat of an advantage since everything was a surprise. Experiencing an entirely new culture while living like a UNIC student was a great experience. Being in a country at the intersection of 3 continents that dates back 11,000 years is nothing like the young US. Cyprus offers something that is impossible to experience back home. One thing I wish I had known beforehand was how laid-back Cypriots are. They don’t care what you wear, which was a huge concern of mine. While I recommend this experience, I also can’t wait to get home and take a long awaited, lengthy drive on the right side of the road with a full, iced water bottle in my hand.