Changing American Nurses’ Perspectives of Turkish Culture through Travel and Dialog

I had very little knowledge of Muslims. I only knew what I heard in the media. We studied various beliefs in high school but I still knew very little about the Islamic faith.

I was worried about safety and being so close to Syria and Iraq. I guess I had stereotyped all Muslims as being filled with hate. I grew up Catholic and feel at a disadvantage in regards to knowledge about most religions.

Limited knowledge. I had negative attitude towards Muslims—not trusting. I thought Islam encouraged violence and hate towards other religions.

Could I communicate? Could I tolerate the food? Were the people rude? Would it be clean?

Mostly about safety. I really had no idea what to expect.

Fear for personal safety, fear of the unknown.

The people are the most service-oriented, generous, helpful, clean, caring, committed to their faith, people I have ever known. I envy their lifestyle in that they seem to be less hurried and more relaxed, and take life as it comes. Our guides’ saying “Don't worry” is a way of life for them.

Very kind, service-oriented, and in general glad that we were there. It was amazing the difference in customer service compared to the United States. They are very customer-oriented and go out of their way to make you feel welcome. When we arrived back in Houston I was quickly reminded how much we in the U.S. disregard customer service.

Hospitable, friendly, service-oriented.

I believe dialog is “putting yourself there.” We were able to interact in a way that allowed us the opportunity to view their world. We were exposed to schools, hospitals, businesses, and history, in a way that we were able to actually learn how the residents of the country viewed these things. We were given the opportunity to go inside and eat with an actual family. We discussed various things, from world politics to their daughters’ educational goals. It was really amazing to realize the world is a small place.

Interacting and blending into the culture. I will say, to truly be culturally diverse and engage in true dialogue, both sides have to agree to compromise. For example, I was willing to try most of the food but I do not eat lamb, so at times I struggled. But when I wanted to eat American food, it was looked down upon. The dialog must go both ways in order to be truly culturally diverse.

The dialog opened my mind, eased fears and concern, and fostered mutual respect.

I actually learned how the people thought about culture, their nation, etc. I believe to get to know a person, or a group of people, dialog is a necessity.

For me, it is grounding. Sometimes I get caught up in the fact that I travel internationally a great deal and that I must know more than the next person but really there is no difference. I try to be culturally sensitive and in countries like England and France, that is enough. However, in a country like Turkey I am not sure I will ever truly understand or appreciate their culture of subservience of women. I really struggled with this and at times almost insulted the women by asking them to join us at the dinner table. I'm not sure I will ever understand why the women cannot pray with the men. The differences are so stark, it is not as easy to understand or try to blend in. Maybe tolerance is enough?

I am not as suspicious of other cultures as I once was. It is hard to hate someone or fear someone whom you have taken time to dialog with.

Their culture is based on their history and faith. I did not know much about either one. I realized that they have a deep faith, but that the western world is “moving in.” The women do not always wear scarves, the younger girls dress much like our girls, etc. I admire the sense of loyalty I saw in the culture. I wish we had history like that! Their health care technology is much like ours. The nurses get very little respect, and it is still considered a “woman's” career.

I always feel really shallow and ignorant after making international trips. I quickly realize that I do not know anything and that every day is a learning experience. I learned so much about cultural differences and people in general that it was definitely a learning experience for me. The health care system to me was a different story. We went to a private hospital where they wined and dined us and showed us a video that had all the latest and greatest technology, but there were no patients in that hospital. I found that odd. I would like to have gone to a public hospital or a clinic to see what real health care is about. The same is true for the education system. We only went to private schools and what we saw was amazing, but it cost the average student $10,000 a year to attend. I would like to have gone to the public schools to get a truer picture.

Stressed the importance of living by the “Golden Rule.”

I'm not sure there was one. I believe that since I work with various cultures, my views are pretty open. I have learned not to judge according to ethnicity. I judge more on how people use (or don't use) gifts with which they have been blessed. I began seeing the service orientation of the Turkish people when we arrived. They do the polite things (carry women's bags, open doors, etc.) because it is the thing to do, not for money. When speaking with the various business leaders, I noted that they were all about peace, and wanting to get along with other nations. I'm not sure if this is nationwide, but it was definitely apparent in the leaders we met.

I think for me, it was having dinner with one of the host families. They were the kindest people and so gracious.

We were greeted at the airport one night by a group that gave us roses and took us to our hotel.

The U.S. is such a melting pot. I believe all groups of people should be able to live in the U.S. We are all foreigners, and should treat each other with respect.

Knowing the difference between the majority of Muslims and the extremist is huge. It seems rather obvious but when the extremists are all you see in the U.S. media, it is easy to forget.

Increased tolerance and understanding eased fears.

It helped me understand the deep roots of the Turkish rituals. It made me realize that all cultures have their beliefs, and that I should respect the beliefs of the patient and work at helping the patient to be comfortable while in unfamiliar and sometimes threatening circumstances.

I appreciate living in a country where women and their professions (especially nursing) are respected. I have admiration for the women in Turkey who went into the nursing profession for the same reasons I did but who have to fight the system for respect. I think it is important to remember that “the grass is never greener” no matter what country you work in. Americans may say they respect nurses, but my students tell me that they feel like the field of nursing is nothing more than slave labor. Do we really respect our nurses?

This trip has made me more aware of my own personal biases and behaviors. It has made me more culturally sensitive.