Thoughts on Being a "Nosey Barker"

Remember complaining "when will I ever need to know this" during various classes throughout your school years? I usually had those complaints in various math classes throughout the years....and maybe with good reason, after all I'm pretty sure I've never had to come up with any information about isosceles triangles (including, until now, how to spell it!). So now in my "middle age" years I find that some lessons learned can have benefits I never would have imagined.

When I first started traveling internationally on various nursing missions, I was interested in learning everything I could about the different cultures I visited. I've told you before that I'm basically nosey, so it should come as no surprise that I want to know all about why people do the things they do. I was the one on those trips who was always asking "why?"

In China, I wanted to know why women who've just had a baby eat only warm foods and dress in warm clothing....even when it's hot outside. Just being nosey.....until that info came in handy a couple of years later when we had a Chinese family in the unit I worked in at the time, and the mom/baby nurses were complaining about the "stinky" soups the grandmother brought the mom, and mom kept the thermostat cranked up to about 85 even though she was
already wearing a fleece robe and slippers. That "trivia" I had gleaned from being nosey came rushing to the forefront of my brain, and I was able to tell them that in China they believe
that a woman loses "chi," or life force, after birth so they need to replenish it by staying
warm and eating warm soups. They also stay in bed for a month after they deliver.....AND they
get 18 months of PAID maternity leave....this may be due to the whole "one child" rule thing,
but still....

On that same trip we were talking to a doctor at one of the hospitals in Beijing about whether they had health insurance (they do, of sorts anyway), and I asked what happened when their coverage ran out (we were talking about long, chronic illnesses). The doctor told us the patient was then turned over to the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and everybody laughed......but, being the Nosey Barker that I am, I wanted to know what happened to them then. The doctor paused for a few seconds and then said, "they tend to get better." This really was just a side note for your amusement (especially for any of you wholistic types who might have happened on to this blog...). Seriously, though, this exchange led me to an interest in natural alternatives to traditional Western medicine, and I think it is something that warrants further study.

But I digress.....a few nights ago I had another experience where lessons learned served me well...I can't share the details of the situation due to HIPAA regulations, but I will share information on some customs in Africa. In some places of Africa (maybe all, I don't know) it is thought that if you give someone something, you no longer have it. Makes sense, right? After all, you GAVE it to them.....Unfortunately, they apply this thinking to HIV/AIDS as well. Healthcare workers in clinics told us that it is very important to phrase training carefully so the wrong message isn't received....frightening to think that all that teaching we do as nurses, well-meaning and evidence-based as it is, may be received differently than intended depending on cultural beliefs. It is frustrating for healthcare workers in some of these African HIV/AIDS clinics to try to get people to use condoms for prevention if they think that all they have to do is "give" the disease to another in order to no longer have it themselves. Another thing I have observed is women who are afraid of having their babies in the hospitals or clinics....in part because not all are very good and you may die in the process, but also because Africa is an interesting blend of traditional healing and more modern influence. Women who visit traditional healers as well as going to healthcare clinics are often chastised by the healthcare workers for their traditional beliefs. When you know you're going to be yelled at, it's kind of hard to choose to put yourself in that situation. Think about this if you ever find yourself caring for someone from another culture....don't just assume they don't care about themselves or their babies. Tradition is a strong influence, and the fact that they show up at a hospital is a HUGE step for some. (sorry I couldn't tell you the whole story so this might make more sense, but just get this message: don't be so quick to assume and judge!)

So.....being a "Nosey Barker" has its benefits at times.....the challenge is using the tendency for good and not evil.... :)