The Western Concept

by Natasha Ryzhova, Staff Writer

For the last two weeks, Dickinson State University’s Department of Nursing was hosting two visitors from Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Dr. Larissa Medrova and Dr. Tatiana Kamaeva, both physicians and teaching professors at Krasnoyarsk State Medical Acad-emy, came to DSU to see how the educational programs for nursing work. They were in-terested in examining how the physicians treat nurses and the responsibilities of nurses in America. DSU and KSMA also have a long-term goal of establishing an exchange pro-gram between Russian and American nursing students.

Dr. Medrova and Dr. Kamaeva are both highly qualified physicians. Dr. Medrova is a surgeon, and Dr. Kamaeva is gynecologist. They both have spent many years in medical residence. They are currently working in the department of nursing in their acad-emy.

Both the doctors feel that the nurses in Russia do not get a chance for higher edu-cation in nursing. Their main concern is that doctors regularly fail to perceive the reasons for getting nurses who are also academicians. In Russia, almost all nurses completely de-pend on the doctor’s orders and do not have any input in the decision-making or diagno-sis. The amount of work is unbelievable, and the salaries are extremely low. A regular nurse in Russia works 12-hour shifts, takes care of 25-30 patients each day, and gets $130 a month. Moreover, since the money they get is not enough to keep even the slightest il-lusion of a decent life, many nurses work extra shifts. It is not uncommon for a nurse to work 36-hour shifts.

Another problem Russian nurses face is that the notion of a nurse practitioner is nonexistent. Those people who are entering the newly open higher education institutions of nursing simply do not have jobs available upon their graduation. How can somebody work as a nurse manager if there is no position like this in the hospital? The professors hope that connections with international universities will help Russian nurses in their fight for a chance to pursue higher education and better jobs. They view their role in be-ing the educators of the masses. Dr. Medrova and Dr. Kamaeva are planning to return home and present all the information that they have collected in the form of lectures and make a report to the Krasnoyarsk Region Board of Nurses.

During these two weeks, the doctors attended different nursing classes and visited hospitals, pharmacies and nursing homes. They also made a presentation about Russian public heath system, which was open to general public. The presentation was a major success, and people who were present were very interested in the differences between the systems in the United States and Russia. Both professors also shared the information about the educational system for nurses in Russia. A smaller presentation was made for the nursing faculty and students later during the visit. The level of respect that American nurses usually receive, not to mention the higher salaries, impressed the Russian visitors. They also admired the level and availability of technology in medical and educational institutions.

During the visit, the base for a long and friendly relationship between the two universities was founded. DSU’s Department of Nursing is planning a summer trip to Russia. Hopefully, within the next couple of years, DSU will meet new nursing students coming from Russia. Meanwhile, Krasnoyarsk State Medical Academy will welcome American exchange students.