Ciao Rose

As a high school student growing up in a small town an hour northeast of Rome, Rose Polisini volunteered with her father for the White Cross, a volunteer association in Italy.

“Dad is an ambulance driver and I am a volunteer assisting the physician in emergency first aid care,” Rose said recently. “We are called to many accidents at peoples homes, sporting events, motor vehicle mishaps and other emergency medical situations where we are required. I enjoyed helping.”

This experience no doubt led to Rose's pursuit of nursing. For the past three years she has attended Universita degli Studi de L'Aquila. Soon, she will graduate and become a nurse. All Rose has left is to do is complete the final exams this September and submit her thesis. So she made plans to combine writing the theses while she was in Canada this summer attending her cousin's wedding.

Rose is staying with her aunt, Kathy Disabatino who is a 19-year veteran at the Brant Community Healthcare System. Kathy says, “My sister and I married Italian men; then 24 years ago my sister and her husband moved to Italy. He speaks fluid English, French and Italian and now owns a lovely grocery store. My sister teaches English.”

Kathy's daughter was married earlier this month and Rose came to the celebration. Knowing this, Loreto Lancia, the dean of the nursing course contacted the staff development office at Brantford General to inquire about a placement at the hospital for Rose so she could research her thesis. He has an appreciation of the Canadian healthcare system and encouraged this unique opportunity provided to Rose.

After the wedding, Rose began to research her thesis that will explain the differences between emergency departments and caring for trauma patients in Italy and Canada. The hospital made all the necessary arrangements for Rose to spend a couple of weeks in each of three different services at Brantford General: the emergency department, the operating rooms and finally the critical care unit.

In the emergency department Rose follows one of the nurses each shift and witnesses everything first hand. “Cool” is how Rose describes the experience in the emergency department so far. Although Rose speaks very good English she says her language skills present a bit of a challenge, “except for the Italian patients!” One difference that Rose notes is the vast multi-cultural aspect of our population saying that Canadians take it for granted seeing different faces each day.

This isn't Rose's first visit to Canada. She has come over in the past on different occasions and has seen the usual tourist sites. This year she has done the thrills at Canada's Wonderland and is off soon to Niagara Falls. “I love shopping,” she laughs. “The malls in Hamilton and Burlington.”

When she returns to Italy, Rose will hand in her theses and expects to graduate and begin her nursing career. She is considering being a nurse that accompanies helicopters that reach patients faster than driving through the Italian mountains. “I want to be based in Milan or perhaps near the sea- and shopping malls!”

In the meantime, Rose is enjoying her Canadian adventure even though she misses the magnificent beauty of her hometown at the base of a mountain- the Grand Sasso. She also craves espresso like she drinks back home, saying, “So far, the best Italian espresso here is at Williams Coffee Pub- no contest!”

Gary Chalk is Senior Executive Director- Public Affairs & Development for the Brant Community Healthcare System. Brantford General is a regional health centre providing primary, emergency and specialized services. The Willett, Paris is a multi-service health centre providing urgent care, primary care and community outreach programs.