Transcultural nursing: a view of the Russian health care system

In October 1991, I visited Russia, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia as a member of a delegation of orthopaedic nurses. The 30 delegates were assembled under the Citizen Ambassador Program of People to People International. Our focus was a sharing of information about orthopaedic nursing practice and the cultural influences related to health care practice. This article reflects my experiences and observations in St. Petersburg and Moscow as far as the facilities visited, patient population, nursing management, treatment modalities, equipment, ancillary departments, nurses' educational preparation, and the nurses' roles within the health care system.