Day 2 in Argentina and today we visited the University of Austral, where we learned about Argentina’s nursing system and some of the key challenges facing the healthcare sector. One major issue that stood out is the shortage of nurses at the Austral Hospital. Due to the economic instability in the country, it causes many issues in the healthcare system, such as low wages, burnout, and limited incentives for nurses to remain in this field. These reasons make it difficult for the hospital to recruit and retain enough nursing staff. With insufficient funding to fully staff and properly train new nurses, private hospitals like Austral struggle to meet demand. Additionally, younger generations are often discouraged from pursuing nursing due to the low salaries and lack of long-term career incentives. As a result, the burden is put on the current staff and limits the hospital’s ability to consistently provide high-quality care.

After learning about the nursing system we had the chance to tour the hospital’s facilities. It was interesting to see how everything, from surgical rooms to patient recovery areas, was designed with both efficiency and for patient comfort. For lunch, we met with students from the University of Austral and got to enjoy empanadas, one of Argentina’s traditional foods. It was fun to get to know them, hear their perspectives on healthcare, education, and their daily life. Once we returned to our hotel we walked to El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a popular bookstore that was once a theater. It was fascinating to see the architecture/style of the theater still intact yet being used as a library. To finish of the day we had dinner at Santos Manjares and indulged in one of the many dishes Argentina is known for, which is their meats. It was the perfect way to end a day that combined learning, culture, and connection.