September 2nd, 2020 
Peer Responses:
Length: A minimum of 150 words per post, not including references
Citations: At least one high-level scholarly reference in APA per post from within the last 5 years
Citations need to be within 5 (Five) years
Context: Nursing in the USA
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Costa Rica Healthcare Beliefs and Spiritual Influences
Basic Provision Units of Integrated Healthcare aka EBAIS, is the universal healthcare model for Costa Rica. Many in the USA would love to have universal government run healthcare and others would not. Either way this works for the average Costa Rican perhaps due to some areas being impoverished economically. This barrier is overcome which helps people receive comprehensive and coordinated primary care across many medical disciplines (Pesec et al., 2017). Costa Rican health practices are influenced by diverse religious, biomedical, and supernatural beliefs. Costa Ricans, especially those in rural areas, may have turned to traditional or spiritual beliefs as an alternative source of strength. Especially those people not quite ready to trust a modern health system and use of medicinal plants by certain tribes (Doucleff, 2013). Also, somewhat unique is the burial process which is quite quick, often burying the dead within one day. This speed often leaves people left out and feeling lack of closure with sometimes years of sadness or depression. Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula is one of the world’s Blue Zones, where scientists have studied and proven that locals have the longest life expectancy of anyone in the world. People on the Nicoya Peninsula are expected to have productive lives well into their 90’s. So, this genetic mystery will be studied for years to come to hopefully one day discover the DNA reasons for such healthy longevity. Generally speaking, most Costa Ricans believe good and evil effect their health. They may drink a glass of water at bedtime to clean the body and they might be quick to think a prayer not answered for healing is their own fault for lack of faith.
References
Cultures Of the Costa Rican World, 2017, Cavendish Publishing; retrieved from: https://books.
google.com/books?id=6ndmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=folklore+medicine+costa+ricans
Pesec, M., Ratcliffe, H., L., Karlage, A., Hirschhorn, L., Gawande, A., & Bitton, A. (2017). Primary
health care that works: The Costa Rican experience. Health Affairs, 36 (3), 531-538. Retrieved from
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/pdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1319
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