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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Making a Difference
The medical brigades offer a wide range of free services to remote communities who do not have regular medical access. People may come for eyeglasses, blood pressure check ups, to get vitamins, parasite medication or just to ask for food and clothing.
I truly enjoyed everything about this experience. It would be hard to pick just one thing that I liked the most. I liked being able to make a positive difference in some of their lives. It is very gratifying to give someone the ability to see for the first time in years with a pair of glasses, or to give a 12 year old child their first pair of shoes and see them racing around the yard.
Spending time with the children by painting their nails, putting their hair in ponies, playing soccer or getting mobbed by them for more stickers was very fulfilling.
The thing I liked the least about this experience, was that it had to end. Although I missed my family, I was not ready to come home. We ran into a few frustrations of running out of certain medications and not having clothing and shoes to fit everyone. But the most heart wrenching was turning people away in line because the day was ending, there was never enough time.
I truly enjoyed everything about this experience. It would be hard to pick just one thing that I liked the most. I liked being able to make a positive difference in some of their lives. It is very gratifying to give someone the ability to see for the first time in years with a pair of glasses, or to give a 12 year old child their first pair of shoes and see them racing around the yard.
Spending time with the children by painting their nails, putting their hair in ponies, playing soccer or getting mobbed by them for more stickers was very fulfilling.
The thing I liked the least about this experience, was that it had to end. Although I missed my family, I was not ready to come home. We ran into a few frustrations of running out of certain medications and not having clothing and shoes to fit everyone. But the most heart wrenching was turning people away in line because the day was ending, there was never enough time.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Communication Breakdown
What can be more frustrating or upsetting than for a nurse not to be able to communicate with his or her patient? Or the other way around for that matter.
On the medical brigade to Honduras, I learned to take posture, facial expressions and actions into consideration while assessing patients. The people of Honduras speak Spanish, and I do not.
I was able to assist the dentist with extractions and we had a young teenage boy come into her chair. We did not have a translator because the dentist knew enough Spanish to communicate what she needed to with the patients. So she spoke to the boy in Spanish and asked him to open his mouth so she could examine him. While doing this she was also making hand motions, so the boy opened his mouth. Once the examine was finished, she told the boy she had to pull 4 of his teeth, but she would give him a needle so that it didn't hurt him. The boy just shook his head. We both assumed that he understood what she was telling him. I loaded the syringes for the dentist and we got ready to start. The boy took one look at the needles and almost jumped out of the chair. He looked scared to death. We both tried to talk to him, with me not knowing very much Spanish, it was quite difficult to try and calm him. I know most kids and adults too are not a lover of the dentist or the needles, but this boy was really acting like he didn't know what was happening.
It turned out that the boy was deaf. Both of his ears were closed in and he could not hear a word the dentist was telling him. He knew that the dentist would be there and would be able to help him, but didn't know how it would be happening. We were able to find a local that could communicate with him and help him understand the procedure that needed to be done. He had his teeth pulled and was very cooperative.
During the time that we didn't know that he was deaf and he was really scared, my heart sank. I felt absolutely terrible that I could not help this poor boy. We kept a translator close by for the rest of the trip!
On the medical brigade to Honduras, I learned to take posture, facial expressions and actions into consideration while assessing patients. The people of Honduras speak Spanish, and I do not.
I was able to assist the dentist with extractions and we had a young teenage boy come into her chair. We did not have a translator because the dentist knew enough Spanish to communicate what she needed to with the patients. So she spoke to the boy in Spanish and asked him to open his mouth so she could examine him. While doing this she was also making hand motions, so the boy opened his mouth. Once the examine was finished, she told the boy she had to pull 4 of his teeth, but she would give him a needle so that it didn't hurt him. The boy just shook his head. We both assumed that he understood what she was telling him. I loaded the syringes for the dentist and we got ready to start. The boy took one look at the needles and almost jumped out of the chair. He looked scared to death. We both tried to talk to him, with me not knowing very much Spanish, it was quite difficult to try and calm him. I know most kids and adults too are not a lover of the dentist or the needles, but this boy was really acting like he didn't know what was happening.
It turned out that the boy was deaf. Both of his ears were closed in and he could not hear a word the dentist was telling him. He knew that the dentist would be there and would be able to help him, but didn't know how it would be happening. We were able to find a local that could communicate with him and help him understand the procedure that needed to be done. He had his teeth pulled and was very cooperative.
During the time that we didn't know that he was deaf and he was really scared, my heart sank. I felt absolutely terrible that I could not help this poor boy. We kept a translator close by for the rest of the trip!
Peterborough Medical Brigade
Honduras is located in Central America. It is bordered by Nicaragua and El Salvador and to the west by Guatemala. Three quarters of the country is composed of rugged hills and mountains. It has 2 seasons: rainy and dry. It is believed to be the poorest country in South America. It has a total population of seven and a half million people, with seventy percent of them living in poverty. Forty percent have no access to healthy water resources and over half of the population is made up of single mothers and children. The illiteracy rate is sixty percent, with an average of only three grades of schooling. The people are predominantly Roman Catholic, ninety percent of them are Mestizo and their main language is Spanish.
Friends of Honduran Children believe in helping one child at a time by implementing stable programs, instead of quick and easy solutions. They provide the supplies and skill that Hondurans need to become independent. They want to improve the quality of life of the impoverished Honduran children and their families by meeting their basic needs and then empowering them to break the cycle of poverty that currently controls their lives.
Information retrieved from: www.friendsofhonduranchildren.com
Retrieved from: www.youtube.com
Friends of Honduran Children believe in helping one child at a time by implementing stable programs, instead of quick and easy solutions. They provide the supplies and skill that Hondurans need to become independent. They want to improve the quality of life of the impoverished Honduran children and their families by meeting their basic needs and then empowering them to break the cycle of poverty that currently controls their lives.
Information retrieved from: www.friendsofhonduranchildren.com
Retrieved from: www.youtube.com
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Blogging for Nurses
Well, blogging is very new for me, but I can already see how enchanting it is!
I have had a chance to view a few other nursing blogs and find that there a lot of interesting information out there. Blogging allows me to contact other colleagues about articles or postings that they have written. I can see blogging as a benefit to me by allowing the access to post questions and ask for feedback. At the same time I can add a personal touch to my page that links my personality. I think it is important to be able to view other professional opinions, especially while I am a student. It is a great communication tool that can be focused on my profession.
I have had a chance to view a few other nursing blogs and find that there a lot of interesting information out there. Blogging allows me to contact other colleagues about articles or postings that they have written. I can see blogging as a benefit to me by allowing the access to post questions and ask for feedback. At the same time I can add a personal touch to my page that links my personality. I think it is important to be able to view other professional opinions, especially while I am a student. It is a great communication tool that can be focused on my profession.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Intro to my Blog
Hi, My name is Cherie and welcome to my blog spot!
I am currently an RPN bridging towards my RN BScN and will be making nursing related entries throughout my program. I hope you will find them interesting.
I love nursing and have been interested in this profession my whole life. I came to acheive my RPN later in my years with great family support. I did not finish highschool as a teenager, but graduated grade 12 with honors before I started my college education. This was for my own sastistaction and did not want to start college without finishing highschool first. I feel that I set higher goals for myself, which help enhance my education.
I currently work in a hospital setting which has given me great learning opportunities, not only about nursing, but about union politics and hospital procedures. I am looking forward to furthering my education with this program and working as an RN in the future.
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