Haiti nursing experience

I thought that I knew all about transcultural nursing when I wrote about Yoshi- the young Hassidic Jewish patient we cared for and got through his bone marrow transplant.
I didn't think that caring for Haitians and the nurses would qualify for this writing post. I'll give it my best shot.

Last January I traveled to Haitii with 2 other nursing faculty to give the nurses an inservice- or what we call in the US "Continuing nursing education" (CEU's.) The nurses in Haitii do not have CEU's. They get through their education and have no other benefits to further their education. At my school of nursing, we thought- why can't we offer them continuing ed?

We stayed on the grounds of Hopital Sacre Coure (Sacred Heart) and worked in this 68 bed hospital. This hospital is in Milou, about 12 miles from Cap Haitian. The 12 mile journey is over an hour by Land Rover due to the horrific roads. I quickly learned that there was no running water. No plumping for the clinics- though the hospital thanks to the sisters- had toilets.

Nurses out there- we had 1 sink for 68 patients. We had 1 sharps box for 68 patients. We had no running water to drink- so if you didn't bring your own water- you were thirsty. My colleagues and I went back to our "dorm" rooms for lunch and hydration. Up again after 2, back to the hospital. Our hosts made us lunch and provided us with drinking water. We spent the remaining evening giving care, providing inservices and just trying to "be there" for our Haitian nurses. They work much longer shifts then I ever do in the US. What was very different is that for the patients who made it to our hospital- their care givers had to provide food and water. Hopital Sacre Coure has no cafeteria. No water. That is the way it is in most 3rd world countries. The family/friends have to provide food and often bed clothes- though here we did have a laundry.
Food for the patients you wonder? Just outside of the "emergency room" is an out door market. Probably the only income for many- they make rice soup, fried plaintains, fried veggies of what ever they can find. To have a job is a luxury- and to provide food for the patients of our hospital is guaranteed job. Family members have to buy food AND water for their patients. We had no water to offer them. I could change dressings.... but could not offer the burn patient a sip of water. I was nearly passing out due to the severity of her burns. Gagging. She was moaning. All I could do was hold her good hand and help her to fall asleep without medication. Haunts me as she probably died from her horrific injuries.

I came back to our dorms each night tired but thankful. I ate a lot of rice. Took 1 skimpy shower in a week. Didn't wash my hair- had no water. Took care of a lot of suffering Haitians who were so grateful for all that we did.
Flew back to Ft. Lauderdale and was shell shocked at the waste.
Wish every nurse. Or American Teen could see the horrific conditions that exist just miles from our shores.

My practice today has changed and I try hard to educate my students about watching what we waste and are careless about.
Soap box? Off of for now...