An eye-opening experience

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I just returned from a surgical mission trip to a third world country. This was the first time I had ever traveled outside of the US (the Bahamas don't really count).

The hospital was in horrible disrepair. In the wards, windows had been broken, and the nearest piece of cloth covered them. Wards were accessed by outside 'open air' hallways, so it was not unusual to see cats, dogs and birds wandering about the wards. The hospital did not supply linens, food, or even toilet paper for the patients. The families had to bring them. If the pt had no family, they were lying on bare, ripped and dirty mattresses. I saw several families offering food and toiletries to the pts who had nothing.

Sterility was a joke. The same linens that covered the back table from the previous pt's surgery became the linen that covered the OR bed for the next pt. When I protested and tried to explain blood borne pathogens, I was shut down. This was simply the way it was done. I was pushed aside while the circulating nurse covered the (not even wiped down) back table with the next set of drapes.

I saw pediatric patients who had horrible illnesses due to alcoholism. There were several pts admitted due to failed suicide attempts in which we were asked to repair shattered bones, cut nerves, and disfigured limbs. There were countless machete wounds-the youngest being 7 years old. One woman had one of her hands cut off by a machete because her husband didn't like the way she prepared dinner that night.

Our translator told me not to question anything that the local docs say. She said to keep quiet. When I asked her about this, she told me that the nurses were slapped DURING ROUNDS, in front of the entire ward when they ask for any sort of clarification. They don't work specific hours, but work until there is a lull in the workflow. Some of the nurses travel for 4 hours by bus to and from the hospital. Many of them don't even have electricity in their homes. The nurses make $2,000 dollars per year. The surgeons make $7,000. The politicians make $80,000.

I will be the first to admit that I do my fair share of bellyaching when it comes to the challenges we face as nurses here in the US. Although I don't promise to be silent when I see something that endangers my patient, I do promise to be more patient overall and will further promise to nip petty complaints in the bud.

We are so lucky to live in this country. We as nurses continue to achieve more and more. We have that right, we have that freedom, and we have a board of nursing to rely upon. We have departments in which we can file complaints, we have laws that prohibit violence in the workplace. We have mentoring programs, we have quality control committees, safety committees, retention committees...we have so much here that enable us to grow and learn. We have clinical ladders, we have scholarships for new students, we have the right to voice our opinions.

I took for granted the amount of resources we have here in our fine country. I will never take that for granted again.

[Fiona59]

Travel really does broaden your horizon and open your eyes to how much of the world lives.

My hospital has teams that do orthopedic missions to S. America. Opthamologists that consult via the net with nations in Africa.

Every staff member that has gone out on one of these trips, comes back with the same "we don't know how good we have it and neither do our patients" mantra. Walk for 50 miles on the chance that you might be seen and wait patiently? Be told come back and we'll fix it next year, and they come back. Our patients complain at waiting six weeks for the same surgery.

[leslie :-D]

thanks for this, canes.

i'm very sad now...and grateful.

leslie

[Trekfan]

i just returned from a surgical mission trip to a third world country. this was the first time i had ever traveled outside of the us (the bahamas don't really count).

the hospital was in horrible disrepair. in the wards, windows had been broken, and the nearest piece of cloth covered them. wards were accessed by outside 'open air' hallways, so it was not unusual to see cats, dogs and birds wandering about the wards. the hospital did not supply linens, food, or even toilet paper for the patients. the families had to bring them. if the pt had no family, they were lying on bare, ripped and dirty mattresses. i saw several families offering food and toiletries to the pts who had nothing.

sterility was a joke. the same linens that covered the back table from the previous pt's surgery became the linen that covered the or bed for the next pt. when i protested and tried to explain blood borne pathogens, i was shut down. this was simply the way it was done. i was pushed aside while the circulating nurse covered the (not even wiped down) back table with the next set of drapes.

do these people go to school ????????

i saw pediatric patients who had horrible illnesses due to alcoholism. there were several pts admitted due to failed suicide

attempts in which we were asked to repair shattered bones, cut nerves, and disfigured limbs. there were countless machete wounds-the youngest being 7 years old. [color=rgb(139, 0, 0)][color=rgb(139, 0, 0)]one woman had one of her hands cut off by a machete because her husband didn't like the way she prepared dinner that night. omg what happen to that poor woman ???

our translator told me not to question anything that the local docs say. she said to keep quiet. when i asked her about this, she told me that the nurses were slapped during rounds, in front of the entire ward when they ask for any sort of clarification. they don't work specific hours, but work until there is a lull in the workflow. some of the nurses travel for 4 hours by bus to and from the hospital. many of them don't even have electricity in their homes. the nurses make $2,000 dollars per year. the surgeons make $7,000. the politicians make $80,000.

i will be the first to admit that i do my fair share of bellyaching when it comes to the challenges we face as nurses here in the us. although i don't promise to be silent when i see something that endangers my patient, i do promise to be more patient overall and will further promise to nip petty complaints in the bud.

we are so lucky to live in this country. we as nurses continue to achieve more and more. we have that right, we have that freedom, and we have a board of nursing to rely upon. we have departments in which we can file complaints, we have laws that prohibit violence in the workplace. we have mentoring programs, we have quality control committees, safety committees, retention committees...we have so much here that enable us to grow and learn. we have clinical ladders, we have scholarships for new students, we have the right to voice our opinions.

i took for granted the amount of resources we have here in our fine country. i will never take that for granted again.

:crying2::crying2:

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Moved to nursing articles.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

thanks for this, canes.

i'm very sad now...and grateful.

leslie

Don't be sad, my dear friend. Every trip we make down there means that we are helping. I noticed that the staff were intently watching every move I made, and started mimicking my practices. Some of the staff were very resistant to our presence, and some were very interested. The more we expose the staff to better practices, the better care the patients receive.

I understand that I can't save the world, the community, the small village. But I CAN continue to educate foreign nurses, one by one. In turn, the nurses will educate their patients. The patients will be better cared for, feel more trusting of the nurses, and encourage their families to seek the healthcare that they so desperately need.

This is a starting point. I will continue to go to this hospital biannually until the day that I can't move any longer.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

:crying2::crying2:

Trek,

Yes, they go to school. But you have to be mindful that their idea of school is not the same as ours here in the US. They are TRYING. They want to understand, but are limited by various roadblocks. We have to keep educating them and helping them to understand. Their practices are implemented by docs that the nurses have learned to be fearful of. They can't question the practices there.

It serves no purpose to be judgmental of these nurses. Our mission is to educate them, and that can be a very long and tedious process. I am willing if they are. That's all we can do.

[leslie :-D]

seriously, i pity the doctor that ever slapped me.

next time i saw him, he'd be crawling.

leslie

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

seriously, i pity the doctor that ever slapped me.

next time i saw him, he'd be crawling.

leslie

I'm right there with you...but remember, we may also lose our hands to an ax! I'm sure it's just a whole different culture compared to anything we have ever known. Thank the Lord!

[OCNRN63, RN]

seriously, i pity the doctor that ever slapped me.

next time i saw him, he'd be crawling.

leslie

Need the "more kudos" option for that post.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I agree, Les. But these nurses have very little, if any autonomy. We were there during rallies for the upcoming presidential elections, and there was quite a bit of unrest. The local residents who expressed any sort of dissent for the incumbent president were beaten. We saw many patients that had orbital fractures and mandible fractures. It was a scary time there, and silence was golden.

I felt so badly for these nurses. They can't express any sort of opinions AT ALL. They must follow orders without question. The nurses were watched carefully by the 20 something male residents. It felt suffocating just being in the wards.

[Trekfan]

Trek,

Yes, they go to school. But you have to be mindful that their idea of school is not the same as ours here in the US. They are TRYING. They want to understand, but are limited by various roadblocks. We have to keep educating them and helping them to understand. Their practices are implemented by docs that the nurses have learned to be fearful of. They can't question the practices there.

It serves no purpose to be judgmental of these nurses. Our mission is to educate them, and that can be a very long and tedious process. I am willing if they are. That's all we can do.

I just fell so sorry for those people and that poor woman ! do they have drugs over there ? if they do not have sheets I would think drugs for the people having surgery would be hard to find ?