Traveling to India

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In two weeks I am traveling abroad to work in India, more specifically the south, the state Tamil Nadu- has anyone worked there, or anywhere in India?

If anyone has and would like to share, I am wondering how the clinical setting, patient care, medicine and anything else differs from here in the united states?? I want to be as prepared as possible.

If anyone can help me out I would be very appreciative! Thank you

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Perhaps ask on an India-centric forum? While we're international, I doubt that you will gain much insight from members here. Especially in only 2 weeks' time.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

There is a huge range of health care available, depends on if is a rich private hospital or a public one. Nursing duties have totally different expectations. In the public hospitals family is expected to provide the bedside care. Nurses start the IVs, but the family may have to take a prescription to the pharmacy and buy the IV bag and tubing; or buy the bottle of meds to be given. Not too many pumps available.

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We only had one defibrillator/pacer; so when a pt needed to go to another hospital while in 3rd degree block, the hospital didn't have one on site during transport, and an MD had to go with it to bring it back. Used Ace bandaging to prevent DVTs. Nurses didn't tend to do a lot of assessments, not the way US nurses do. Saw a fair number of treatments, that we don't do anymore here such as neddi pots. Lots of stuff we consider disposable are cleaned and reused.

Get people to give you their extra stethescopes, etc., as not all nurses can afford their own. Take an extra water bottle, our hospital had filtered water stations to fill up from. Scrubs tended to be in the OR, when I wore a scrub top and pants without my lab coat, my friend was shocked that when I told her that was my usual uniform. They had a few nurses who wore white uniforms with pants, many still wear the white saris. Lab coats are almost exclusively for doctors and med students, but I was told to wear one as nursing faculty since I didn't have the school sari.

Now, that is my one small slice of exposure; at a private charity hospital.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to the International Nursing forum

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