Ecstatic doesn’t even begin to describe how crazy excited I am right now for this trip! This morning I was laying in bed, flipping through pictures on instagram when my phone started ringing with this crazy 15 digit phone number on the caller ID. I answered it because I was curious and sure enough, it was the UK calling to discuss my clinical interests for Ghana. You see, the program that we’ve chosen to take us on our international nursing experience is based out of the UK, so every time a question pops up we get to talk to someone with a really sweet British accent. And so, this was my situation this morning as I sprung into action, grabbing a pen and some scrap paper to make notes while the lovely Charlotte from the UK asked me what I was interested in.
After discussing the options in the program at length, it was decided that making the most of our time in Ghana was a must. Therefore, I’ve agreed to spend about a week and a half in the labour and delivery ward, where I will get to assist nurses bring beautiful babies into the world! Then, after expressing my interest in the neonatal intensive care unit, Charlotte signed me up to spend a week there. No doubt the NICU will be the most difficult part of the placement; most of the babies in the NICU are there as a result of malaria. Despite the government’s best efforts to stress the importance of taking pre-natal anti-malarials to prevent the transmission of malaria from mother to fetus, it still happens. Lots. Which seems completely crazy to me because they have ways of preventing it. After the week in the NICU, I will get to spend a few days in the Child and Reproductive Health Clinic. I’m basically beyond STOKED for this, because I’ll get to do some community outreach! How sweet is that?! I’ll get to help weigh babies, take blood pressures, AND administer immunizations to kids to keep them healthy!! I’m really excited for this, although it's not a lot skill-wise, it's still very hands-on and it can have a big impact on the patients’ lives. Lastly, I’ll get to spend a few days working in the HIV clinic. HIV is unfortunately one of the first things that spring to mind when you think of Africa’s health problems, and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to see what healthcare providers are doing to help treat and manage those who are living with the disease.
Of course, moments after this phone call ended, I texted Kiri, who was still sleeping. After spamming her for a bit, I gave up and decided to take my dog for a walk. I headed outside, only to be greeted to temperatures of -27 degrees celcius. Needless to say, it was a very brisk walk but by the time I got back, Kiri was about half awake and calling me in a sleepy (but excited!) haze. Being that we’re basically the same person interested in all the same stuff, Kiri is hoping to do the same things that I’m doing while we’re there. Her phone call from the UK should be coming on Friday morning, so stay tuned for her blog post about how everything is finally feeling real for her!
Speaking of that, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m actually going to be getting on a plane to Ghana in 90-something days. And that I need to figure out a way to pack my entire life for 2 months into a bag that I can fit on carry-on because I’m paranoid that the airlines will make a mistake with checked luggage and I’ll end up abroad with nothing. I think the biggest thing is really coming to terms with the fact that we’ll be gone for 2 months… it still seems beyond crazy to me.
-L
After discussing the options in the program at length, it was decided that making the most of our time in Ghana was a must. Therefore, I’ve agreed to spend about a week and a half in the labour and delivery ward, where I will get to assist nurses bring beautiful babies into the world! Then, after expressing my interest in the neonatal intensive care unit, Charlotte signed me up to spend a week there. No doubt the NICU will be the most difficult part of the placement; most of the babies in the NICU are there as a result of malaria. Despite the government’s best efforts to stress the importance of taking pre-natal anti-malarials to prevent the transmission of malaria from mother to fetus, it still happens. Lots. Which seems completely crazy to me because they have ways of preventing it. After the week in the NICU, I will get to spend a few days in the Child and Reproductive Health Clinic. I’m basically beyond STOKED for this, because I’ll get to do some community outreach! How sweet is that?! I’ll get to help weigh babies, take blood pressures, AND administer immunizations to kids to keep them healthy!! I’m really excited for this, although it's not a lot skill-wise, it's still very hands-on and it can have a big impact on the patients’ lives. Lastly, I’ll get to spend a few days working in the HIV clinic. HIV is unfortunately one of the first things that spring to mind when you think of Africa’s health problems, and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to see what healthcare providers are doing to help treat and manage those who are living with the disease.
Of course, moments after this phone call ended, I texted Kiri, who was still sleeping. After spamming her for a bit, I gave up and decided to take my dog for a walk. I headed outside, only to be greeted to temperatures of -27 degrees celcius. Needless to say, it was a very brisk walk but by the time I got back, Kiri was about half awake and calling me in a sleepy (but excited!) haze. Being that we’re basically the same person interested in all the same stuff, Kiri is hoping to do the same things that I’m doing while we’re there. Her phone call from the UK should be coming on Friday morning, so stay tuned for her blog post about how everything is finally feeling real for her!
Speaking of that, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m actually going to be getting on a plane to Ghana in 90-something days. And that I need to figure out a way to pack my entire life for 2 months into a bag that I can fit on carry-on because I’m paranoid that the airlines will make a mistake with checked luggage and I’ll end up abroad with nothing. I think the biggest thing is really coming to terms with the fact that we’ll be gone for 2 months… it still seems beyond crazy to me.
-L