It Takes A Village To Raise A Nurse

                                                                                                                                 

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in-between posts but there is so much going on! Clinical days in the heat, post-conference chats and assignments, new cultural experiences, illness, and power/water outages are keeping this obruni busy.  This past week has been a whirl in the world of gynecology and obstetrics and I am learning TONS!  The nursing staff or "sisters/aunties" as we call them are wonderful and continue to extend warm welcomes and learning opportunities our way.  There is an enormous focus on team nursing here and the nurses and physicians are more than eager to pass their knowledge on.  I continue to be amazed by the level of hospitality and respect.  Ghanaian culture brings a while new meaning to "friendship" and even an acquaintance is treated like an old friend.  I know more of my neighbors here at ISH than I ever did living in an apartment complex in Canada where people frequently feel rushed and avoid spending an exorbitant amount of time on a greeting.  Speaking of ISH, here it is (above)!  

My clinical experiences have been... interesting.  The vast difference between the health care systems is very apparent.  Each shift brings new knowledge and, at times, extreme frustration.  Working in a resource poor system is probably the most challenging experience I've ever encountered in nursing.  If you don't have a tourniquet, use the rim of your latex glove or cut a piece of IV tubing.  No gauze, cotton will have to do.  The nurses here find a way to get by one way or another.  I'm even learning how to be cautious in how much "plaster" or tape I use to secure nasal prongs or an IV.  Every resource counts.

Some of my new besties in Ghana are included in the above.  The first pic is my new friend Kofi.  He can make any bad day better because he is always smiling. I know I can depend on my girls here at ISH.  All of them are so unique and adventurous.  The center picture is of some of us venturing out in "tro-tros" (think city buses only crowded sweaty, vans).  Lastly, WATER!  Can't get by any day without it!  I have tons of other pics but I will have to attempt the upload on a better WIFI night and a full battery.  Love you and miss you all! XOXO

Akwaaba!

Dated February 10

Hello again everyone! What a great first week in Ghana!  I have so much to tell you already.  To date I have worked my first two shifts at 37 Military Hospital.  I am currently working in the FOPD which is an outpatient obstetric ward.  I am learning tons regarding the assessment and care of high risk pregnant women.  I am very privileged to work with the midwives in Ghana and am recognizing how essential this health care speciality is in this part of the world.  The health care professionals here are some of the most dedicated individuals I have ever seen.  The high volume of patients coupled with few resources makes for an interesting mix and it is amazing to see how resourceful some medical professionals have to be to get by.  My biggest struggle so far is with the language.  Often some of the clients do not speak much English or are more comfortable speaking Twi (sounds like CH-WE).  So much emphasis in health care in Ghana is focused on rapport building and language is crucial.  This can pose a problem for this “Obruni” (white person) but my efforts are being recognized by the clients and they smile and laugh with me.  This helps and bit by bit clients open up to me more.  I completed my first independent assessment with the help of one of my peers and Grandma Abigail (my preceptor).    I will be posting more specific stories about my clinical experiences once I get a full week of shifts.  For the meantime, here are a few pics of the hospital and the girls in their “sexy” scrub dresses.  Just so you know, we are not nearly as cute by the end of shift once we have sweated through our slips and uniforms!

The best experience so far has been living in the hostel.  Every day I meet someone new and interesting from Ghana or another part of the world.  Everyone is SO WELCOMING which is why I titled this post “Akwaaba” which literally translates to “you are welcome” in Twi (sounds like CH-WE).  Hostel living does have a few inconveniences.  Rolling blackouts, water shortages, mosquitos/cockroaches/ants, just to name a few BUT I wouldn’t trade this for anything at the moment.  Silverlinings my friends is what it’s all about.  For instance, I can buy my breakfast from the car window in the middle of rush hour traffic and barter the price down without pulling into a drive through.  That’s efficiency.  I also have the best roommate in the world, Jaime, who is extremely easy going and a great soundboard for those not so great days when I miss home.   

  

This weekend the gang went to Labadi Beach.  We got to relax with some chilled drinks all afternoon and enjoy the ocean and sun.  I got to play soccer with some of the locals and show them my skills…NOOOT.  Even though I have two left feet and cannot kick a ball straight to save my life I had a fricken blast!  BEST CLINICAL EVER.  I look forward to week 2 and cannot wait to share more experiences with all of you! Thank you to my friends and family who continue to send me encouraging messages.  I re-read them all the time to feel closer to home J.     

Hot Mess

Hello from Africa! I am so happy to finally be in Ghana! I must admit the flight was not my favourite part. I now have a new definition of "hot mess". Hot mess = +30 C humidity and no running water! After over 30 hours of fly time, lay overs, and no sleep, I finally landed in Accra on Feb 3 at approximately 2000h local time. After the chaos that is Accra International Airport, my peers and I finally made it to ISH (International Student Hostel) where we were told there was presently no running water and that most toilets were backed up. This was hardly enough to damper my mood on the first night. By night  two however, I was feeling particularly ripe and quickly learned where to purchase plastic buckets at the night market. For the first time since I was small enough to fit in my grandma's sink. I was less than efficient and most of my bucket water ended up on the floor. I could not wash my hair and that was unfortunate because my mop of a head soaks up sweat like a sponge. My first impressions of Ghana are that of shock and amazement. The culture is energetic and unique. The people are warm and welcoming. But images of extreme poverty and disparity are everywhere. Lesson #1 so far is to be grateful for the little things, even something simple as a shower (even I it is cold).  Love you and miss you all! XOXO from Africa! Pictures to come soon!

P.S. FYI as I finished this post, the electricity cut out!