November 14, 2011

Wow!  What a day! I guess this is what I would call our first real day at the hospital.  I got assigned to the Maternity Ward.  Everything I know about maternity nursing I learned in a classroom over 4 years ago.   Things weren't really organized at all so we just kinda jumped in to help when and where we could.  It turned out that I was the only one that rounded on the patients in the maternity ward and I was the one writing orders to be done...umm yeah I was more than a little out of my scope of practice.  One of the hardest things today was getting used to their different medications, equipment and ways of practice.  For example, they didn't have ultrasound machines so we listened to fetal heart rates through this aluminum funnel thing.  We wanted to induce labor on another woman but didn't have any IV pumps to drip medications.  Also, they call all the drugs different names.  I really felt out of my element and had to rely on the medical staff there to not only help me to figure out how to treat these women but for translation to even be able to talk to them.  Most of the staff at the hospital were actually students or government paid employees.  The government didn't really check in on them or have any kinda of accountability for them so sometimes they would show up but other times not. 

We made it through rounds and I effectively treated 14 maternity patients.  Just when I thought I could breathe a sigh of relief I hear screaming from down the hall and in the delivery room.   I run into the room to see a woman in labor on the ground with the baby's head half way out.  Looking around I quickly realize that I'm probably the one most qualified to help besides the Ugandan Midwife student.  So I gloved up and we helped get the baby out the rest of the way.  We cut the cord and cleaned him off and assessed him.  He was a healthy 2.2kg beautiful baby boy. Wow, I helped deliver a baby. My first successful delivery in a third world hospital with no electricity, water, epidurals, nothing.  Once the baby was cleaned up, I got to hand him to one proud mother. I have to admit I was pretty proud at that moment, too! To help bring new life in the world was so amazing.  Words can not describe the emotions and excitement felt from this experience.
 This afternoon I helped in the children's ward a little.  I was helping to hold for an IV and they used the same needle multiple times on the child to stick for an IV.  They didn't use gloves.  Their standards are no where near what ours are at home.  I am excited to help with this hospital and see the changes that are to come.  Can't wait for to tomorrow.  I'm ready to jump in again!