Clinical

So I’ve been thinking it would be good to sum up how clinical has been as I know there are those who are interested and curious. Clinical is at four different locations: Ethembeni, East Boom, Mason’s Clinic, and Caprisa.

I have already done a post on Ethembeni so you should check that out. But basically it’s amazing. Ethembeni is the hospice for patients affecting by HIV. While assigned there, you also go on house visits to people in the township who have HIV. On the house visits, the major emphasis is on spiritual care. The opportunity to experience this side of community nursing is such a privilege and rare treat. In the future, I would like to see more holistic care with house visits but a majority of those who do house visits are either from the church or unlicensed caregivers. So hint hint, for those future nursing students coming to SA, this could be a community health project to teach them some basic assessment skills. For half of our groups' community health project, we will actually be focusing on teaching the caregivers how to take blood pressure, what that means, and what to do about it. The other group will be focusing on health assessment for the kids at the family center. The family center is the other location you visit while assigned to Ethembeni. The kids there are a joy and privilege to hold and love. Quick tip future nursing students: let down your hair when you are there-the kids love to play with it!

Another site is East Boom which can be bittersweet to be honest. The experience is one of a kind and eye opening. The clinic is always overrun with patients from all over. It is funded by the province and free to all. There are three main units that you can visit when there: ARV, PMTCT, and TB (but I think we will begin going to the Peds unit as well soon). The ARV (antiretrovirals) unit is heart wrenching. When there you may be assigned to follow a doctor or, most commonly, observe/help/assist the phlebotomist who takes blood for testing the viral load, CD4 count, AST, and ALT. I did countless blood draws there-I am a pro now. lol not really. But I feel much more confident about drawing blood now. The PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission) is um..amazing. I did some TB checks, drew blood, and observed/assisted nurse as able. The TB unit can be pretty boring but it all depends on the nurse you get. East boom can be an amazing experience or one where you are left frustrated with nurses and their attitude. But that is what it is like in the states too. There are nurses who are engaging and those who are don’t care if you are there. Drawing HIV positive blood at East Boom was mind blowing. To think that you are holding in your hand (which is covered by a glove) a tube of blood which has a virus which has the power to take away life is..is..is..crazy. When you walk in the ARV clinic and see the waiting room packed with people who you know are there because they have HIV is heartbreaking. When you see a 16 year old girl come in to get blood drawn because she has HIV is heartbreaking. When you are surrounded by kids hungry for attention because they have been orphaned by HIV is heartbreaking. When you hear that a 3 year old came in to get blood drawn because he has HIV is heartbreaking. When you see the heel of a 6 week old baby being pricked to test if they contracted HIV during delivery is heartbreaking. What does your mind do with this knowledge? With the impact of HIV staring you in the face?

Masons clinic is in the Hunniville township. In the township, there is only one water spigot for each hill of homes. So they have to walk up and down the hill every day for water to drink, bath in, and cook with. The day that I was there I was helping Sister Carson pass out the medications for those with chronic illness. The clinic also has an ARV unit, TB, antenatal, and other units. I will be returning tomorrow to help with blood draws and join Sr. Carson in the antenatal unit. The nurses (or sisters) at Masons are amazing, helpful, and educational. Sr. Carson did not take a break all day last Thursday as we passed meds. We served 60-100 people with their month’s worth of medication for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and more. I was on my feet all day except for lunch break. Through it all, Sr. Carson amazed me by her cheerfulness and her knowledge of almost every single client that came to the clinic. She would know who lives with them, who their husband is, how many kids they have, and more.

The last site, Caprisa, I have not been to yet. But I have heard that you observe and assist wonderful nurses there as well.

Today, we did are teaching project at a school in Mpophemeni. We taught 5 different periods of 8th graders four different teaching projects. The topics were hygiene, dental hygiene, diarrhea, respiratory infection, HIV, and menstruation. The students were attentive, receptive, and eager to learn. Adah and I taught on menstruation without the boys present. It was so exciting to see the girls leaning forward as we taught, eager to learn about menstruation. Our teaching was impeded by time constraints in a few classrooms, since we were the last presentation, but I think they heard the essential parts of the message. I hope that our presentation relieved those fears that often come with the unknown of maturation and prepared them to deal with what is to come.

Since nursing is one of the main reasons that I came here I thought it would be important to share how that has been. Overall, I have been able to do a lot of nursing skills not otherwise given many opportunities to do in the States. I have been shocked and heartbroken. I have experienced joy and compassion. My expectations have been met and exceeded far more than imagined. If you are a nursing student considering going to SA, I urge you to take the leap. Feel free to email with questions.

P.S. I apologize for grammatical and spelling errors and such!