Mish-Mash

Wow.

It has certainly been an interesting two weeks. TWO WEEKS!? Has it really been two weeks.

Holy smokes. Time is flying by. Apologies for not writing more updates, I shall try to do better.

Well, I know I said I would working with fistula patients, but as it turned out I spent my first week working on a different ward with maxillo-facial surgery patients. Including BABIES and KIDS.

*gulp*

Now, I know what you're thinking. "But Danita, don't you love kids? What's wrong with kids?" And on some levels, you'd be right. Kids are pretty awesome. They don't judge you, don't hold grudges, and most decide they're your best friend the minute they meet you. The issue is that these kids are in a hospital. They're in a hospital because they've had surgery (some of them very extensively), and they require treatments and medications.

This last part...that's where things get scary, as a nurse with 100% adult patient experience (unless you count camp, but camp is different. My campers hadn't had recent surgery). So, for my first few shifts I had patients of all shapes and sizes, and I was a little terrified. See, little wee ones require much more precise doses of medication, so you don't, you know. . .kill them. So yeah. Terrified.

This, however, is the Africa Mercy. It's a ship full of people who are all here for the same reason, and they are all IN LOVE with this work. Everyone gives 110%, and when the work is all done, we get to play. So everyone works that much harder, because that means more play time* when the work is done. Needless to say, I was well supported, and am now fairly well acquainted with the way things work with other types of surgical patients. Which is fortunate, since our wards are currently a hodge-podge of patients. From orthopedic kiddos with casts on both legs, to tumor patients with bandages holding their face together, to our beautiful fistula ladies with catheters/stents out the wazzoo.

I've quickly learned that life here rarely goes quite how you expect.

And that being an "Adult Ward Nurse" means pretty much squat. You're a nurse and you're put to work where needed, not where you're comfortable. Regardless of your specialty or experience, you're part of a team that is literally the best in the country.

All in all, the learning curve has been steep, and I'm certainly not at the top yet (despite already training local nurses)! I am, however, starting to feel like this is normal, this is the way we do things, this is where we keep the whatchamacallits, this is called paracetamol (not Tylenol), and I ALMOST don't get lost trying to find the library anymore. Almost.

*PLAY TIME: Singing, dancing, jenga, uno, colouring, racing around in wagons or trikes on deck 7, peek-a-boo, etc.