Only 5 weeks to go until our trip! We are all getting so excited as our trip is fast approaching. We've been doing lots of preparation to ensure we are ready!
It is important that we know exactly which diseases are plaguing the Haitian people so that we can provide the proper nursing interventions, medications, and patient teaching necessary for successful outcomes. We have a list of medications that we are likely to encounter while in Haiti, and we have taken it upon ourselves to split it up between us to write up all the important information we need to know about each one.
We have come to realize that our roles and responsibilites will be much greater once we arrive in Haiti. To prepare for this, we have been holding workshops to learn a new skill or piece of patient education. In early November, we had a a fertility bracelet-making session, where we learned about the purpose of these simple, colored, beaded bracelets. We will distribute them to Haitian women in order to educate them on how to keep track of their menstrual cycles and avoid pregnancy if they desire. Also, a couple weeks ago in the nursing school's simulation lab, Natalie (one of our faculty supervisors on the trip), her husband (anesthesiologist at Boston Children's Hospital), and some of the graduate students held an extremely helpful workshop where we learned how to insert IV catheters in a patient. This is normally a skill that you do not learn until you begin work as an RN! It was a lot of fun, and a little nerve-wracking, as we all tested out our IV-insertion skills on each other (but mostly on Donna and Natalie).
We are looking forward to our next workshop coming up held by mid-wife Amy Smith where we will learn the proper way to deliver babies in case we are hit with an emergency while in Haiti! We are definitely all looking forward to that (and some of us are hoping we can really put that skill to use while we're there!)
Overall, we have had great success with fundraising this semester, and we are very excited to be in the final stretch of preparation for our trip. We will keep you all updated on our December happenings! Look for info on our "Winter Wonderland" alumni event on Saturday, December 8th-coming soon!
Lindsay and Erin :)
P.S. pictures coming soon from some of our workshops!
About Us
- BC Nurses
- For the past two years, a group of nine undergraduate seniors, four graduate family nurse practitioner students, two FNP alumni, and three faculty members in the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College traveled to Haiti to provide nursing care to patients throughout Haiti. This year, another group is going back! Graduate and undergraduate students, along with faculty and alumni, will be working in Haiti from January 5th, 2013 through January 14th. While the BC school of nursing has given us a grant for the trip, we still need to raise a considerable amount of money to pay for supplies, equipment, and another necessities for the Haitians we will be treating and meeting. We will be updating you throughout the semester and even after our trip on the fundraising efforts, as well as our personal preparations for this journey. We're all VERY excited, and we hope that you will be too!
Undergrads going to Haiti in 2012!
BC in Haiti 2012-2013!
Great info, thanks for posting. If you are looking for a portable bbq then you really shouldn’t look any further. This thang rocks!
ReplyDelete