Advertisement
Published: July 31st 2019
Hello Bloggers, Friends, and Family,
I am no longer going to apologize for my tardiness when it comes to uploading blogs, as I have come to terms with who I am as a person. This past few weeks have been absolutely amazing, I have been working on the maternity unit at the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, mainly in the labour suite and antenatal ward. These two areas of the ward are for women prior to active labour and then active labour. So I have been doing so much baby cuddling, since beginning on the labour ward I have helped deliver roughly 25 babies.
I have been able to be part of 2 successful infant resuscitations. The first was a preterm infant at 32 weeks, he was so tiny but his little heart was beating so hard, and his lungs were just taking a little bit longer to catch up, when he finally took a breath on his own it was one of the best feelings I have had. Once he was breathing we moved him over to the NICU for a little bit more help. The second infant was delivered on the floor of the
MUST
The campus from atop the flyover we crossed every day!! waiting area, so this infant I was dealing with on my own, again a preterm infant who needed a little bit of extra help breathing, eventually a doctor came and assisted me and we got the baby breathing on her own and she was able to go to the ward with her mother.
I have also been part of a vaginal delivery of twins, who actually didn’t need much support breathing and were breastfeeding within 2 hours of delivery.
I have also been able to go to the operating theatre and watch a few caesarean sections which I really enjoy being part of. I work alongside the midwife and take the baby once it is delivered. All of the doctors and nurses laugh at me frequently because I love to hold the infants for as long as I can once I have provided them all the necessary care. They find this funny, as it is common for the infant to be left in the warmer while they do other work, but I would rather hold the baby and chart my notes.
Working at the hospital on the maternity ward has made me realize my
Sister Peruth and I
Standing in postnatal ward (After delivery)! passion for labour and delivery nursing, as well as neonatal and pediatric nursing. So when I return to Canada I know the areas I would want to try to specialize my nursing care in.
I have also been privileged enough to make friends with a nurse on the pediatric ward. So I have been able to shadow him during his shift and help with his workload, which has been very educational as I have been able to work with tetanus, measles, malaria, and acute malnourished children. All of these diseases are not commonly seen in Canada so I am able to learn different pathologies and medications that are related more towards tropical medicine.
This past Sunday was our last at the University Baptist Church here in Mbarara and it was very hard to say goodbye to such incredible people, who welcomed us into their church with such open arms. I am so thankful to serve a God who remains constant even in a totally different nation, that I can come as a Christian and be welcomed into his house all the way in Africa. It is beginning to set in that my time in Africa is
The sisters and I
Again, a photoshoot in postnatal! drawing to an end, as I say goodbye to friends I may never cross paths with again. When the Pastor was saying goodbye to us he told us we would always have a home in Uganda, which I am so honored to have called my home for the past few months. It is incredible that Mbarara feels like home here and I can’t believe we will be leaving on Thursday morning!
Thanks for reading,
Brooke
Advertisement
Tot: 0.11s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 8; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0683s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
