CarlyJayne

Unfortunately, we were not able to see any deliveries today because none of the moms were far along enough in their labor to deliver within the time frame that we were at the hospital. I toured the postpartum floor which was very interesting to see! I saw that most of the mothers were breastfeeding. There were many posters on the wall describing the benefits and proper techniques of breastfeeding. Additionally, the postpartum floor was all one room divided by into sections based on a variety of factors. We also witnessed a nurse teaching six mothers how to bathe their babies. It was adorable!! One minute all the babies were happily swaddled/ asleep and the next minute they were all screaming during their bath! I noticed that the nurse taught the mothers to place the baby in ... read more

Today, I spent most of the day observing in the Thai delivery room. Much like the United States, the staff changes into clothes at the start of the shift. We wore purple gowns, hair nets and a face mask. In the United States, the nurses change into light blue colored scrubs. The biggest difference was that the Thai labor room requires you to change your shoes to sandals or crocs! Most of the employees were wearing socks with sandals. As I walked in, I instantly noticed that the unit was very busy. There were several moms laboring and a few more in their high risk room. I was paired with a mom who was in the active phase of labor, and I followed her case until she delivered. I was amazed at how different the delivery ... read more

After a restful sleep, we woke up to have breakfast with our host family. They prepared rice, pork and vegetables along with some cereal and bananas. Then we made our way over to the community center where we would practice using the 7 tools as a group. We were taken by tractor to the center! Since we arrived in the dark the night before, we hadn’t had a chance to get a good look at the village. In the daylight, it was so beautiful! This particular village was directly on the border of Northern Thailand and Laos. The only thing separating the two countries was a fast-moving river. We started using our 7 tools for community assessment by splitting up into groups and dividing the questions among the groups. Then we interviewed community health volunteers by ... read more

Today was an extremely relaxed day! Aj. Cutie taught us about the 7 Tools: The Community Assessment. This lesson was in preparation for a weekend in Chiang Rai where we will be spending a few days in a rural community. Our plan is to ask community members what type of medicine they value. For example, traditional Thai medicine or Western medicine. I am a bit nervous for Chiang Rai because I have no idea what to expect. I have never been to a small village and slept in someone’s home so I feel a bit uneasy! Although, I know that God’s plan for me this weekend in Chiang Rai is too important to let my fears get the best of me. I’m excited to learn and to grow as a person and as a nurse through ... read more

Around 10am, we were warmly welcomed by the staff at BCNC. Thai people are extremely hospitable! We each introduced ourselves in Thai, and went over the schedule for our time here in Thailand. The staff at BCNC is amazing, and take care of our every need. I feel so blessed to have met these people that I may not have otherwise. This cross-cultural experience is unique in that we are immersed in another culture while practicing and building our nursing skills. After lunch, we visited the Donkaew Hospital, and received a very warm welcome from them as well! We were presented with information about the hospital and a delicious snack of fried banana peel with purple tea. I learned that 70% of mothers in the community breastfeed! This is incredible. The director of the hospital said ... read more