Mission Trip to Nicaragua

wow, canes...your article gave me chills.your description was graphic and vivid, and could imagine/visualize everything you talked about.isn't it funny that a traumatized girl like lucy, instinctively knew who to trust and feel safe with.thanks for sharing such a profound, life-changing experience.btw, do you know the infection rates in nicaragua?leslie

Thanks for the sentiments, Les. You pose a great question, and it is one that I asked myself. The lead surgeon that sponsors this trip (out of his own pocket) told me that the data collection system is unreliable. I have looked on the CDC website to try to find the answer to this question, because I am also curious. I have been unsuccessful in my query. We go to Jinotega twice a year. We always follow up on the patients that we operated on previously. To date, in the 7 years that we have conducted this mission trip, we have had only one post-op infection that we are aware of. Our speculation is that some of the information may be kept from us for fear that we will not return. I can't explain this rationale, but I do know that it is a concern of the local surgeons. I was informed of this by our interpreter during a discussion regarding infection rates. The surgeons and the hospital administrators will only state that 'everything is fine' when we ask about the recovery of our patients. There were many pediatric patients that we saw with open wounds on their feet. The most heartbreaking one was a 2 year old named Sarah. She had such large, expressive eyes. You could almost imagine her recording every move we made with those beautiful brown eyes. She stepped on something that penetrated the bottom of her foot, which became infected. The infection became systemic and she was so ill that her parents hesitantly brought her to the hospital from the mountain shack where they resided. Sarah's parents lived on a coffee farm that had no running water or electricity. The whole family was frightened of us, frightened of the lights, the noise and the constant comings and goings in the ward. Sarah's mom would hide her face when we rounded. I asked our interpreter about this, and she told me that they were terrified of EVERYTHING since they lived such a simple life. When we first walked into Sarah's ward, I saw her cover both eyes with her hands and start to cry. I have never seen a 2 year old do that. She eventually got used to us, after much coaxing from our interpreter. Sarah became one of our favorites, and she welcomed the toys and stuffed animals that we put in her bed. Unfortunately, Sarah was too sick for surgery. Hopefully I will be able to find out if she healed when I return in January.

Thank you for sharing this interesting and personal story. It even made me look "The City of Mist" up on a map.

At a time when our country needs us the most, I don't feel going to other countries to help is prudent. If you want to help, go to the hills of Kentucky, Tennessee, or Arkansas. There are many families there that have no health insurance so they don't seek medical help.

This is why I am in nursing school right now and why I completed my 400-hour clinical immersion in the PACU!! Thank you so much for sharing your story--reading it has reminded me of why I am putting myself through this and given me the energy to work on my final project today. I graduate in December; after that I want to get some experience so that I can work with a medical mission team. God bless you for what you are doing.

It is also true that the domestic need is great, especially in rural areas. I just saw info online about the Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky. So many opportunities abound for volunteering as a nurse. I hate to go anywhere as a volunteer until I get some actual experience, so let's hope I get a job soon.

I volunteered in Joplin, MO after tornadoes destroyed the town, including the hospital. They were desperate for medical help. We had no running water, supplies were short, & a make-shift pharmacy that had the basics. The tornadoes ripped off these patients' glasses, filled their eyes with debris, they lost their houses, & everything, including relatives. You don't have to leave our country to find people needing medical help.

Merrywhiterose and canesdukegirl (and anyone else who has volunteered for any nursing/medical mission), I just wanted to ask you more about your preparation for volunteering. What level of experience do you think a nurse should have when volunteering for something like that? I've been unable to volunteer for anything because I'm in school full-time, but I'll be out soon. I suspect I won't be of much use at the beginning until I have some experience.To that end, I'm trying to tailor my job search to gain relevant experience to volunteer--what do you suggest? (With the market as it is right now, I'll be lucky to find anything, but I've applied for a med-surg float pool orientation, a surgical floor, ICU, and PACU) Thanks.

wannabecnl: I JUST graduated from the RN program & didn't even have my RN license when the Joplin tornadoes hit. They were more than happy to have a graduate nurse! That was in May. Now I have my RN license & work as a charge nurse in a nursing/rehab facility until I get a better job. Here many places want you to have 1 yr. experience before they hire you. Get experience when you can!

Quote from merrywhiteroseAt a time when our country needs us the most, I don't feel going to other countries to help is prudent. If you want to help, go to the hills of Kentucky, Tennessee, or Arkansas. There are many families there that have no health insurance so they don't seek medical help.

Quote from wannabecnlMerrywhiterose and canesdukegirl (and anyone else who has volunteered for any nursing/medical mission), I just wanted to ask you more about your preparation for volunteering. What level of experience do you think a nurse should have when volunteering for something like that? I've been unable to volunteer for anything because I'm in school full-time, but I'll be out soon. I suspect I won't be of much use at the beginning until I have some experience.To that end, I'm trying to tailor my job search to gain relevant experience to volunteer--what do you suggest? (With the market as it is right now, I'll be lucky to find anything, but I've applied for a med-surg float pool orientation, a surgical floor, ICU, and PACU) Thanks.

Quote from wannabecnlIt is also true that the domestic need is great, especially in rural areas. I just saw info online about the Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky. So many opportunities abound for volunteering as a nurse. I hate to go anywhere as a volunteer until I get some actual experience, so let's hope I get a job soon.