This was one of the first overseas nursing electives in the four year degree course at Birmingham University. In spite of contacts it took ten months before I was offered a place at Tumutumu Presbyterian Hospital in the central highlands of Kenya. I spent eight weeks on the paediatric ward and in Mother and Child Health.
Medical communication was in English because two of the three doctor were from the UK but nursing and talking with the mothers and children required Kikuyu. The nursing staff worked hard to teach me their language.
Accommodation for overseas students and 'on call' staff was in was in 'The Mansion' and food was the staple maize, beans and cabbage but residents were also able to cook for themselves. Water came from a 10 km pipe which supplied many institutions on the way. The pressure tended either to be too low or so high the pipe burst. Long drop toilets would have Keen more appropriate than Western ones.
Each day 'started with prayers and many impromptu services were held on the wards. Language learning was helped by the enthusiastic singing and many hilarious afternoons were spent with the mothers learning each other's languages usually from the Bible. Their strong faith helped the staff to cope with the many tragic cases they treated. My role as a student nurse was ill defined but problems were soon overcome with the help of the matron. With two or three nurses for 25 beds nursing was task orientated and little time was given to psychological needs of the children. There was endless paperwork while organisation and responding to emergencies were not strong points. I took some medical equipment and was able to explain its uses and to make suggestions for changes, as well as spending time playing with the children.
There were many chest conditions due to the cold season as well as malaria, malnutrition, trauma and burns. I gave about 20 immunisations a day in the child welfare and mobile clinics. During the first national polio weekend 500 children were immunised and over 2000 doses of vaccine supplied to in nine dispensaries.
I climbed Mount Kenya to near the novice's peak, visited desert in the north, lakes in the rift valley and viewed game grazing in the Masai Mara with the sun rising behind - another sign of God's majesty. Kenya and its people gave me so much when there was so little to give.
Medical communication was in English because two of the three doctor were from the UK but nursing and talking with the mothers and children required Kikuyu. The nursing staff worked hard to teach me their language.
Accommodation for overseas students and 'on call' staff was in was in 'The Mansion' and food was the staple maize, beans and cabbage but residents were also able to cook for themselves. Water came from a 10 km pipe which supplied many institutions on the way. The pressure tended either to be too low or so high the pipe burst. Long drop toilets would have Keen more appropriate than Western ones.
Each day 'started with prayers and many impromptu services were held on the wards. Language learning was helped by the enthusiastic singing and many hilarious afternoons were spent with the mothers learning each other's languages usually from the Bible. Their strong faith helped the staff to cope with the many tragic cases they treated. My role as a student nurse was ill defined but problems were soon overcome with the help of the matron. With two or three nurses for 25 beds nursing was task orientated and little time was given to psychological needs of the children. There was endless paperwork while organisation and responding to emergencies were not strong points. I took some medical equipment and was able to explain its uses and to make suggestions for changes, as well as spending time playing with the children.
There were many chest conditions due to the cold season as well as malaria, malnutrition, trauma and burns. I gave about 20 immunisations a day in the child welfare and mobile clinics. During the first national polio weekend 500 children were immunised and over 2000 doses of vaccine supplied to in nine dispensaries.
I climbed Mount Kenya to near the novice's peak, visited desert in the north, lakes in the rift valley and viewed game grazing in the Masai Mara with the sun rising behind - another sign of God's majesty. Kenya and its people gave me so much when there was so little to give.
