By Michael Anthony Price

Welcome to Chapa De in Auburn, California! We are super excited to be here and start working with Annie and the team at Chapa De. Last night we had dinner with Annie and went over the logistics of the trip. We were broken out into three groups, The Obstetrics groups, the Case Management group and the Native Recovery Group. These three teams would work with various practitioners at Chapa De to learn how these teams work together to provide wraparound services for patients.

On Day 1, the Native Recovery Group went to Harm Reduction Services in Sacramento. We learned about the importance of Harm Reduction Services. They assist drug users, sex workers and those with mental illness effectively with treatment and services in the community. Also, they offer risk reduction counseling and HIV and HCV testing. They promote access to health and related services to underserved populations and give out and collect syringes in a free, anonymous program.

We understand that Harm Reduction Services can be a controversial issue. Some people may feel that it condones drug use. Melinda Ruger, Director of Harm Reduction Services, gave us a response for people that feel that way. “Better is better.” Harm Reduction Services is a judgment-neutral space that meets substance abusers where they are to prevent them from becoming ill or contracting diseases. Their stance is to improve the health of those that are afflicted by substance abuse and that work requires a judgment-free space to build and maintain those relationships to improve the health of the community.

By Alaina Armendariz

Day 4 in Kingston was eventful and full of memories that we’ll hold dear in our hearts. We ate breakfast together in the hotel and then headed over to Bethlehem House. Half of our group stayed there for the day to complete functional assessments while the other half drove to Holy Innocents, the facility that only houses women. This was a special treat for those of us who loved maternity because this is where pregnant and new mothers seek shelter when they have nowhere else to go.

Holy Innocents is also the only facility belonging to Missionaries of the Poor that’s run by the sisters. They maintain a very strict schedule and routine at their home. When we arrived, we were immediately put to work cleaning the floor and bathing the residents. The sisters believed that cleanliness was just as important as assessments.

For lunch we ate with the sisters and had the opportunity to meet Mother Superior, with whom we built stronger connections during our meal. She seemed eager for us to return next year, with hopefully more days spent at her facility. We performed our functional assessments in the afternoon and also had the opportunity to provide education to a few of the new mothers in the house. We taught them about feeding, changing and bathing their babies as well as how to breastfeed and use hand expression.

Before we left for the day, we returned to the Bethlehem House to say goodbye to the children we had come to know and love. They were all sad to see us go and we took many photos with them to commemorate our visit.

Dinner was Mediterranean, and we enjoyed trying the falafel and pita bread while discussing our day and experiences. We can’t wait to take our trip up the mountain tomorrow for our last day of service!

By Jenny Choe

Day 3 in Kingston started off at Lord’s Place and Bethlehem House where we completed a variety of nursing tasks such as range of motion, feeding, and assessments. Afterwords, a few of us got to help out at another women’s center called Jacob’s Well House. Jacob’s Well is a women’s center, and the women there were so warm and affectionate. As soon as we walked through the gates several women ran up and embraced us. Throughout our time there, they continued to give us hugs and welcome us with their cheerful presence.

A few of also got to participate in wound care. It was a great learning experience, as we rarely see wounds like that in the U.S. The woman whose dressing I changed had a stage III ulcer all the way down her lower leg that had not healed for ten years. Similarly, wound care in the centers looks very different from wound care we were used to providing in the U.S. While resources are plentiful in our hospitals, many of the supplies were saved, washed and reused at the centers to conserve resources.

We ended the day with dinner and ice cream outdoors at Devon’s House. Devon’s House was the mansion of Jamaica’s first millionaire of color and has since been turned into a historic landmark. The weather, food and ambiance were amazing and were a perfect end to our busy day.

“Up in The Air”

A day and a life as a nurse at Kingston Public Hospital (Victoria Jubilee Maternity Hospital)

By Nekea Smith

Up in the air would be the best way to describe a typical nurse’s day at this hospital. KPH is one of the oldest hospitals in the world, with 503 beds. It is the only public hospital in Kingston, Jamaica that services the majority of the citizens in Kingston, and the Caribbean. Being a public hospital, the healthcare services that are provided are mostly free to patients, even medication, but free also comes at a cost. At KPH there is a major nursing shortage, which most times causes one nurse to care for anywhere between 7-15 patients alone. KPH is also severely underfunded, limiting resources available for the number of patients’ that KPH services. For example, there are only 9 ICU rooms for the entire hospital, and approximately 9 ventilators. At the Jubilee Maternity Hospital, their NICU has 143 beds but only 1 ventilator. Because the hospitals are public, they are not allowed to turn anyone away. This is when nurses use the best tool available to them; triage. Also, due to policy of not being able to turn anyone away there is an actual shortage of beds for patients to lay on. While visiting the emergency ward the charge nurse stated, “Sometimes we have to put patients on the floor. If that’s what we have to do to save a life, then we get on the floor.” Though KPH and Victoria Jubilee Maternity hospital services the majority of Kingston, and the Caribbean, it is up in the air whether or not it can continue as a public health hospital. With limited funding, and resources, nursing administration says they are just not sure whether they can hold on.

After touring the hospitals, we decided to end our day with a late lunch up in the air. We traveled up the narrow, and winding roads to the top of blue mountain. Our destination was Strawberry Hill. Strawberry Hill use to be home to the manager of famous Jamaican reggae artist Bob Marley. It has now been turned into a resort with absolutely breathtaking views, which made for a very serene, and relaxing afternoon.

By Griselda Gonzalez

Breakfast on the terrace was the best way to start off our morning in Kingston. The open space and sunny Jamaican weather were to die for. The food ranged from traditional Jamaican dishes like Bammy to French toast. After a delicious breakfast, we made our way to The Bethlehem House and helped with getting the children ready for mass. Seeing all of their faces definitely brightened our day. They were full of life and joy. Attending mass was enlightening. I learned of the many ways they include every resident into the service. It was also neat to learn that offerings in Kingston consist of fresh vegetables and fruits that come from community gardens as opposed to money like in America. We danced and sang along with the residents and then thanked them for allowing us to be there at the end of the service.

Our driver, Ron, then gave us a quick little tour of Kingston and took us for a little shopping spree at one of Kingston’s souvenir shops. Everyone that we came across was incredibly sweet and helpful. We were all very excited to see everything that Kingston had to offer!

By Andy Goodell
Communications Manager, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Michelle Sariev, 06N, MSN, will receive Emory University’s “Ally of the Year” award at the 2019 Emory Pride awards on March 5 at the Miller-Ward Alumni House.

The peer-nominated Ally of the Year award honors and acknowledges contributions made by an individual, department or organization to Emory’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities throughout the past year. These contributions resulted in the creation or improvement of an inclusive, respectful and safe climate for the LGBTQ community, and thereby furthered the mission of the Office of LGBT Life at Emory University.

Sariev is alum of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and currently serves as a clinical instructor for various courses in the School of Nursing that focus on human development and sexuality. She has spent the past 10 years caring for LGBTQ patients’ needs, which includes HIV treatment and prevention as well as transgender and gender-affirming care.

“Historically, nurses have been given the privilege of caring for individuals from all walks of life and assisting individuals and families through the most challenging times,” says Emory School of Nursing Dean Linda McCauley, 79MSN, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAAOHN. “Sexuality is part of the human experience, so it is imperative for nurses to develop the sensitivity to recognize, accept and care for individuals regardless of race, gender, religion or sexuality. It is what we do.”

Understanding that many LGBTQ people have had negative medical clinic experiences is important to Sariev. She knows that anxiety about seeking medical attention often stems from bad experiences.

“Primary care is about keeping people healthy, involving everything from screenings to vaccines to diet and exercise,” says Sariev. “But when you talk about LGBTQ people, they’ve had such a bad experience historically in medical clinics. Oftentimes, they don’t go into care because they’re afraid they’re going to have another bad experience. So they miss out.”

A big part of changing this starts with how nursing students are taught about care for LGBTQ people.  In the spring of 2018, Sariev was recruited by the School of Nursing to teach their Human Sexuality course. The School of Nursing also approved a new elective specifically focused on LGBTQ health. Sariev, along with MSN Program Director Elizabeth Downes 04MPH, DNP, will co-teach that course sometime in the next year.

The community is invited to attend the 2010 Emory Pride Awards. RSVP here.

Today we visited three sites: the Challenge Basic School, The Women’s Centre and Melody Girl’s home.

At the Challenge Basic School, we taught preschool and kindergarten age children how to wash their hands. We had them color with fingerprints and then used glow germ to show them how important washing your hands for 20 seconds, and cleaning all parts of your hands is. The children were blown away by the glow germ and loved fingerpainting with the nurses.

At the Women’s Centre, students taught the women about safe sleeping, SIDS, swaddling methods, and how to use journaling as a therapeutically. The women were grateful for the blankets students left behind for their babies and all the education they received. 

Finally, at the Melody Girl’s Home, students spent time with girls ages 13-18 talking with them about their passions, beading, making necklaces and helping them with their homework. Nursing students left the Girl’s Home feeling exhausted, yet fulfilled to see the girls so passionate and hopeful for their future studies. 

Carly Whalen

Today we went to Good Samaritan and had the opportunity to see the clinic and hear more about their mission and the community they serve. It was shocking to hear that the life expectancy gap between this neighborhood and Buckhead is 13 years. This shows the evident disparity that is undeniably present for this community, and it is incredible how Good Samaritan works to bridge this gap by providing quality healthcare for all.

Dr. Lathrop was extremely knowledgeable about the social determinants of health and how they impact a person’s health. She provided insight on how providers can work with the community and meet people where they are with the resources they have. Friday’s the clinic provides care for people experiencing homelessness. We had the chance to make lunch for these patients. We made a chicken and vegetable stir fry and provided a hot meal to patients after their appointments. It was rewarding to see our impact and help where we could.

This day was a great opportunity to gain insight into the community we are surrounded by and how we can make a difference. Healthcare is crucial and can help patients physically, mentally, and emotionally. Good Samaritan addresses the whole person and provided an incredible example of patient centered care!

Hailey Gatins

This morning. at the Montego Bay New Testament Church of God, nurses continued to provide blood pressure and blood glucose screenings to Montego Bay residents. Today, they provided care to 72 patients! We found, to our surprise, that residents in rural areas had significantly lower blood pressures and blood sugars than those in the urban setting. We thought this was likely due to less walking and more desk jobs found in the urban setting. 

In the afternoon, we visited the Cornwall Regional Hospital and were given a tour by the nurses. It was interesting to see how the hospital in Montego Bay was similar in some aspects to hospitals in America, yet also so different. This hospital was particularly interesting, as the hospital itself was shut down due to ventilation issues, and the units were displaced to makeshift spaces such as dormitories and tents. It was amazing to see what the entire nursing staff was able to accomplish with such limited resources and space.

Carly Whalen

It’s the Grady experience, Day 3, but it’s really our group’s second day appearance at the site. Gone are my first day jitters. I’m not really sure what I had expected on the first day. I guess I held my breath when we walked through the ER because I expected to hear loud screams of doctors asking for atropine and dramatic yells of clear. I expected scenes of evisceration like some gore movie from Friday the 13th or loose prisoners. All these silly imaginations have settled, and in its stead, I see physicians, residents, administrators, technicians, and patients milling about in the cafeteria. I even see construction crews ready for the day’s job. I can look outside the cafeteria window and see the backlog of traffic and hoping that someone has not gotten into an accident and isn’t himself on his way to Grady. It is a typical day at a hospital.

Today, we initiated our project. After a brief planning session. We broke apart in teams. Each team spoke to different groups, patient, administrators, technicians, and nurses. We started with our 10 questions that may trigger other questions, but we allowed each interviewer to let the interviewee to direct the course of the interview. We did manage to interview most of the nurses and technicians and many of the Spanish speaking patients. Many of the English speaking patients were in the middle of treatment and were asleep, so we respected their time and let them rest.

After the interviews, we discussed how we were going to compile the information and decided we would compile the information into an excel spreadsheet and we would determine how to quantify it later. We also determined that we would read other journal articles.

We also begin another project, which is to determine the menu for Friday’s Good Samaritan project. We are trying to make sure we provide good sustenance as well as provide a hearty meal. We want to provide dignity as well. We have thrown out ideas, and we decided that we were going to provide something warm.

As the day closes, my hope is that this little seed of a project good provide something that shows both the nurses and the patients that there is respect and honor in what they do…that they are not forgotten, and that we are all hopeful.

Thanks,

Liezl de la Cruz