Renewing our minds

Shortly after sipping on the best coffee in the world (i.e. Guatemalan coffee), we read a devotional about allowing God to renew our minds. And so it was. On this first day of clinical practicum, our minds were exposed to multiple and unique learning opportunities in a place least expected. We worked alongside the healthcare staff at a public health clinic in a village up the mountain from Lake Amatitlan. The seven nursing students were placed in different areas of this small clinic: the consultation room (which was staffed by a pediatrician), the immunization & family planning area and the medication dispensary area. It was amazing to see the level of organization of the clinic staff members given the few resources that they had. We struggled the most with learning how to read a mercury thermometer – turned it left and right, up and down until we saw that silver lining. We also learned that blood pressure would only be checked for patients 14-years of age and older as the clinic did not have a pediatric blood pressure cuff. Despite the lack of resources, the patients’ and clinic staff’s attitudes did not exhibit a drop of bitterness. They worked efficiently and collaboratively and moreover, they were happy to provide us with guidance, as needed. Most surprisingly, two members of the city council came to visit us at the clinic during lunch time to thank us for coming to help out in their community. When was the last time that a politician came to thank volunteers or students in health-related domains? In all my years of nursing practice in US and Canada, I have never witnessed it.
The hard work of the clinic staff was most evident in the afternoon, when we went alongside to perform a home visit for a patient with severe physical disabilities. The house where the patient resided was about the size of a living room in North American and was made of metal sheets. There were dirt floors and a mix of garbage and clutter around the home. Despite this environment, one of the nurses administered medications to the patient, while the other performed health teaching with the mother of the patient, who also had multiple health problems. Their level of dedication and non-judgmental care were unmatchable. After watching these nurses provide health services, I remembered how much we tend to complain about the challenges of being a nurse in the United States. However, many of these challenges pale in comparison to those of nurses in third world countries such as Guatemala. I think God, has already started to renew our minds by providing us with first hand experiences of what humbleness means in healthcare.
- Mihaela Zegrean

Two city council reps with part of our team

 Alejandra encouraging the patient to stick out his tongue