Nursing Electives and Internships Abroad

The only downside is the communication in the hospital, I was supposed to be rotated to different departments but the nurse in charge didn't not respond to my calls or the calls from coach in practice. Overall the experience was excellent with lots of support from coach in practice (Salome) who help me to settle and checked on me very week. She also call on me to make sure I was fine.

I was impressed with the organisation of the program before arriving, and once in Mombassa there was always someone to contact to ask anything if needed. In terms of the actual placement and time in the hospital, the experience was absolutely fantastic, something that I will never forget. I started off on pediatrics, but quickly realised that it was already saturated with student nurses and decided to move to the Emergency Department. I spend most of the time in the Minor Surgery section of this department, and loved every minute, the staff were welcoming, friendly and eager to teach me things, always encouraging hands on work. The department closed early, so myself and the other volunteer tended to have the afternoons off as our department because very quiet. We also dipped in and out of other departments, observing surgery and and maternity. At the accommodation we had the opportunity to take Swahili lessons. The Swahili teacher was very patient and tailored the lessons to what I wanted to learn. But at the same time, you got out of it what you put in because attendance was optional. The location of the accommodation was good and had easy access to shops, cafes, the sea, a swimming pool and locals to make friends with. It was very clean and well looked after. However, if I were to return, I would probably find different accommodation, simply because felt very separated and did not feel immersed in the culture and typical daily life of locals in Mombassa. I think that living with a host family I would have learn more about the cultural differences and felt more involved.

In January of 2018, I went to Mombasa, Kenya for two weeks to volunteer in Coast General hospital as a pre-nursing student. The experience I had while in Kenya was absolutely life changing. Each day we helped in our assigned wards from 8am-1pm. As a pre-nursing student from the United States, I was able to do things at Coast General that I wouldn't be able to do here. I helped in the labor ward with giving injections, delivering babies and placentas, and cutting the umbilical cords. Seeing how different the healthcare system in Kenya was compared to the US helps to make me a well-rounded nurse. Getting such hands on experience before starting nursing clinical helped me when I was being taught them this past semester. The doctors and nurses are able to communicate with you, but may have some broken english. However, twice a week we had Swahili lessons held at the apartment, which helped with identifying certain words when listening to the doctors communicate to each other. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming, I never once felt unsafe while on the trip. Aside from the hospital, the other students and I visited "the slums" and an orphanage. On the weekend, the students and I decided to travel to Diani Beach, about two hours away! We also went to the movie theatre, restaurants, and the mall during our free time. The apartment was spacious and felt like home. There was a cook who prepared three hot meals for us each day. We also had transportation to the hospital, and paid a small fee to take a tuk-tuk back after the shift ended. I would recommend this trip to anybody, especially health science majors so that you can get a safe experience seeing how other countries medical systems work.