Nursing Students in Ndhiwa
In February five nursing students from The School of Health, Community and Education Studies, began a journey to Ndhiwa, Kenya that would change their lives.
All second year student nurses are given the
opportunity to undertake an international placement and this year ten
students were given the opportunity to live in a rural village and work
with the hospital and schools in Ndhiwa, Western Kenya.
In order to get the place the students were asked to write an application explaining why they wanted to go and how it would change their outlook on life and their nursing experience. Second year Adult Nursing student Nicola Elliott told Flavour about her experience.
“Whilst in Kenya we taught children about the importance of hygiene and
hand washing, HIV education and the importance of drinking clean water and
how to collect it. Within the hospital we
were treating and educating patients with various
issues including: HIV, malaria, pregnancy, abortion, baby clinics, minor
surgery, infections and any other health problems that we came across.”
“The hospital was very basic with only 15 beds and few resources, it was the complete opposite to UK hospitals but we still learnt a lot. It helped my nursing career by showing me how a small hospital can help a whole community and also the importance of health promotion.”
“The experience made me realise how lucky I am, living in a brick house with electricity and running water, and being able to travel. It was amazing to meet people who had so little yet were so happy and it showed that lives can be changed completely with very few resources.”
For more information about studying at Northumbria’s School of Health, Community and Education Studies visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/enquiries
Date posted: June 4, 2010
