Mercy Ships mission in Cameroon turns nurse’s world the other way up

Nursing is a privilege. I used to be recently reminded of this while volunteering with Mercy Ships in Central Africa, where I spent two months in Cameroon living and dealing with a few of the most beautiful people I even have ever met as an Africa Mercy volunteer.

This experience brought back many memories for me, but what I remember most was realizing why I do what I do. Africa Mercy is the most important private hospital ship on the earth, staffed by 400 Mercy Ships volunteers from 40 countries. Photo courtesy of Mercy Ships. When I became a nurse, I used to be inspired by the concept of ​​helping to heal others. I believe that’s true for a lot of nurses. We are sometimes helpers, givers, and caregivers, motivated by the will to make a positive difference in people’s lives. We start out with such passion and energy, ready to vary the world. But somewhere along the way in which, we lose it. The excitement fades and we burn out. All that’s left is the burden of long hours, overload, and underpaid work.

I’m guilty of this – I turn out to be complacent in a culture of complaining. I didn’t realize how much I needed a change of perspective until I got here to Cameroon and nursing as I knew it was completely turned the other way up.

Patients needed greater than only a physical fix

Nursing in Africa is unlike anything I even have ever experienced professionally. Working on a ward is an intense experience unlike some other – extreme heat, cramped conditions and unfamiliar languages ​​spoken all over the place. Life moves at a unique pace in a floating hospital. Compared to the chaotic hustle and bustle of my ICU back home, all the things seemed calmer. There was still a gradual stream of labor to do, but there was also an additional space to take a seat and talk that I’m not used to. At first, I felt frustrated, like I used to be doing nothing because I used to be not always and overwhelmingly busy. But over time I got here to like the chance it gave me to attach with patients in a way that we simply would not have at home.

The truth is that healing an individual is greater than treating their physical symptoms. It is meeting the person where they have to be and where they’re vulnerable. We don’t at all times have the prospect to do that once we are busy with tasks and clinical medicine. We focus a lot on the body that we forget concerning the person inside it.

As a company, Mercy Ships understands the importance of caring for the entire person. A holistic approach is so critical to the cases they treat. I even have seen conditions which can be each surprising and humiliating, conditions that simply don’t exist within the Western world. Most of those conditions are related to painful social realities. These persons are ridiculed and mistreated, even by their closest family and friends. Many of those persons are considered outcasts, sometimes forcibly isolated on the fringes of their communities.

There are those that haven’t experienced kindness or affection for years. Witnessing the intense isolation and suffering these individuals endure is moving. But the great thing about Mercy Ships is the organization’s ability to enter those painful places and restore hope. This begins with the primary steps patients tackle a ship, where they’re looked in the attention and greeted with a warm smile. From start to complete, there’s a deliberate intention to see and acknowledge their unique value and importance.

Just kids who need to play

For pediatric patients, play as a part of the recovery process is integral to restoring the normalcy of childhood. One of my most moving memories is watching two of my patients play soccer together. Paul and Roy each suffered burns at a young age. The burns left them with significant disfigurement. Both shared the struggles of being bullied by their peers and never having the ability to slot in or feel normal. But within the floating hospital, they were not seen as ugly outsiders. They were just kids fidgeting with their friends. I’ll always remember sitting with my patient, Rubain, after his surgery. Rubain had gigantism, a rare disease that causes abnormal growth. His leg had turn out to be so unwieldy that he couldn’t walk. His leg was amputated to enhance his quality of life and permit him to walk again. Rubain was still in bed, recovering from the surgery. I sat with him and played cat’s cradle. It was amazing how something so simple as a bit of yarn could bring a lot laughter and joy. It struck me over and once again that amidst all of the pain and hardship there’s an unparalleled joy. The patients exude such happiness. They have a hope and gratitude that surpasses anything I even have ever encountered.

Amazing opportunities create life lessons

Being exposed to this has given me invaluable perspective. It has helped me appreciate the depth of our occupation. Medicine saves and provides lives, and we’ve an incredible opportunity to be an element of that. We see people at their most vulnerable. We share their most difficult and their happiest moments.

From cradle to grave, nurses witness the total spectrum of life. It is a good looking and overwhelming gift that mustn’t be taken calmly.

I might ask each of you to contemplate this as you undergo your next shift. Take a moment to take into consideration the way you will impact someone’s life that day. Consider whether you’ll leave someone higher or worse off knowing you. Remember that our work is about greater than just clinical tasks. We offer hope, restore dignity, and alleviate fear. We share the human experience. I encourage you to look beyond medicine and remember the importance of holistic care. See the person from a broader perspective than simply their diagnosis. Listen to their story. Empathize with them. Take the time to present them a warm smile, a form word, or a pat on the shoulder or a hand. These little things make such an enormous difference. As I return to work within the U.S., I challenge myself to do more of this, and I challenge you to do the identical. Building relationships is so invaluable, and showing compassion is so vital. I comprehend it’s not at all times easy. But it’s at all times price it. I shall be perpetually grateful to Mercy Ships and the people of Cameroon for reminding me of this. And in case you ever need a reminder, Africa is prepared and waiting. Learn more about Ships of Mercy.

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