More than two weeks on board! I would imagine most of you are wondering about what I came here to do: chatting about Jesus and taking care of patients! I will confess it is very difficult to write down everything…so much is new and overwhelming. Throughout my time here, I will try my best to paint a full picture of what it is like. So please feel free to ask questions about anything you want to know. This is dear to my heart!

The hospital on board has three surgical wards, an ICU, an isolation unit and an overflow unit. There is a lab, pharmacy, occupational and physical therapy and four operating theatres. Each ward consists of 20 beds.  There is not much privacy for patients. The beds are all side by side, with just enough room to squeeze in between. Caregivers that come with the patient sleep under the patient’s bed. It works, especially because the culture is such one of community. I sleep on the same deck level as the hospital – so it is great not to have to brave the weather or traffic to get to work. I have gotten really good at rolling out of bed and getting ready in ten minutes. Since I can only take a two minute shower, this works.

There are a couple doctors that are on staff with Mercy Ships long term and then there are surgeons that come for shorter time periods, so whatever the type of surgeon dictates the types of surgeries that are done. In the fall, it was orthopedic surgeries and plastics. Currently, we are just finishing general surgeries (hernia repairs, thyroidectomies, lipoma removals)….sorry non-medical friends, lots of medical jargon. Plastic surgeries just started last week again. In the future, I will post about certain patients and their stories. However, I am not allowed to take my own pictures of patients to be considerate of their privacy. I know you all want to see more pictures, but I know you will also understand the respect for patient dignity.

Nursing on the Africa Mercy is amazing! When I thought about being a nurse, this is what I had pictured. At home, a typical day lasts for about 13-14 hours. I spend my day running from patient to patient, never sitting. Charting takes up most of my day, so much so that I cannot spend the time with the patient that I want to. Very seldom do I have an actual real conversation with my patients lasting more than five minutes, despite how hard I try. I don’t ever really know their story or who they are. I may hold their hand, reassure them and educate them. But I want to be a nurse who has the time to see the whole person for who they are, not just what I have to do for them on a checklist throughout the day. Politics are so much a part of the nursing job back home. I get yelled at, disrespected and taken advantage of. I get complaints about too much food on dinner trays, hard beds and service that is too slow. Coworkers are sometimes burnt out, frustrated or frazzled with their workload. I am thankful for the teamwork that I have with my coworkers at home, but normally everyone has their own list of things to do.

Nursing here is so much more relational. I start and end my shift with corporate prayer. I pray with my patients before surgery. I pray with them when they are having a hard moment and the pain is too great. I get to hold an elderly lady’s hand when she comes back from theatre. I get to dance with my kid patients and learn French and use silly sign language to communicate. I draw and cut and make bracelets with the older girls. I go outside and run with the kids for an hour a day. I have played so many games of Jenga and am a pro at it now.  I hold a baby on one hip and give pills with the other. My required documentation is less than ¼ of what it is at home. I have time to breathe and to develop a real relationship with my patients. I can talk about Jesus and read bible stories. I can be a real nurse like I always wanted!

I have met some pretty spectacular patients in my short time here. They have stories of hurt and heartache, discouragement and ridicule. They have been ostracized from society. Because of the surgeries they have on board, their lives are being transformed and you can see the hope in their eyes. And best of all – each and every patient hears about Jesus! In future posts, I will introduce you to some of these patients.

Thank you all for journeying with me to the Congo!