Updates from the week-Friday

Friday March 29^th

A 5:30am wake-up call got our day started so we could get the bus packed up and head to Las Mercedes.  Some endured the cold showers which really woke them up and got their day going.  Today is a beautiful day, after a colder than expected night.  On the way to Las Mercedes, we stopped at La Esparanza Hospital to see the local facilities.  It was quite eye opening to see limited access and the need for patients to bring their own blood, linens, and medical supplies for surgery.  During our stop we had a tour of the hospital with the head nurse and she was able to share some information regarding her training.  She completed 5 years of schooling at one of only three Universities that trains professional nurses.  The majority of the practical nurses receive only one year of training and some have only completed education through the 6^th grade.  Currently, there are not any males that are trained as professional nurses, but a program has recently started to train male practical nurses.  For each of the four areas of the hospital, there is one head nurse and 2-3 practical nurses.  Since we arrived on Good Friday, the hospital was not at crowded as it typically is, and there was only one head nurses covering the entire hospital.   Others were surprised how little it cost ($10) to deliver a baby and $50 to have a C section, but how high that cost is to the local community.   The medical school training is very similar to that of the training in the states, a 5 year integrated program which includes an internship in their last year and most end up becoming a generalist as opposed to the majority of MD end up with a specialization.  Similarly to the internship for the MD programs, the last year of nursing training is also an internship and this is a year of service that they are assigned to.  Since the medical school and nursing school are designed similarly, it helps foster a great relationship between the physicians and nurses.