Elective Placement Work The World

Work The World is an organisation for medical students, nurses, midwives, dentists and physiotherapists. They organise elective placements in Argentina, Ghana, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania in Arusha, Lake Victoria, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

Tanzania - Arusha

My nursing elective placement was in Africa. I went to Arusha, Tanzania.

I split my 4 weeks into:

2 weeks on the children’s ward at Mount Meru Hospital

1 week on the surgical ward at Mount Meru Hospital

1 week in the Maasai village Engaruka.

Mount Meru Hospital

At Mount Meru Hospital there is an opportunity to work in the areas:

paediatrics,

obstetrics / gynaecology,

A&E and general medicine,

surgical

You may also be able to work in specialist fields such as:

anaesthetics,

neo-natal intensive care

Mount Meru HospitalChildren’s Ward

Like UWE placements, students are given a mentor, and the project manager takes you to the hospital on your first day and introduces you to one another.

It is important that you tell your mentor the boundaries of your practice.

I had the opportunity to help admit patients, draw up medicines, perform obs…some of the families can speak English, but I had Swahili lessons twice a week so had the opportunity to use what I had learn on the ward!

I followed the Doctors on their ward round, and this was helpful as they spoke better English than the nurses, so I learnt more about the treatments available.

Mount Meru HospitalSurgical Ward

When on placement on the surgical ward there is an opportunity to:

Go into theatre - but it is a very different experience to what you might have seen on placement in the UK!

Attended the doctors ward round to see how they assess the patient and plan their care.

When on the ward round I witnessed very different care compared to what is done in the UK. For example:

Wounds are not dressed, whereas in the UK it is important to keep wounds clean and dressed to lower the risk of infection.

A patient with a severe head injury was conscious and had erratic movements, so to protect him from harming himself the doctors tied him onto the bed.

…some of the care that I witnessed was unethical to me but is normal in this culture, and this is something to consider when doing an elective placement in Africa.

Village ExperienceEngaruka

When living in Engaruka I lived in a mud hut with a Maasai family.

I worked at the dispensary where staffing was one doctor and two nurses.

It was set up like a Doctors surgery, and was the only healthcare available to this tribe as Arusha was a 7 hour bus journey away.

I was able to assess and examine the patients, and suggest a diagnosis.

In the afternoons the Maasai warrior who I was living with arranged activities with some of the community members:

I met some of the Maasai mama’s and warriors where cultural and lifestyle choices were discussed

met the spiritual healer

Walked for half hour to get clean water

PricesThe cost of my elective placement:

3 weeks in Arusha: £1,340

1 week in the Maasai village: £290

Total: £1,630

This only includes the cost of your stay in Africa, covering the costs of your accommodation, food and transport to and from the airport,

It doesn’t include the costs of flights, travel and personal insurance, indemnity cover, vaccinations (including malaria tablets), and your visa into Africa.

All this information can be found on the Work The World website:

http://www.worktheworld.co.uk/

For a list of the recommended and advised vaccinations that you need/should have, go to:

http://www.travelturtle.co.uk/TravelHealthTool.aspx