The Kijabe Nursing School

I have just returned home from a long day at the Kijabe Nursing School and I want to share what goes on there. Jas is still in the OR (he has to be exhausted) but I am hoping that I can get him to sit down and write a little about his experiences.

I started class this morning at 8:30 with the same group of students I was with on Thursday. We focused on how to perform a pediatric assessment and walked through the head-to-toe sequence. Afterwards, Anne reassured me that it was very detailed and really want she wants the students to here. I am always thinking to myself "I hope I am doing some good here and presenting the material that the principal wants me to give." The students asked a lot of questions at the end, and Anne told me that this is a very good sign that they paid attention and understood what I was teaching. They really have no textbooks individually or handouts so they must rely on memory and note taking during class....much like what it once was in the US! Afterwards, I sat down with the other tutors for chai tea (they gave me some without sugar today as they noticed that I did not drink my tea on Tuesday:). The prinicipal, Mary Muchendu came in and asked me to sit down in her office for "a chat." She spent a long time telling me about the history of the nursing school as well as the nursing infrastructure in Kenya, which does have some similarities to the US. I am currently teaching at a school that does not award a degree, but rather a diploma in nursing after 3 1/2 years of study and the students are eligible to sit for the Kenyan certifying exam to become a Registered Nurse. She was extremely proud of the new curriculum and had me look over all of the documents. She sent me home with four binders to peruse through and let me know what she thinks. She was so incredibly gracious to me and never was treated commented on how young I look! - it was a great moment.

We had a short break where I ran into two nurses from the US, one of which received her PNP from Vanderbilt in 2006! What a small world! For those reading from Vandy, she knows Terri Witherington, Renee McLeod, Margaret Anderson, etc. and many more of the instructors. Currently, she works for an organization based in Nairobi called "The Least of These" which visits orphanages in Kenya and sets of rural clinics for children. She is such a cool lady and wants me to spend a day with her next week....so I am hoping that will work out.

At 1pm I was invited to have lunch with the students and tutors, which involved standing in line, each person holding their own hodge-podge of plates, to be served out of big barrels, kind of like at a soup kitchen or a refugee camp. I kept trying to say, "oh, I already ate" but that was not working. We were served rice, tortilla, and beef stew, which was really pretty good. Everything tastes fine here it is just more of where it comes from, how it is prepared, and how it is served. I am okay so far though!

Afterwards, we went to church where there was a ceremony for the senior nursing class who is graduating tomorrow. I sat with the principal, chaplain, and medical director. I wish I knew how to video tape on my camera because all of the students were singing acapella. It was absolutely beautiful praise music in Swahili and it is indescribable to have been there in that moment. Several different people gave speeches and towards the end the prinicpal got up to speak. All of a sudden, she starts talking about this visitor who has blessed them with her time and she wants her to come up and give a speech....whooaaa! what, me! So here I am, in the middle of this remote village in Africa, being asked to give a 2-3 minute speech to the nursing school....probably about 150+ African people in the room. I am not really sure what I said....mentioned how grateful I was to be there, have the opportunity to teach, and discussed the importance of being an advocate for your patient as well as how unique our role is as nurses to care for people during their most vulnerable times in life. I think it was okay as the principal seemed pleased:)....I am glad I made it off the stage okay without falling. Some of the students came up to me afterwards wanting me to send them all of the notes and lectures I have on my computer. I love seeing this excitement and passion for nursing!

So the sun has set and Jas has still not come home. I feel guilty in that I have had another warm and cuddly day while he has been in a hot and sweaty OR which was supposed to close 2 hours ago:(. We will see what happened during his day.

Tomorrow in the afternoon we are going on a Safari for the weekend with the Newtons and three residents from Vandy. We are headed to the Masa Mara, which I know is going to be incredible. I will write more probably when we get back. Hope all is well back home and send me emails if you can to let us know how you are doing. It is so great to hear from people and be encouraged about our work here. Love to all!