Monday and Tuesday (5th and 6th)

Monday, January 5th

Today we took part in presentations with the nursing students of Mary Johnston Nursing School in Manila. We spent the morning sharing our experiences in the nursing program at St. Scholastica as well as informing the students on the process we took throughout applying to the program through the road ahead where we take our NCLEX (needless to say we frightened the students). They in turn shared their experiences and criteria within their nursing program in the Philippines. It was very interesting to compare and contrast with one another. We spent the rest of the day acclimating to the hospital here and pre-planning for the next day of clinicals.

-Taryn and Paige

Tuesday, January 6th

Today we experienced our first rotations in a Philippine hospital. Mary Johnston hospital was very welcoming and the staff were extremely helpful. Us students were divided amongst different units such as the ER, OR, OB, ICU, Annex, and Medicine ward. I was stationed in the emergency room today and upon entering the unit at 5:30am I experienced my first code. The day went by very fast with an influx of patients experiencing things like burns from electrical outlets, heart attacks, anaphylactic shock, and car accidents. I was also able to assist in a major surgery where a woman's ovaries contained masses and therefore had to be removed. I was able to scrub in and assist in providing the surgeons with tools to cut, clamp, and secure the tissues. It was an incredible experience.

-Taryn

After finishing our shifts at the hospital we headed to a impoverished part of Tondo called Parola. Once there we assisted in feeding malnourished children soup, bread, juice, and multivitamins. The small room was packed with mothers and children trying to get food. Outside of the room children crowded the gates with bowls asking for soup also. The cooks were generous and offered us some soup as well, however we did not feel right taking any when there were hungry children yet to be fed. And so we gave our soup to the remaining children outside and did our best to keep up with the ever growing demand. The time spent there went by incredibly fast as we hurried to keep up. We then were able to collect the stuffed animals we had brought and distribute them to the children. We left the building and entered an ally where children literally swarmed us for toys. Each formed a line though and patiently waited for a stuffed animal. It was heart breaking when we ran out, but it felt very rewarding to have been able to give toys to some of them. It was a humbling experience and many of us left wishing we could have done more.

-Taryn and Paige