The Sisterhood

We arrived in Uganda just after midnight, to a fluorescent sign at the Entebbe airport that stated “2/3 Musketeers”. Unfortunately the heavy exhaustion and lack of ability to read the pink had us glance over the whole thing. Luckily we were some of the only Muzungus (white people) in the place and so the warm smile owned by the man holding the sign walked towards us and sheepishly said “is this you?”. We both broke out into laughter, as he had been given this message by our third musketeer - Heather! After some much needed sleep, we set out on our journey through Kampala and out onto the red road surrounded by the green beauty of Uganda. After an hour and a half long bumpy milkshake like drive we arrived to a gate that opened with a white arm and our friend’s beautiful face, the sisterhood and three musketeers had been reunited! We haven’t all three worked together for 2 1/2 years. Shortly after many smiling welcoming faces rolled out of the house and we were greeted by the family we will be living with for the next two weeks, Robert and Esther and their family. Instantly, it felt right... comfortable, full of purpose and promise... we are in the right place at the right time. After much prayer and faith to get here, it was refreshing to feel, not just know, the faithfulness of God. We set out to explore the town, but were stopped in the middle of the street by an instantaneous downpour - wowzers - tons of rain, soaked to the core!!! Instead we went to the school called the Kings Kids School - where young Ugandans who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford school fees, are being educated. We even stopped in to a class for a game of “Heads Up 7 Up”!! We concluded our evening by meeting with our new friends Julia and Pastor Moses (and their beautiful son, Ben). Julia is a nurse here and we began our work of developing a longterm primary healthcare plan for this community by meeting with her, and it was the perfect place to start. As our time together went on, her stories broke my heart. It was not her stories of how there are many healthcare needs that continue to not be met - I expected those. It was not the story of how there are few supplies and many patients - I expected those. What absolutely rocked me to the core, were the stories of nurses working beyond their capacity - to utter exhaustion, day in and day out, in brutal conditions, frequently facing impossible choices, and then being blamed for the shortcomings of the healthcare system. Let me expand.... nurses on duty at the local hospital receive a patient in labour, after delivering the first of two twins in the far off village, but are unable to assist her to deliver the second twin, due to the presentation of the baby. The physician (of which there are very very few) was called as the woman needed surgical intervention, but by the time the doctor arrived, the patient had died. The nurse was sued for malpractice, her named smeared through the media, she is no longer working, and is hated in town. Or a known HIV positive woman presents in labour, there is not a glove in the hospital, the nurse chooses to keep her hands off as much as possible as otherwise she would put herself at great risk, but then the baby is delivering with the cord around the neck. Her choice - assist the baby to deliver and put herself at great risk or do nothing (as she lacks the equipment to protect herself) and face a lawsuit for negligence AND watch a baby possibly die. Or a young boy presents with complicated malaria, the nurse knows what treatment is required and even has the IV medication to treat him, but lacks the IV fluid and supplies to adequately establish an IV and actually treat him. Daily the nurses here must make difficult decisions due to lack of physical and human resources, despite having the knowledge to provide good care, and are held responsible by both the government and community for the gaps in care. There were elements of Julia’s stories to which I could relate. Over the course of my career I have encountered difficult scenarios and had to make difficult decisions, but every time I did so, I knew I was supported by my profession, union, colleagues and friends around me, and was appreciated for doing what I could by patients I cared for. In situations that are less than ideal, there is even insurance to protect my livelihood and license. I do not risk my life or my family’s wellbeing everyday to save the life of another. These nurses do. Tonight I had a revelation. While we are here to help develop a plan to bring sustainable healthcare to the poor, and the forgotten ones, we are also here to develop a plan of care for the caregivers, to join our voices with theirs. I am so excited to come along beside these amazingly brilliant, talented and dedicated members of my profession, and to show them in words and in action that they are not alone. Long after we have gone, they will continue the work of providing care for those in need, for them to feel supported in doing so is essential - even if that support comes from non-nurses or nurses far away. It has been said before - put a few nurses in a room no matter where they are from and they will find much to talk about. Tonight was no exception. The brainstorming has happened, the passion is rising, the creativity is beginning to take shape. I am here because God brought me here, I am a nurse because it is my calling, I am part of a sisterhood - and I am proud to be a NURSE! See pictures here