Submitted by Rachel Miller on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa and Tanzania sponsored by the Department of Nursing…
I had an incredible time studying abroad with the University of Delaware School of Nursing in South Africa and Tanzania. I got on the plane to leave feeling very apprehensive and excited for the month ahead. We spent the first few days in class learning about the differences in the healthcare systems in these countries. We learned that the nurses, called sisters (they are not nuns, though), are less attentive than the nurses here in the United States. They have breaks called “tea time” where almost all of the nurses will leave the patients in order to have a break, because they believe it is very bad to be overworked. This is a huge contrast from the United States, where often nurses struggle to fit in a few minutes to have a meal while they are working. We also learned about how the birthing experience is different in these countries. In the United States, there are many interventions women undergo during the birthing process, but in South Africa and Tanzania, the women go through a completely natural birth. Also, the lack of resources is a huge difference between South Africa and Tanzania and the United States. As student nurses, there were many times when we felt like we could help a patient if we just had the proper supplies or medications. Other times, we felt like a patient’s suffering would not have occurred if the nurses in those countries paid more attention to what was going on with the patient. We also saw many beautiful things at the hospitals and clinics in both countries. All of the girls had the opportunity to see/assist with a birth. One day, I had the opportunity to go to the OR and experience several Cesarean sections while in South Africa. Seeing the differences (visually and in procedures) was astonishing. I loved that the sisters and staff allowed me to get involved with the patient while in the OR, also. Additionally in Tanzania, I had the fascinating opportunity to work in the ER at a hospital. I was able to get involved with many patients of varying ages with varying diagnoses. That day was a very eye-opening experience, because I was able to truly see how the sisters in Tanzania treat their patients. I saw the differences in resources and knowledge and also the decreased level of compassion the healthcare professionals had. This was very disheartening, but it made me grateful to work in the American healthcare system.
Outside of the hospitals and clinics we had many amazing experiences. We hiked Lion’s Head and Table Mountain while in South Africa and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. We had many high adventure experiences. We also had a lot of educational experiences, such as going to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner for over twenty years) and spending several days living with the Maasai in Tanzania. The Maasai are a traditional tribe that lives in Tanzania. We visited and assisted in their clinic, helped build one of their traditional homes (called a Boma), and helped to build a new toilet for the village (they are slowly integrating sanitation into their society). This experience was extremely rewarding. I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about and be integrated into the rich cultures of South Africa and Tanzania in addition to getting to serve the populations of these countries as a healthcare professional. I will never forget this experience and I am grateful to have a received a scholarship that helped me to travel to South Africa and Tanzania.
