Elizabeth D'Amico
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Auburn University
TEACHING PROJECT IN QUITO, ECUADOR
Ecuador: where a 10x10 concrete garage can transform into a full service clinic and stray dogs roam into your exam room. Working in a rural area in another country taught me flexibility, leadership, cultural competency, and molded me into a well rounded nurse. One of the most important lessons I learned while in Quito is the importance of therapeutic communication, even with a language barrier. Because I am not fluent in Spanish (yet!), I was forced to find other ways to communicate with the women and children in the clinic. Although difficult at first, I found that therapeutic touch and even silence are extremely effective in order to build relationships. In addition to working in the clinic, we had the opportunity to visit various organizations in Quito and educate and serve in many different capacities. Perhaps my favorite part of our trip was working alongside a nurse in Hospital Vozandes Quito. This experience offered a glimpse of healthcare in another country, and I was able to learn from the way the nurses in Ecuador care for their patients in order to better serve my patients in the future.
In improvished areas where access to a doctor is not always possible, education is extremely important in preventing illness. I had the opportunity to educate the women of Quito in topics such as nutrition, Heart Disease, Diabetes, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, and breast health. I was overwhelmed by their participation and attentiveness during the presentations, and most of the women kissed me on the cheek and thanked me over and over for my time. My educational posters on Heart Disease and Diabetes are linked below.
In addition to educating the women of Quito, we had the opportunity to teach children about topics such as hand washing, teeth brushing, excercise, and nutrition. We taught these topics in settings such as day care organizations as well as in the clinic itself. The kids especially loved Pepe, the dog prop we used to teach teeth brushing. Sometimes, the only education on healthy habits the family receives is from information the child receives at school. Therefore, it is imperative that we keep this generation up to date on education regarding basic health practices.
