Nurses for Edna: A Medical Mission to Hargesia, Somaliland

In August 2013, Wanda Chestnut, Kim Law and Kerra Plesko, three members of the Nurses for Edna team, left for Hargesia, Somaliland.  Due to a death in the family the last nurse, Sarah David, joined them two weeks later.

 Each member of the team had expressed a passion to improve women’s health around the world. For almost a year they had planned and worked.  They held fund raisers to augment the already generous grant awarded by Barco’s Nightingale Foundation for this mission. They sought free medical equipment and found ways to cover shipping costs and logistics. They sent out hundreds of appeals to friends and family to raise awareness of the plight of the Somaliland women. They did all this in an effort to make a difference in a country still struggling to recover from years of civil war. They traveled with little personal luggage so they might fill their baggage allowances with donations of medical equipment.  The trip took more than 24 hours; they arrived exhausted, but eager to begin work.

The Hospital director, Edna Adan requested they teach a First Aid course while they were in Hargesia. What they didn’t realize was how large the group would be – over 150 nurses, lab techs and public health students. Nor did they realize that some of their teaching would need to be done using pantomime and interpreters! 

Although each member of the team expressed that the teaching experience was both frustrating and somewhat overwhelming, they also expressed that one of the best things about the trip was the positive feedback that they got from their students. They can feel proud that they were instrumental in teaching more than 150 students the necessary skills needed to provide basic First Aid Care for the people of Somaliland.

“My happiest moment is a culmination of positive feedback from my students and from the university. Both have expressed gratitude for and positivity towards my teaching and indicated they would happily  have me teach again. Having never taught in a classroom setting before, and having experienced numerous frustrations throughout the course, the end response was very gratifying,” Kim Law.

Besides teaching and working at the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital the nurses also worked and taught in the

community at the Abdi Idan MCH Clinic. This free, government funded clinic provides multiple services including antenatal and postpartum care, low risk deliveries, a nutrition clinic, a pediatric health and immunization clinic, and lab services in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Hargesia.

While they were not able to spend as much time as they had hoped providing women’s health clinical care at the hospital, the nurses did both work, and provide supervision to student nurses, on the wards. Three of the nurses identified their biggest challenge, and saddest moments, came while resuscitating a newborn infant with no doctor to guide them.

“We tried to get one of the nursing students to go find a doctor, but she didn’t understand what we wanted. Finally, the nurse anesthetist came in and we were able to partially stabilize the baby and get it breathing. But, it was just a situation where no one in the room knew what to do and we couldn’t find anyone to help us, Kerra Plesko.

It was during incidents like this one, and other long neonatal resuscitations that the nurses felt pummeled with a moral and ethical dilemma.

 “My absolute worst experience here is the ethical dilemma I am now constantly thinking about. We've done a few, long neonatal resuscitations, and have been able to revive the babies, only to have them die a few days later. If they had lived they would have been severely disabled. Is it ethically responsible to do long resuscitations in resource poor countries where the risk for long term disability is high?” Kim Law

However, the nurses also expressed being positively impacted by their time in Somaliland, They came home with a greater appreciation for everything available to them at work and at home: medications, supplies and equipment.

“I now really appreciate being prepared at every delivery, having the necessary equipment ready, or

even having it at all, and having qualified trained people who know the importance of quick resuscitation and being efficient with what we are doing.  I appreciated it before, but I had never seen babies die from the lack of those things. I know we live in a rush- rush society and I do believe that we need time for slowdowns often, but I also value responding to a task quickly, and Africa has shown me how valuable that can be,” Kerra Plesko

They also came home with a greater appreciation for their knowledgeable, supportive team members at their respective work places.  Larger still, they returned with a sense of respect for the people of Somaliland and a reminder of the importance of humility.

“The people of Hargesia are so poor and despite being poor they are humble people. This experience reminded me to remain humble in all situations and circumstances,” Wanda Chestnut.

The nursing team also described moments of happiness along a difficult medical mission. Moments of showing support for each other; of early morning work -out sessions on the roof to decrease their stress; and spontaneous dancing in their rooms after working all day to the point of exhaustion. But, the most gratifying memories they report are of times they saw their hard work actually bringing change in the nursing practice at the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital:

“My happiest moment was when I went downstairs one morning after breakfast and saw the nurses and midwives put two babies in the Embrace warmers! It was a proud moment. Not only did they do it correctly, but they actually remembered to use them! It’s hard to tell when you get through to some of the nurses, but at that moment, I knew that our in-services and teachings had some sort of impact because the neonates were in Embrace,”  Sarah David

The  nurses report feeling proud of some of the small, yet significant, changes they brought to the Edna Edan Maternity Hospital such as putting together an emergency resuscitation kit for the med/surg ward. They are particularly proud of the part they played  in the prevention of neonatal hyperthermia.

“When we first arrived at the hospital, neonatal resuscitation were being done on an old cart with a heating pad. The babies would get extremely cold (like 34 C cold). They had two radiant warmers shoved into corners so we decided to check them out. One of them didn't work but the other one was in beautiful shape. It took several weeks to get everyone to leave the warmer on and plugged in at all times. But eventually, with perseverance and a little duct tape, we made it happen.”Kim Law.

Although the mission to Hargesia was challenging, each nurse expressed how very grateful they are to have had this experience. Each feels this experience both gave them a fuller appreciation of their nursing careers at home, as well as helped to prepare them for future medical missions. Each member of the Nurses for Edna team: Sarah David, Wanda Chestnut, Kim Law, and Kerra Plesko plan to continue to volunteer in the global arena. One nurse at a time they will change the world!

 The nurses of the Nurses for Edna team want to thank One Nurse At A Time as well as the Barcos Nightingale’s Foundation for their generous support of this medical mission.

Nurses for Edna Team update

Three amazing nurse of the  Nurses for Edna team, Wanda Chestnut, Kim Law and Kerra Plesko departed on August 25, 2013 on their first medical mission to Hargeisa, Somaliland. Due to a death in the family the fourth team member, Sarah David will not arrive until September 9th.
This inaugural mission launched ONE NURSE’s partnership with one of the world’s most respected providers of maternity and midwifery services in developing countries – The Edna Adan Maternity Hospital.
The trip began with more than a few challenges for at least one nurse. When Kim Law’s flight was canceled

and she learned that all other flights to Dulles were full. So, she flew to Calgary, then Newark, then  Baltimore, where United Airlines paid  for her to be driven the final  32kmsby taxi to Dulles.
 Once there she woke up her cohorts, they did a mad scramble to finish sorting out all the medical supplies and luggage, then headed to the airport for their early morning flight to Ethiopia. “No sleep in the near future,’ Kim quipped, ‘Good thing I'm a nurse and I'm used to running on little to no sleep. Nothing is standing in my way!”
 It’s this sort of attitudinal mix - part grit; part humor, that will get the nurses through the next month as they

work under very different conditions than those they are accustomed, in a country very different from their own. Their excitement, trepidation, and their gratitude as they begin this medical mission adventure are best stated in their own words:

“With two sleeps to go before I start my long trip to Somaliland, I’ve been asked how I feel about the upcoming adventure. I’m feeling everything, and surprisingly sometimes I don’t think about it at all...When I’m feeling everything I feel excited. Excited to start the adventure, to finally meet my new cohorts. To meet Edna and the people of Somaliland. I feel hopeful, hopeful; that we can help, even if it’s just in a small way… I feel nervous... Theoretically I know what to expect, but all nurses know that theory rarely matches reality,”~ Kim Law

As the days approach for us to leave I am feeling a little overwhelmed with all I still have to do a work…I am honestly not excited about the 2.5 hour ride to and from the airport, it’s a long way on bad roads. The good thing is I will have company going. I am very excited to see Edna and the other people I met I on my previous trip. ~ Wanda Chestnut

“ I’ve always had a dream of nursing in South Africa and together with One Nurse At  A Time and amazing sponsors like Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, that dream is coming true! Thank you so much!” ~ Kerra Plesko

 Nurses for Edna will work with local medical staff and teach current nursing practice, techniques and standards of care. This joint effort by One Nurse At A Time, Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, and numerous individuals’ donors,  is forged in the common values of integrity, commitment to the well-being of others, an innovative spirit, and a passion for inspiring to the hearts of others.

Check back frequently for updates on this amazing team’s work in Hargeisa, Somaliland!

About One Nurse At A Time
One Nurse At A Time, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded by nurses in 2007. They are passionate about giving back to the local and global community through volunteer and humanitarian medical pursuits. Their goals are to support nurses by lowering the entry barriers to volunteer locally and globally, and to increase public awareness of the role and contribution nurses make at home and abroad. For more information, please contact Nancy Leigh Harless, Communications Liaison, at 319.372.1339, email nancy@onenurseatatime.org; or Sue Averill, President 206.527.4862

About Barco’s Nightingales Foundation
Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded by Michael and Frida Donner on behalf of Barco Uniforms. The Foundation serves to advance the nursing profession and honor those women and men who devote their lives to serving others through nursing. The Foundation is the Donner family’s way of paying tribute and saluting the many generations of nurses for their tremendous contribution in making the world a better place. Its objective is to support the vitality and courageous heart of nursing, while also dedicating itself to honoring the spirit of those women and men who choose nursing by focusing its philanthropic efforts on helping to mend the lives of children and their families.  For more information, please contact Barco’s Nightingales Foundation headquarters at 310.719.2108, follow us on Facebook or email info@barcosnightingales.org.

Baby hats for Nurses for Edna

Lynn Calkins has been an Ob-Gyn Nurse Practitioner since 1992. Early last November, as she was mentally preparing for her second medical mission to Fiji, she began to consider what her next mission might be down the road. She’d had been looking at going to Africa for some time, first inspired when she read the book, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.

She emailed One Nurse At A Time to inquire if we were involved in any medical missions in Africa. Sue Averill, President, replied immediately explaining that we do not really go on missions, rather they try to support those who are doing so. Sue suggested a medical mission to Edna Adan's Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa, Somaliland.

Having read Half the Sky and watched the two-part movie on public television, Lynn was familiar with  Edna's hospital and her personal mission to train 1000 nurse-midwives to disperse all over Somaliland to provide prenatal care, safe births, and teach appropriate newborn care in order to decrease the horribly high maternal-infant mortality rate. She went to Edna's website and learned more. She also immersed herself in Somaliland history, culture, healthcare via the library and internet.

At about the same time, several nurses from different parts of the United States and Canada contacted Sue wanting to volunteer internationally in women’s health. Sue connected these nurses via group meetings for the ones living in the Seattle area and later a Goggle chat that included the entire group. Soon, for before you could say, "Somaliland," we had an enthusiastic, energetic group of nurses looking forward to going to Hargeisa to volunteer, teach, mentor, support, learn in Edna's program. The team, Nurses for Edna was born.

“It has taken on a life of its own, with the terrific enthusiasm and support of Sue Averill and from One Nurse,” Lynn says, ‘That's my story, and I am exceedingly joyous that one little email has lead to this exciting adventure of generosity and caring. If Nurses for Edna can decrease the maternal-infant mortality rate by even one percentage point, it will have made it all worthwhile. And, from my previous mission experience, I know the nurses will receive far more than they give, even though they will be working very, very hard under arduous conditions.”

As it turned out, due to personal reasons, Lynn Calkins is not able to participate in the first Nurses for Edna medical mission in August 2013. She is, however, very much a member of the Nurses for Edna team and she actively supports the team as they prepare, gather equipment, and supplies for the mission. Most recently, Lynn led the women of the San Dieguito United Methodist Church of Encinitas, CA to knit 400 hats and blankets for the babies being born at Edna Adan’s Maternity Hospital! The Nurses for Edna medical mission team will deliver them in August.

One Nurse At A Time and the nurses of the Nurses for Edna want to give a huge THANK YOU to each of the knitters. One knitter at a time, one nurse at a time we are changing the world.

Fund raising for Nurses for Edna

One Nurse At A Time is sending a team of nurses to Hargeisa, Somaliland on their first medical mission to The Edna Adan Maternity Hospital. The nursing team, NURSES for EDNA, is working hard to fund-raise for the much needed equipment and supplies for the hospital. Most recently, nurse, Kimberly Law, organized a successful and fun event at The Barley Mill Brew Pub in Penticton, BC on June 29. Music, good food, and door prizes brought in a good turn out and raised a significant amount of money for Nurses for Edna.  Huge kudos for Kim for all her hard work.

The nurses travel costs for this mission have been funded  by The Barco’s Nightingales Foundation  and through generous  individual donations. Now the Nurses for Edna fund raising efforts will go toward the much needed equipment and supplies as well as “seed money” for their next  medical mission.  One nurse At A Time, this team of amazing, strong women is making a difference in the world.

If you would like to help, please donate at http://onenurseatatime.org/donate/donate/

Nurses for Edna

Within just a few weeks last Fall, seven nurses, from different parts of the States, as well as Canada, reached out to One Nurse At A Time. Each had questions about women's healthcare volunteer work. All wanted to volunteer in the global arena. Sue Averill, President, One Nurse At A Time, met with those nurses who live in the Seattle area, and arranged a Google Hangout later to include the entire group.

Several of the nurses had read the Book, Half the Sky; some had seen the documentary by the same name. They were all inspired, particularly by the work being done by a nurse/midwife, Edna Adan in Hegesia, Somaliland. The idea of Nurses for Edna was born.

Located in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland is an unrecognized, self-declared state. Women of the country struggle to receive equal rights and healthcare services due to gender inequalities, weakened infrastructure, lack of education, poor literacy rates, and limited access. After learning about the issues women and girls face across the globe, Nurses for Edna is joining the movement to empower and uplift women and prove that you can make a difference.

Nurses for Edna hopes to build a lasting relationship, and empower the nurses of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital, as well as create a pathway for future nurses to volunteer. Those participating in the first mission include Wanda Chestnut, Sarah David, Beth Langlais, Kimberly Law, and Nancy Harless, Playing a supporting role during the first medical mission are nurses Lynn Calkins, and Fiona Smith, who both plan to go on future missions.  

Edna has expressed the greatest need is teaching. Nurses for Edna will teach courses in Basic First Aid and General Physical Assessment, as well as share nursing practice and skills on the hospital floors while supervising student nurses.

“I’m hopeful that the success of Nurses for Edna will inspire other nurses to join with us, sharing their passion, skills and knowledge to benefit those most in need at home and around the globe,” said Sue Averill, President. “I do believe we can change the world, One Nurse At A Time.”

The August 2013 medical mission for Nurses for Edna is being supported through your donations which can be made via our website www.onenurseatatime.org. ; and, through the generous support of the Barcos Nightingale’s Foundation.

Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded by Michael and Frida Donner on behalf of Barco Uniforms. The Foundation serves to advance the nursing profession and honor those women and men who devote their lives to serving others through nursing. The Foundation supports the vitality and courageous heart of nursing, while dedicating itself to honoring the spirit of those women and men who choose nursing by focusing its philanthropic efforts on helping to mend lives. For information, follow us on Facebook, contact Barco’s Nightingales Foundation headquarters at 310.719.2108 or email info@barcosnightingales.org.

One Nurse At A Time And Barco’s Nightingales Foundation Collaborate To Reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality Rates In Somaliland

One Nurse At A Time and Barco’s Nightingales Foundation announced a collaborative effort to send a team of nurses to the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa, Somaliland, to work with local medical staff and teach current nursing practice, techniques and standards of care.  This joint effort by One Nurse At A Time and Barco’s Nightingales Foundation is forged in the common values of integrity, commitment to the well-being of others, an innovative spirit, and a passion for inspiring to the hearts of others.

“This collaboration with Barco’s Nightingales Foundation transforms the positive impact of individual nurses multifold.  Together we are able to serve as the launch pad to attend to healthcare needs of one of the most medically under-served populations in the world:  the women of Somaliland,” said Sue Averill RN, cofounder of One Nurse At A Time.  “I’m hopeful that the success of Nurses for Edna will inspire other nurses to join with us, sharing their passion, skills and knowledge to benefit those most in need at home and around the globe.  I do believe we can change the world, One Nurse At A Time.”

Located in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland is an unrecognized, self-declared state. Women of the country struggle to receive equal rights and healthcare services due to gender inequalities, weakened infrastructure, lack of education, poor literacy rates, and limited access. These factors have impacted health services and as a result, maternal and infant mortality rates are among the highest in the world.

The Nurses for Edna hope to build a lasting relationship with the hospital, empower the nurses of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital, and create a pathway for future nurses to volunteer with the support of One Nurse At A Time. Nurses participating in the trip include Wanda Chestnut, RN, DHSc, HIV/AID Specialist from Glen Dale, MD; Sarah David, RN, BSN, Emergency Nurse from New York City, NY; Beth Langlais RN, BSN, MN, Maternal Child Health from Seattle Washington; and Kimberly Law, BSN, RN(C) Perinatal Nurse Specialist from Penticton, British Columbia.

During the trip, the Nurses for Edna team will hold educational seminars for the midwifery students at the hospital, as well as equip staff and students with critical resources including DVDs, books, writing utensils, stethoscopes, and other general nursing supplies. Collaborating with hospital founder Edna Adan, the nurses participating on the trip will identify the needs of the hospital and the women it serves, and establish goals and a plan to achieve them.

ONAAT MEETING

We had another successful ONAAT Meeting this morning...discussed our objectives and goals for the year, our fundraising plans and ideas for building and growing One Nurse At A Time. We met in Fremont at Hale's Brewery and had a fantastic lunch, great conversation and meeting! 

Some of the highlights we would like to share with you:

1. Fundraising -

This continues to be a constant concern. We want to help nurses everywhere, but we need to have the funds to help! We would love to have any ideas, thoughts or a person who may be passionate about fundraising talk with Sue about helping us meet our goals for One Nurse At  A Time. Some ideas we tossed about were text to donate, volunteering at local marathons (getting name out there), talking with larger corporations about donation and support, as well as thinking about Christmas! What! Yes, Christmas...hopefully we can connect with a great organization or club out there that may be looking for a charity to donate to during the holidays. 

2. Edna hospital Nurses -

We talked a lot about these four passionate nurses who are very interested in humanitarian work in Somaliland. A formal financial request was sent in by these nurses seeking financial assistance with their project to One Nurse At A Time. Here is a great link to learn more about Edna Adan University Hospital. Our goals are in line with getting resources and financial help out to these women who will be doing amazing and hard work in Somaliland. If you know someone who may be interested in helping, please email Sue!  Sue@onenurseatatime.org

3. Past ONAAT Scholarship Nurses -

This probably means you! =) We would really like to build up our community and our network of nurses and nurse volunteers. This means we need to hear from you. Sue will be working hard these next few weeks to months by reaching out to all of you for networking, giving you an update of where we are, and any financial assistance you can muster. =)

4. April Conferences - 

Sue is totally excited to go to this next month's conference! The conference is through the University of Phoenix Omicron Delta Chapter in Savannah Georgia, April 27th. If you are interested please click here Omicron Delta Educational Conference. The conference is based on International Nursing: Making a Difference One Nurse At A Time! Sue will be speaking at the conference and is so excited to talk about International Nursing!  Please register to attend!

5. Nursing Retention Research -

As a nurse, I can see the young newbies coming straight out of nursing school excited and thrilled to be out on their own caring for patients and making a difference in people's lives. As a nurse, I can also see nurses struggling with expectations, feeling like they are not making a positive change, overwhelming feelings, poor self-care and then sadly leaving the profession all together because none of these things are met. So, we hope to reach out to one of our recent scholarship recipients (you know who you are =) ) and work towards getting this information tied in closely to the satisfaction, sense of well-being, love for nursing, gratitude, and overall joy that humanitarian nursing brings to nurses all over the world!!

Whew!  It might not seem like it was a long meeting, but we all laughed, shared, pulled out great ideas from each other, and rejuvenated our own goals for One Nurse At A Time! Thanks so much for all of the hard work that you all put into our organization gals!!  

This means you -  Sue Averill, Karis Cady, Helen Jose, Christine Van Horn, and Kristi Whiton

All smiles!