Hello Everyone,
I just have to share my Friday at work here in UB.
I had to be at work early for a "nurses meeting" at 7.30 so headed to the bus stop. Along came bus 21, it slowed but kept going. I felt this wasn't a good start to Friday. No to worry, hailed a taxi by standing on the side of the road and waving my hand till any random car that was going my way stopped. Got to work in time to change into my smart white coat and spiffy white shoes (locally purchased).
Got to the meeting, which started the traditional 15 minutes late. It was all conducted in Mongolian and I think was about statistics. I got the feeling that PC (Palliative Care) didn't score well because the head nurse made lots of angry noises and sat with her arms folded across her chest. While discussion was still ongoing, suddenly everyone stood up and left. Maybe the conversation was getting too heated.
Anyway, I spent most of my day with Yuki, a delightful volunteer nurse from Japan. Fortunately she speaks English and Mongolian (smartty pants) so sometimes translates for me. She is based in the Head and Neck surgical ward which is a unit much improved on the area I work in. I get the feeling Palliative Care is the poor cousin. They even have soap and hand towel in the staff toilet. But it is still locked. (Our staff toilet has been locked for 4 days now because they have lost the key) Yuki did a lecture for nurses, which was interesting to sit in on. She did it in Japanese with a Mongolian powerpoint with a translator. I didn't understand a word but the pictures were pretty. It was Yuki's birthday so we had cake, horshoor (a yummy Mongolian meat pastry) and salty milk tea for lunch.
After lunch I returned to the 'PC' ward where there was lots of chatter with my name, lavender and wash sprinkled through the conversation. Some very precious lavender oil from Australia has been a remarkable hit and is used any time a patient needs a wash by the nurses (usually the job of the family, but if they feel someone is particularly dirty the paramedical aid goes in and scrubs). So I assumed that was what they were saying. Something as simple as lavender is giving great pleasure and helping to add a little pampering for a few.
I did suggest to the head nurse (through a translator) that I would like to design a Nurse Assessment tool for use by the nurses. I had noticed that when patients are admitted there is no assessment done by the nurses, for that matter, no ongoing assessment either. Her reply was "the doctor does it". I pushed on saying the nurses tend the patient more closely (even if it is just medications and vital signs) and that they could provide the doctor with more comprehensive information if they knew what to look for, maybe I had said it wrong the first time. "But the doctor does it". There is a very strong hierarchy.
Again the word lavender was mentioned as everyone was donning the blue gown, hats, gloves and masks that are worn for any patient contact. One of the nurses pointed out the window and said wash. I thought maybe she wanted to grow lavender in the garden, a constant supply. So, because I seem to have become an important part of this patient hygiene, I too was encouraged to dressed up. I am surprised at how quickly this has now become second nature. But this time everyone was dressed up, doctor, head nurse, ward nurses and paramedical aid. I thought maybe interesting new patient.
Like a sheep I followed, ...out of the ward. Maybe going to another ward? In the corridor we met Tamir, the only English speaking staff in 'PC'. They said something to him, he looked at me and said "You are all going out to clean the yard". I said "You're kidding me, right?" "No, for sure, everyone, doctors and nurses are going to clean the garden". Thank god I was wearing a mask because all I could do was laugh. Nobody would believe me (so I took photos). When we got down stairs a good proportion of the hospital staff were at the front of the building pulling weeds. Sure enough Tamir was right, doctors, nurses, theatre staff, kitchen staff, all doing their bit. On my first visit to the hospital, my Mongolian co-ordinator had said to me "look at the beautiful grass" which was all weeds, guess just what we don't cultivate.
The head nurse and the doctor surveyed a little patch that was ours and away we went. I was quite happy till I found out I was pulling the wrong weeds "No No Diana", to me they are all weeds. But what a hoot. There were all these blue gowned, paper hatted people bobbing about in knee high weeds while visitors sat on bench seats and watched. Every now and then I would just laugh. Thank heaven for the families who stayed with the patients in the wards. Yuki assured me they don't do this in Japan. Thing is, as soon as someone visits on the ward, they have to buy plastic shoe covers, because their shoes are dirty. We were all out there in our ward shoes.
But what a nice way to finish off a Friday, enjoying the warm sun out among nature. I think it is a practice that western hospitals should employ, Daw House has a big garden. Trouble is now I'm home and could really do with a nice hot soak in the bath after my gardening, our hot water is turned off till mid August for pipe maintenance, bugger, it's a cold shower.
So now, it is kick back, a coffee (or stronger) before our little Aussie expat get together to celebrate a bit of National Pride and await the Olympics. And fortunately I will be in China next Friday sorting my visa, so no more weed pulling.
Cheers
Di
I just have to share my Friday at work here in UB.
I had to be at work early for a "nurses meeting" at 7.30 so headed to the bus stop. Along came bus 21, it slowed but kept going. I felt this wasn't a good start to Friday. No to worry, hailed a taxi by standing on the side of the road and waving my hand till any random car that was going my way stopped. Got to work in time to change into my smart white coat and spiffy white shoes (locally purchased).
Got to the meeting, which started the traditional 15 minutes late. It was all conducted in Mongolian and I think was about statistics. I got the feeling that PC (Palliative Care) didn't score well because the head nurse made lots of angry noises and sat with her arms folded across her chest. While discussion was still ongoing, suddenly everyone stood up and left. Maybe the conversation was getting too heated.
Anyway, I spent most of my day with Yuki, a delightful volunteer nurse from Japan. Fortunately she speaks English and Mongolian (smartty pants) so sometimes translates for me. She is based in the Head and Neck surgical ward which is a unit much improved on the area I work in. I get the feeling Palliative Care is the poor cousin. They even have soap and hand towel in the staff toilet. But it is still locked. (Our staff toilet has been locked for 4 days now because they have lost the key) Yuki did a lecture for nurses, which was interesting to sit in on. She did it in Japanese with a Mongolian powerpoint with a translator. I didn't understand a word but the pictures were pretty. It was Yuki's birthday so we had cake, horshoor (a yummy Mongolian meat pastry) and salty milk tea for lunch.
After lunch I returned to the 'PC' ward where there was lots of chatter with my name, lavender and wash sprinkled through the conversation. Some very precious lavender oil from Australia has been a remarkable hit and is used any time a patient needs a wash by the nurses (usually the job of the family, but if they feel someone is particularly dirty the paramedical aid goes in and scrubs). So I assumed that was what they were saying. Something as simple as lavender is giving great pleasure and helping to add a little pampering for a few.
I did suggest to the head nurse (through a translator) that I would like to design a Nurse Assessment tool for use by the nurses. I had noticed that when patients are admitted there is no assessment done by the nurses, for that matter, no ongoing assessment either. Her reply was "the doctor does it". I pushed on saying the nurses tend the patient more closely (even if it is just medications and vital signs) and that they could provide the doctor with more comprehensive information if they knew what to look for, maybe I had said it wrong the first time. "But the doctor does it". There is a very strong hierarchy.
Again the word lavender was mentioned as everyone was donning the blue gown, hats, gloves and masks that are worn for any patient contact. One of the nurses pointed out the window and said wash. I thought maybe she wanted to grow lavender in the garden, a constant supply. So, because I seem to have become an important part of this patient hygiene, I too was encouraged to dressed up. I am surprised at how quickly this has now become second nature. But this time everyone was dressed up, doctor, head nurse, ward nurses and paramedical aid. I thought maybe interesting new patient.
Like a sheep I followed, ...out of the ward. Maybe going to another ward? In the corridor we met Tamir, the only English speaking staff in 'PC'. They said something to him, he looked at me and said "You are all going out to clean the yard". I said "You're kidding me, right?" "No, for sure, everyone, doctors and nurses are going to clean the garden". Thank god I was wearing a mask because all I could do was laugh. Nobody would believe me (so I took photos). When we got down stairs a good proportion of the hospital staff were at the front of the building pulling weeds. Sure enough Tamir was right, doctors, nurses, theatre staff, kitchen staff, all doing their bit. On my first visit to the hospital, my Mongolian co-ordinator had said to me "look at the beautiful grass" which was all weeds, guess just what we don't cultivate.
The head nurse and the doctor surveyed a little patch that was ours and away we went. I was quite happy till I found out I was pulling the wrong weeds "No No Diana", to me they are all weeds. But what a hoot. There were all these blue gowned, paper hatted people bobbing about in knee high weeds while visitors sat on bench seats and watched. Every now and then I would just laugh. Thank heaven for the families who stayed with the patients in the wards. Yuki assured me they don't do this in Japan. Thing is, as soon as someone visits on the ward, they have to buy plastic shoe covers, because their shoes are dirty. We were all out there in our ward shoes.
But what a nice way to finish off a Friday, enjoying the warm sun out among nature. I think it is a practice that western hospitals should employ, Daw House has a big garden. Trouble is now I'm home and could really do with a nice hot soak in the bath after my gardening, our hot water is turned off till mid August for pipe maintenance, bugger, it's a cold shower.
So now, it is kick back, a coffee (or stronger) before our little Aussie expat get together to celebrate a bit of National Pride and await the Olympics. And fortunately I will be in China next Friday sorting my visa, so no more weed pulling.
Cheers
Di
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