Nepal has been a phenomenal experience in allowing me to both learn about a new country and view the medical field through the lens of a different culture. There is a wide variety of differences between healthcare in America versus Nepal that include perceptions of cleanliness, pain management in pediatric care, and the intensity of the nursing program at the Tansen School of Health Science (TSHS). Throughout my time shadowing at United Mission Hospital in Tansen, I noticed that different medical procedures completed in Nepal were done in a way that either was much cleaner and more efficient than in America or seemed much less sanitary. In one of the wards, two kittens have made a home in the linen closet and while I do love kittens, that would not be allowed at all in America for obvious reasons. On Friday night, our team was able to hear from a pediatric nurse from Sweden about her experience in creating the Pediatric Nursing Course (PNC) for Nepali hospitals. This course focused on seeing life through the eyes of a child and allowed her to teach nurses and healthcare professionals to use the art of distraction during procedures such as wound dressings to ease the anxiety and pain of the child. Furthermore, the nursing program at TSHS is much more involved in the healthcare system than the nursing programs in America. The students work in the hospital four days a week and have classes one day a week, which is the opposite in America. This has allowed the students to really develop their nursing skills and grow more comfortable in the hospital setting.

The experiences I have had in American hospitals have honestly left me spoiled. In the United Mission Hospital, the vitals are often done manually which is different from the technologically advanced American hospitals I have worked in. The nurses also must adjust the IV flow rates and feeding tube rates by hand rather than doing so with the help of a machine. The resourcefulness and knowledge that I have been able to witness in the Nepali students has been extremely admirable and something I greatly look up to them for. Even without the technology that is evident in American healthcare, the nursing students were able to provide expert-level care and care for their patients.

Healthcare has always been an interest of mine, and this trip further confirmed my love for medicine and caring for those with troubling diagnoses or ailments. Another passion of mine has been missions and serving communities that are in resource-poor settings. While I was growing up, my family and I had gone on several mission trips to Romania which triggered a love for travel, learning about new cultures, and caring for others. Being able to combine this aspiration for missions with my passion in healthcare helped me get a better understanding of what my future may look like as a nurse.

I did my best to enter Nepal with minimal expectations to get the most out of the trip. I have been blown away by the kindness of every person we encounter both on the streets and in the hospital setting. Everyone is extremely friendly and wants to make sure that we feel welcomed by them. It has been a pure delight to see the joy that the Nepali people radiate especially when comparing it to the typical interactions with strangers in America. Every turn we take we have been greeted with a smile and a “Namaste”. This hospitable aspect of the Nepali culture has allowed me to feel at ease and comfortable in a country across the world from my home.

Something that had concerned me while preparing for Nepal was missing my home in Grand Rapids and my friends there. Since being in Nepal, however, that fear has been completely erased. The community I have found with both the Nepali nursing students at TSHS and my fellow Calvin students has brought me peace and confidence in my ability to make a home wherever I go. While I do miss my family and friends back in the States, my heart has been overflowing with joy and Nepal has made it difficult for me to want to leave. I have been so honored and grateful for the opportunity to learn about healthcare and life in Nepal. This has truly been an experience I will be forever thankful for and take with me wherever I go in my nursing career.