The Beginning of an End

by katie nugent photography

As we sit here in a cabana on the beach watching the waves at Coconut Grove Resort, it's hard to believe that five weeks have gone by so fast. Throughout this trip we have not had much down time to reflect on what we have accomplished in Ghana until now. Quite frankly, and literally, it has been a bumpy ride. We have faced many physical, emotional, and professional challenges. In spite of this, we have grown as nurses, individuals, and global health citizens.
Our global awareness has developed drastically since the beginning of this practicum. We have witnessed some of the most resilient and resourceful nurses, as well as, some of the most passionate and committed community members. We have learned from them in ways that words cannot describe. We are so thankful to the Ghanaians for welcoming and supporting us through our experience. We will take home many lessons that we will share and incorporate into our practice as Registered Nurses and global citizens. A special thank you to Dr. Vida Yakong for all the work that she has done and for continuing the partnership with UBC Okanagan.

by katie nugent photography

As a group of 20, we have shared many laughs and tears. We have learnt how to pee on the side of the road as a group, and survive off of Cliff bars and instant oatmeal. We can calculate exactly how many millilitres of water we will need to drink in a day and accept that sweat and dirt will be everywhere, always. We are now pros at 10 hour bus rides with no air conditioning, and some of us even perfected the art of puking into a glove.

Jeanette & Maggie
by katie nugent photography

Thank you to our amazing bus drivers Jacob and Peter for getting us to our destination safely even with a chicken in the back seat. A huge shout out to Clifford, Francis and Samed for watching over us and being our Ghanaian phone experts. Thank you to our instructors Maggie and Jeanette for supporting, guiding and loving us at our worst and best moments. Ghana has captured our hearts. We came as 18 UBCO nursing students, and we now are leaving as new grads with a shared experience that will bond us no matter where we end up.
***Posted by: Alishia Huston, Kelsey Bellerive and Emma Miller