Elective Placement
Work The World
Work The World is an organisation for medical students, nurses,
midwives, dentists and physiotherapists. They organise elective
placements in Argentina, Ghana, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania in
Arusha, Lake Victoria, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
Tanzania - Arusha
My nursing elective placement was in Africa. I went to Arusha,
Tanzania.
I split my 4 weeks into:
2 weeks on the children’s ward at Mount Meru Hospital
1 week on the surgical ward at Mount Meru Hospital
1 week in the Maasai village Engaruka.
Mount Meru Hospital
At Mount Meru Hospital there is
an opportunity to work in the
areas:
paediatrics,
obstetrics / gynaecology,
A&E and general medicine,
surgical
You may also be able to work
in specialist fields such as:
anaesthetics,
neo-natal intensive care
Mount Meru Hospital
Children’s Ward
Like UWE placements, students are given a
mentor, and the project manager takes you to
the hospital on your first day and introduces
you to one another.
It is important that you tell your mentor the
boundaries of your practice.
I had the opportunity to help admit patients,
draw up medicines, perform obs…some of the
families can speak English, but I had Swahili
lessons twice a week so had the opportunity to
use what I had learn on the ward!
I followed the Doctors on their ward round,
and this was helpful as they spoke better
English than the nurses, so I learnt more
about the treatments available.
Mount Meru Hospital
Surgical Ward
When on placement on the surgical ward there is an
opportunity to:
Go into theatre - but it is a very different experience to
what you might have seen on placement in the UK!
Attended the doctors ward round to see how they assess
the patient and plan their care.
When on the ward round I witnessed very different care
compared to what is done in the UK. For example:
Wounds are not dressed, whereas in the UK it is
important to keep wounds clean and dressed to lower
the risk of infection.
A patient with a severe head injury was conscious and
had erratic movements, so to protect him from harming
himself the doctors tied him onto the bed.
…some of the care that I witnessed was unethical to me
but is normal in this culture, and this is something to
consider when doing an elective placement in Africa.
Village Experience
Engaruka
When living in Engaruka I lived in a mud hut
with a Maasai family.
I worked at the dispensary where staffing was
one doctor and two nurses.
It was set up like a Doctors surgery, and was
the only healthcare available to this tribe as
Arusha was a 7 hour bus journey away.
I was able to assess and examine the
patients, and suggest a diagnosis.
In the afternoons the Maasai warrior who I
was living with arranged activities with some
of the community members:
I met some of the Maasai mama’s and
warriors where cultural and lifestyle choices
were discussed
met the spiritual healer
Walked for half hour to get clean water
Prices
The cost of my elective placement:
3 weeks in Arusha: £1,340
1 week in the Maasai village: £290
Total: £1,630
This only includes the cost of your stay in Africa, covering the costs of your
accommodation, food and transport to and from the airport,
It doesn’t include the costs of flights, travel and personal insurance, indemnity
cover, vaccinations (including malaria tablets), and your visa into Africa.
All this information can be found on the Work The World website:
http://www.worktheworld.co.uk/
For a list of the recommended and advised vaccinations that you need/should
have, go to:
http://www.travelturtle.co.uk/TravelHealthTool.aspx