SO it’s November 3rd…I can’t believe it!! Less than 6 weeks left here in this vibrant, beautiful city! I’ve been having such an amazing time and am seriously so grateful for this experience.  I’m also SO happy to hear that so many people from home are reading this and supporting us even thousands of miles away! Thank you to everyone!!

As people have mentioned in other posts, we have started our Pediatric clinical rotation.  It’s been very interesting so far!! I am working at Mitchells Plain Medical Center, a private hospital, and then at Taafelsig Clinic, a day clinic located in Mitchells Plain as well.  Today I was at the clinic from 8-4.  First of all, when we show up there in the morning there are already over a hundred people inside and waiting in line out the front gate…It’s very overwhelming when walking in trying to get past everyone just to get inside the clinic itself!  They don’t do appointments at clinics here…People just show up, get in line, get a number, and are called in in the order they arrived..very different system from home.  After we got through the crowd, I was partnered with a nurse that does immunizations for the babies.  This is both really fun (before you give the shots) and then really difficult and frustrating (after you give the shots).  I really like working at this clinic because I feel like I’m really helping the nurse out.  We move through the patients really quickly because we split up the work between the two of us.  Today I started drawing up the immunizations and administering them.  Giving a shot to a baby is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.  First of all it breaks my heart to hurt them, even if it’s for a second..but on top of that it’s hard to get him/her to stop squirming long enough to give the shot!! It really made me nervous in the beginning but after a couple I got the hang of it! Later I moved on to do some of the documentation, like writing the nursing notes for each patient and doing some teaching with the mother to ensure she knows when to come back to the clinic for the next dose and what the possible side effects of the shots given today.  This kept me busy for a couple of hours because there was a constant line of mother’s with their babies waiting outside our room.  Come 10:00, it’s tea time.  Not such a new thing anymore since we had it during our maternity rotation too, but I have to say when it’s tea time, I’m very ready for it!  It’s a nice break after a busy morning.  It’s gives me more energy to get to lunch time and gives my mind a second to relax because this clinic can get so crazy at times!  After tea was over, I moved into the “sick children” room and helped the nurse do some assessments and observations (vital signs).  Overall, it was a really good day! I definitely enjoyed working in the clinic alongside their nursing staff and definitely look forward to next week there!

Today was a little bit cooler weather (60’s as opposed to 70s+) so I’m hoping tomorrow and Wednesday will warm up because the pool is calling my name! I want to be able to lay out and swim possibly tomorrow afternoon! I can’t believe how cold it is at home already!! In NJ, where I’m from, they got a foot of snow last week!! That is so crazy! I never thought I’d say this but I’m actually missing winter a little bit! However, I’m going to make the most of this summer weather while I have it!

We have our first pediatrics exam this coming Friday… It’s 8:15pm here (1:15pm at home..7 hour difference now) and I should really get to studying because bedtime comes very early on the days where I have to wake up at 6am!  I hope everyone is doing well at home! Keep reading for more updates to come!! Love to all!

<3 Jess