sunday.

I finally did some post-op trauma work. Today my team was only scheduled to work until 12:30 because the afternoon was set aside for our tour of the city and dinner with the medical director.

I decided to stay out of the ER and do wound care on the ortho floor. What an adventure. The ortho floor is all patients with injuries from the quake. Most of them with multiple fractures now held in place with external fixators. I don't really understand why these patients REMAIN in ex fixators this far post-op, but that isn't something I've been able to ask the ortho MD yet.

I loved doing the dressing changes because I was able to be in control and do as I wanted. Thinking back on it now it would have been better to train a Haitian nurse in the correct way of doing it...maybe there is still time.

My ICU protocols kicked in as I searched the pharmacy donation rooms for any kind of barrier creams...so many patients are stuck in bed on terrible mattresses that they are now getting bed sores! Again, education is key!! If they would only turn the patients major wounds could be avoided.

The afternoon was a drive through Port-au-Prince and dinner at the Medical Director's sister-in-laws hotel. It was obviously built for American visitors and was far nicer than anything I thought we would get to see. I even got in the pool...amazing in 100 degree heat. There is so much that the people are not saying and we Americans are afraid to ask. At dinner the Director opened up a little, telling us that his family (all seven children living in Canada) were unable to reach he and his wife after the quake. He said they alerted the Canadian news to the fact that their father was a doctor in the PauP area and he said the DAY AFTER the quake he had Canadian media at the hospital looking for him! Amazing. The Americans and French followed the next day and competed for thanks.

I am eager to get back to a full day of work, since the weekend has been much slower paced. But I hear Mondays are terrible here, so maybe I shouldn't wish it upon myself. There are three ER nurses here from California so I think I will steer clear of that stressful environment. It's hard to believe we have only two days of work left...I feel like we just arrived.