Catherine Noone

After recently overcoming some personal health issues, the opportunity to finally be able to explore the world inspired me to undertake my elective placement overseas.

Nepal had always been a destination that intrigued me, so I jumped at the chance. I especially wanted to see the types of gynaecological care women received in a lower-resource country. 

My placement hospital was very different from back home. For one, there were many more patients in Kathmandu. The level of family-led personal care was also very different from that of back home. But it was lovely to see some close comparisons between nurses in the UK and nurses in Kathmandu.

It was striking how hospital staff, including consultants, wanted to share their knowledge and teach me things. I felt like I learned a lot.

During my time overseas, I developed many clinical skills, such as performing dopplers on pregnant women, preparing women for c-sections, intubating care and ultrasounds in the ICU, and primary cleaning care for patients in the ICU. I saw angiographies and angioplasty (and learned the reasons why they do this). 

Because of the language barrier in some cases, I came away with improved communication skills.

Some of the most memorable cases I observed included open heart surgery for a valve replacement. This was the first ever surgery I had the opportunity to observe and it was incredibly interesting to see such a large-scale operation take place. It also demonstrated the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in Nepal. 

I also had the chance to witness natural and c-section births where I observed pre-, peri-, and post-care for both procedures. 

I noticed plenty of differences between the local healthcare system and that of the UK. The wards were much busier and there appeared to be more family-led care in Kathmandu than we see in the UK. In comparison to the UK, there was also a lack of privacy (on the wards and concerning patient confidentiality).

I also noticed staff in Kathmandu didn’t use slidesheets for the movement and transfer of patients and there was less stingency around prescribing medication. 

During the weekends I took trips to Nagarkot, Chitwan, and Bhuktapur. I also took a flight to view Mount Everest from the sky which was incredible!

More locally, my housemates and I did plenty of sightseeing around Kathmandu, shopping in Baluwater, drinks in Thamel and movie nights and card games at the Work the World house.

Because of this experience, I have developed respect, appreciation, and understanding of different cultures and healthcare systems. Going overseas allowed me to build my confidence and independence too!

In addition to the clinical skills and knowledge gained, it was fantastic to experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as the Everest flight and Chitwan safari.

If you’re thinking of going overseas for your healthcare placement, be brave and take the chance! It will change your life and outlook on the world for the better. Money returns but this opportunity may not.

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