Wednesday March 6th
Wednesday was a big day for everyone, as we began our journey at the Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue. We walked to the hospital at our designated times as early as 7:00 AM. Everyone was placed on different units which included: Public Health, Emergency Room, Outpatient Discharge, Women’s Health, Diabetes Care and Infection Control, Inpatient, and Specialty Clinic. I was placed in the Specialty Clinic for the day, but because of the recent blizzard the Colonoscopy clinic had been canceled. Although I did not work directly with patients, I learned how to do case management which is critical when working in a rural setting. The nurses in this department lead case management for not only the Kotzebue community, but for the neighboring villages as well. They then work with health care professionals at ANMC in Anchorage to provide needed screenings, management, and procedures. Other specialty clinics that they offer include: Diabetes Care, Orthopedics, Arthritis, Audiology, OB/GYN, Urology, Neurology, Podiatry, Hepatitis Screening and Management, Cardiology, and Eyes. A group of young children that attend an emersion pre-school stopped by to sing to the Elders at the Long-Term Care Unit at Maniilaq Health Center, and I was able to watch them during my break. They sang a few short songs in Inupiat, and the Elders lit up with huge smiles across their faces. Culture is important, and I was touched by this act of respect for their people and culture. It was a beautiful moment. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and I became excited for was yet to come. We ended the day with a delicious meal of Caesar salad, garlic bread, and spaghetti cooked by our very own Hannah Preusser (with some assistance by Paula Byrne). Dinner was followed by a debrief and a long game of Cards Against Humanity before some much-needed sleep.
Thursday March 7th
Thursday was our second day at the Maniilaq Health Center. I was placed in Public Health this day. The Public Health nurses are in charge of a variety of tasks which include but are not limited to: wellness checks; STD screening; screening for height, weight, and vision within the schools (village schools included); infectious disease tracking and investigations; TB screening, lead screening, and outreach programs. I had the opportunity to assist with two wellness checkups for six-month-old infants and observe an infectious disease investigation in which the nurses worked closely with the epidemiologists in Anchorage. The nurses also had a project set up for us, so I worked on a poster about nutrition and handwashing for the schools as well. The hospital hosted a potluck on our behalf that evening, so were able to try a variety of local and native foods. We started off the potluck trying Muktuk. Muktuk is whale blubber and whale skin. We dipped it in some salt and hoped for the best. The taste of Muktuk is similar to that of sushi, however the texture is tough because it is part whale skin. We also tried moose chili, caribou stew, moose tater tot hotdish (a little taste of home with a twist), salmon dip with Sailor Boy Crackers (Pilot Bread), salmon berries, and wild blueberries from the area. Salmon berries are similar to blackberries, but salmon in color and very tart in taste. It was truly amazing to see the support from the Maniilaq Health Care community. With full bellies and happy hearts, we left the potluck with leftovers and returned to the “Man Camp.” We debriefed quickly and headed to bed.
-Kjersten
Wednesday was a big day for everyone, as we began our journey at the Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue. We walked to the hospital at our designated times as early as 7:00 AM. Everyone was placed on different units which included: Public Health, Emergency Room, Outpatient Discharge, Women’s Health, Diabetes Care and Infection Control, Inpatient, and Specialty Clinic. I was placed in the Specialty Clinic for the day, but because of the recent blizzard the Colonoscopy clinic had been canceled. Although I did not work directly with patients, I learned how to do case management which is critical when working in a rural setting. The nurses in this department lead case management for not only the Kotzebue community, but for the neighboring villages as well. They then work with health care professionals at ANMC in Anchorage to provide needed screenings, management, and procedures. Other specialty clinics that they offer include: Diabetes Care, Orthopedics, Arthritis, Audiology, OB/GYN, Urology, Neurology, Podiatry, Hepatitis Screening and Management, Cardiology, and Eyes. A group of young children that attend an emersion pre-school stopped by to sing to the Elders at the Long-Term Care Unit at Maniilaq Health Center, and I was able to watch them during my break. They sang a few short songs in Inupiat, and the Elders lit up with huge smiles across their faces. Culture is important, and I was touched by this act of respect for their people and culture. It was a beautiful moment. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and I became excited for was yet to come. We ended the day with a delicious meal of Caesar salad, garlic bread, and spaghetti cooked by our very own Hannah Preusser (with some assistance by Paula Byrne). Dinner was followed by a debrief and a long game of Cards Against Humanity before some much-needed sleep.
Thursday March 7th
Thursday was our second day at the Maniilaq Health Center. I was placed in Public Health this day. The Public Health nurses are in charge of a variety of tasks which include but are not limited to: wellness checks; STD screening; screening for height, weight, and vision within the schools (village schools included); infectious disease tracking and investigations; TB screening, lead screening, and outreach programs. I had the opportunity to assist with two wellness checkups for six-month-old infants and observe an infectious disease investigation in which the nurses worked closely with the epidemiologists in Anchorage. The nurses also had a project set up for us, so I worked on a poster about nutrition and handwashing for the schools as well. The hospital hosted a potluck on our behalf that evening, so were able to try a variety of local and native foods. We started off the potluck trying Muktuk. Muktuk is whale blubber and whale skin. We dipped it in some salt and hoped for the best. The taste of Muktuk is similar to that of sushi, however the texture is tough because it is part whale skin. We also tried moose chili, caribou stew, moose tater tot hotdish (a little taste of home with a twist), salmon dip with Sailor Boy Crackers (Pilot Bread), salmon berries, and wild blueberries from the area. Salmon berries are similar to blackberries, but salmon in color and very tart in taste. It was truly amazing to see the support from the Maniilaq Health Care community. With full bellies and happy hearts, we left the potluck with leftovers and returned to the “Man Camp.” We debriefed quickly and headed to bed.
-Kjersten