ANMC, Shitcicles, and the Muni
Day 5, Monday Today, those of us who weren’t going to Bethel or Good News Bay stayed in Anchorage to tour the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC). We listened to a few employees, including nurses, a physician, a dentist, an engineer, and one lady who was an Alaskan Native that shared her story with us. This was very interesting to learn about her culture and many of the traditions and unique customs that are true to Alaskan Natives. After this, we toured the many buildings on this campus. The snow-topped mountains surround it, making it an amazing view! Included in the tour was the hospital, clinic, a traditional healing center, a telehealth section, and many more areas. This was really great to see. There is a lot of art work, some made by patients, that lined all the floors in the hospital (see pictures). My favorite was the traditional healing center. At the traditional healing, we met with one of the staff, a Alaskan Native man who told us about traditional medicine and healing at this facility. They do not break the skin or do any blood-letting, but they do incorporate healing touch and use energy to heal. Counseling, prayer, foods, plants, song, dance, and talking circles are used to take care of the body, mind, and spirit. These come from their ancestors. This man also sang us a story in his native language with a traditional drum. It was a touching experience to be introduced to this type of health care like this. Another part that I found astonishing today was the sewage systems around rural Alaska. The engineer I mentioned above talked to us about how many people in the native villages still do not have sanitary or efficient sewer systems. There are over one hundred towns without road access, so getting to and from these areas is by snowmobiles, four-wheelers, and planes. This is rapidly evolving, but does take time. Some are like third world countries, where they still go to the bathroom in “honeybuckets,” and dump the defecation in the ocean. The systems are becoming more up to date, where there are cleaner and safer ways to get rid of the sewage. “Shitcicles” was another term for the newer sewage systems. We all had a good laugh about this, but it is also a scary part of this lifestyle! These were where sewage was dumped in “lagoons” that were frozen in the winter. Thankfully, there are teams working hard to improve this, further improving the health of those living in these areas. Finally, some of the points we went learned from the employees that stuck with me included the Big 3 and the platinum and golden rule. I think these are so important for our nursing practice, no matter where we are. The Big 3 is the aim for prevention, which focuses on safe water, access to health care, and vaccinations. Clinics around Alaska have started to build in trauma centers because the amount of time and resources used is insane. The largest hospital is in Anchorage, but sometimes they don’t have the resources and need to fly patients to Seattle. The platinum rule is “do unto the patient how the patient wants.” The golden rule is “do unto others how you would do unto yourself.” I love these rules because they are reminders of how we need to be caring for our patients, especially when they are from other cultures. We always need to be considering what they need and want, even when it is different from what we think is “right.” Day 6, Tuesday Jadyn and I went to the Municipality Building of Anchorage (the locals call it the Muni) this day, which is a part of the Department of Health. This includes a Reproductive Health Center and a Disease Prevention Center. I was with the Reproductive side, so I was able to sit in with a nurse while she saw patients regarding reproductive health and see how they handled people that came through with STI’s and other issues. Wednesday is my turn with the Disease Prevention. We also turned into tourists and explored a little of downtown Anchorage on our lunch break. Pictures: Muk Luks and traditional animal hide boots, woven baskets decorated with dyed caribou fur, dolls from each tribe, and water canteens made of moose pericardium (the sac around the heart). Also, a beautiful sunset in Anchorage and touristy self with a moose. |