Otago Polytechnic 2018
I travelled to Kathmandu to do my month-long midwifery placement in a teaching hospital and it was the most amazing experience.
Work the World were amazing from the moment I arrived in country. They picked us up from the airport, offered tips on the best activities in Kathmandu, and took great care of us from start to finish.
The local team were accommodating and tended to all our needs 24/7. There was no need to worry about anything as we were supported in all aspects of the trip.
The food cooked by the catering team was a highlight, with lots of variety each day.
This overseas experience was the final placement for my midwifery degree, so I was keen to get stuck into the placement. I wanted to get as much experience as I could.
You get out of this experience what you put into it. The more time you spend in hospital building relationships with staff, the more likely they’ll involve you.
Taking an interest in the clinical aspects of placement, learning staff names, and about their lives made me feel a part of the team.
I spent one of my placement weeks on the labour ward. This allowed me to see more complicated births including inductions and cesarean sections. This aspect of my placement was mostly observational, as doctors take the lead role in this ward.
Talking to doctors and asking questions about local birthing practices helped me understand why certain things were done and how things differed from home.
I spent my three remaining weeks at the hospital’s birthing unit.
The unit had a warm vibe and was a safe place for women to be with their families while having natural births. They also had the support of skilled birth attendants.
During my time in the unit I learned how they did things, and got to know the nurses well.
I gave my cell phone number to the unit so they could call me at all times, day or night, to let me know if a woman was giving birth.
This allowed me to attend a lot more births, and it was really easy to make my way to the hospital, even in the night.
By forming bonds with the staff I was able to have more involved experience, and became a real part of their team.
I was well supervised on my placement and had so many amazing experiences, particularly helping deliver 17 beautiful babies with the assistance of the wonderful nurses.
My advice to you when you decide to travel is to embrace local culture, learn some of the language and you will have the time of your life.
