Whether they are partnering with volunteer medical teams to visit remote villages in Bolivia or donating their time and resources to “adopt” a school in rural Jamaica, many Penn Presbyterian Medical Center staff members show the same commitment to improving the health and well-being of individuals abroad as they do within the hospital walls and in their local communities. PPMC’s latest destination: Botswana, a country in southern Africa.
Earlier this fall, Jim Ballinghoff, MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer and associate executive director, Nancy K. Etzel, CRNP, of Traumatology and Surgical Critical Care, Rachael Pasternak, BSN, RN, PHRN, and Kelly Stojinski, BSN, RN, both of the Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit, and Jacob Weissenburger, MSN, RN, CCRN, a clinical nurse educator in the ED and Trauma Bay, were invited to develop and lead a trauma care workshop in Gaborone, the capital city.
The opportunity arose through the Botswana-UPenn Partnership between Penn’s Center for Global Health and the University of Botswana, which includes an academic practice partnership between Penn Medicine and Penn’s School of Nursing.
The Botswana-UPenn Partnership works with the university and the Ministry of Health to build health care and research capacity. While the primary mission is promoting HIV/AIDS research (Botswana is battling the world’s third highest rate of HIV) and training physicians to treat HIV/AIDS and its complications, there are other areas of opportunity to improve the health and welfare of the citizens of Botswana, including the treatment of traumatic injuries. That’s where the PPMC team’s intensive four-day program came in.
“We knew that trauma education was in demand, but we didn’t realize we’d be working with nurses from all over the country,” Etzel said. “The most eye-opening part for me was realizing there is no systematic emergency medical dispatch system, and there are only two trauma centers in the entire country, which is the size of Texas, so the response is very piecemeal. But the nurses we met were fantastic. They had a vast range of experience and all built upon their diverse backgrounds and the information we presented to discuss creative solutions to some of the challenges they face in the management of trauma patients.”
The main aims of the program were improving early recognition of trauma injuries, underscoring the importance of rapid intervention, and discussing methods to decrease morbidity and mortality and improve patient outcomes. For the nurses – who are required by the Ministry of Health to rotate their practice setting every two years – the influx of new information was initially jarring, but all of them were eager to sharpen their skills and discuss solutions to current deficiencies. For Pasternak, witnessing their growing confidence and enthusiasm during the breakfast sessions was the best part of the trip.
“Watching them work through case studies and excel in everything we covered in just four short days was by far my favorite part,” Pasternak said. “They asked questions about pre-hospital care; engaged in open discussions about creating new, concrete policies; identified opportunities for reform and resource acquisition; and really seemed to benefit from and appreciate our hands-on sessions where they were able to practice assessing and treating a trauma patient. All in all, I was truly humbled by the experience, and I am so proud to have been a part of this workshop.”
Before the whirlwind week was over, the team had the opportunity to enjoy some sightseeing and a South African safari, but it was the chance to share their expertise while also broadening their global health perspectives that was most fulfilling.
“It really was a mutually beneficial experience. The nurses we worked with were so gracious and engaged, and it was great to be able to share our experiences with trauma care to better prepare them for future patients,” Ballinghoff said. “It was an amazing opportunity to leverage the Botswana-UPenn Partnership and learn more about their nursing care, operations, and cultural and health care differences. We got an enthusiastic invitation to come back next year, and I know all of us would love to do so!”