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All posts by The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program

Zambia

S.T.A.B.L.E. International Activity in Zambia

Wakako Eklund DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN

April and May 2023

During the month of April and early May 2023, the Advance Practice Neonatal Nursing students at the University of Zambia received a series of respiratory pathophysiology and assessment lectures given by Wakako Eklund who has been a S.T.A.B.L.E. instructor for many years.

The school year began in March 2023, and we have students from Zambia but also from Rwanda and Botswana this year. The students from Botswana are supported by their Health Ministry to improve the newborn outcomes.

Given that not everyone in the class is well-familiar with the level 3 NICU and common procedural practices related to management of respiratory care, I utilized the procedure slide decks (Chest Tube insertion, Positive Pressure Ventilation, Needle aspiration, and Intubation) and zoom-recorded the lecture to demonstrate how these procedures are completed.

The images and the contents that these slide sets cannot be easily replicated, and I appreciate the quality of the slide decks that are highly valued by the students and also by us, the volunteer faculty team. We appreciate the immense generosity that is extended by S.T.A.B.L.E. to make this possible for these students who are often without textbooks and other resources that we in high resource countries take for granted. The students are looking forward to taking the full S.T.A.B.L.E. course later this summer.

Tanzania

THE S.T.A.B.L.E. PROGRAM

INTERNATIONAL TRIP REPORT

Location where S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course was taught

      Dar es Salaam,  Tanzania

 

Report Submitted by 

      Louise Sabbagh, MSN, RN

      S.T.A.B.L.E. Lead Instructor

      Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre

      Bethesda, MD

 

COURSE INFORMATION

      S.T.A.B.L.E. Class date(s): May 8, 2023 & May 9, 2023

      Course Instructor: Louise Sabbagh RN, MSN

      Shree Hindu Mandal Hospital

      Pediatric and Child Health Department

      Dar es Salam, Tanzania

 

ABOUT THIS MISSION TRIP

This mission trip was a planned and personal contribution to enhance care given to babies requiring Intensive Neonatal Care. I would like to thank the STABLE program for the generous donations of STABLE products.  I would also like to express my gratitude to family and friends who supported me in this journey – from stationery products to hospitality, I have been surrounded with kindness for which I am eternally grateful.

The purpose of this trip:

Having lived in Tanzania for many years, I feel the need to return to my place of birth.  I wanted to share knowledge that is systematic, and evidence based.  Bringing S.T.A.B.L.E to Tanzania, I want to improve outcomes for babies needing specialized treatment. In presenting this program, I believe that I enhance the care that nurses and doctors provide and will positively influence statistics like Retinopathy of Prematurity and negative effects of cold stress.

People are often interested in knowing more about the region you visited. Please describe the community where S.T.A.B.L.E. was taught.

I taught S.T.A.B.L.E in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  Tanzania is in East Africa and is the thirteenth largest country in Africa. Situated just south of the equator, Tanzania is home to Mount Kilimanjaro which is the highest mountain in Africa.  Taking a Safari to Ngorongoro Crater or Serengeti National Park is an unforgettable experience especially when you catch sight of elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and rhinos.

I taught S.T.A.B.L.E in a level 1-2 Hospital situated in the center of Dar es Salaam.  Shree Hindu Mandal Hospital has 50-60 deliveries per month.  I conducted 8-hour full day classes on two separate days.  The classes were attended by nurses, physicians, and midwives. A total of 19 staff attended the classes.

The nearest tertiary hospital is Muhimbili hospital, which is not far away, but traffic makes navigating the one-lane roads extremely challenging.

The biggest difference was that the transport of a sick baby was done by the hospital that requested the transport not the tertiary center.  The staff of the referring hospital had to prepare and transport the sick baby to the tertiary center.

Describe some of the nursing and medical challenges being faced by the S.T.A.B.L.E. course attendees with regard to provision of day-to-day neonatal care

In speaking with the staff, I learned that staffing was a challenge.  Hiring and retaining staff was an ongoing effort. Another challenge was obtaining equipment like blended oxygen.  This was available only in certain bed spaces which made oxygen administration somewhat challenging.

How do you envision The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program will help the health care providers you taught?

The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program was well received, and I had many interesting discussions especially about future Quality Improvement projects. The Head of the Nursing Department was very interested in future classes and ways that the Nurse Practice Council could start implementing various projects using principles from the S.T.A.B.L.E course.

How many students attended your course and what were their credentials?

RNs: 12

Midwives: 2

Physicians: 4

If you collected information regarding student’s impressions of the S.T.A.B.L.E. course, please provide that information here:

They found the program very informative with a lot on information. They thought that there was a lot covered in a short amount of time.

The videos were a great review and presented in a easy to understand way.

HOW OTHERS CAN HELP WITH YOUR EFFORTS

I plan to visit again and would really like to provide more educational materials to promote safe care for all babies.  I would also like to assist the hospital in obtaining equipment like breast pumps, incubators, and cardiorespiratory/O2 saturation monitors.

MATERIALS DONATED FROM THE S.T.A.B.L.E. PROGRAM FOR YOUR COURSE:

  • Blood Gas Nomograms
  • S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course Slides (USB)
Shree Hindu Mandal Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Shree Hindu Mandal Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

 

Physicians, nurses, and midwives attending S.T.A.B.L.E in Tanzania
Physicians, nurses, and midwives attending S.T.A.B.L.E in Tanzania

 

Physicians, nurses, and midwives attending S.T.A.B.L.E in Tanzania
Physicians, nurses, and midwives attending S.T.A.B.L.E in Tanzania

 

Physicians, nurses, and midwives attending S.T.A.B.L.E in Tanzania
Physicians, nurses, and midwives attending S.T.A.B.L.E in Tanzania

 

Traffic in Dar es Salaam
Traffic in Dar es Salaam

 

Relaxing after class
Relaxing after class

 

Relaxing after class
Relaxing after class

 

Relaxing after class
Relaxing after class

Thailand

THE S.T.A.B.L.E. PROGRAM

INTERNATIONAL TRIP REPORT

 

Locations where the S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Courses were taught

Tha Muang , Tha Muang  district,  Kanchanaburi  Province, Thailand

Mueang Sakon Nakhon Ditrict, Sakon Nakhon Province, Thailand

 

Report submitted by:

    Wichest  Boonyapredee, MD, FAAP

    Neonatologist, Community hospital

    Department of Pediatrics (honorary member)

    901 Mac Arthur Blvd.

    Munster, IN 46321

 

COURSE INFORMATION

 

S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course, January 10 to 11, 2023

Course location 

    Sakon Nakhon hospital

    1041 Charoen Mueang Road, That Choeng Chum

    Mueang Sakon Nakhon District,

    Sakon Nakhon 47000, Thailand

Teaching Team: Wichest  Boonyapredee, MD, FAAP

 

S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course, January 19 – 20, 2023

Course location

    Somdet Phra Sangkarat  19th hospital

    978/1  Moo  3   Sangchuto  Road, Tha Muang,

    Tha Muang district, Kanchanaburi Province , Thailand

Teaching Team:

    Wichest  Boonyapredee, MD, FAAP

    Chutima Kannasoot MD, Neonatologist

     Department of Pediatrics

    Paholphonpayuhasena Hospital, Meung District

    Kanchanaburi

 

ABOUT THIS MISSION TRIP

I was traveling on behalf of the TPAA medical mission (Thai Physician Association of America)

TPAA received funding from donations to TPAAF (Thai Physician Association of America Foundation), a nonprofit organization .

The goal of TPAA:

  • Provide medical education for nurses and doctors in Thailand.
  • Donation of medical equipment to the hospitals in Thailand
  • Donation for scholarship fund for master’s degree at Harvard school of Public
  • health for Thai students
  • Donation for education scholarship fund for poor students in Thailand
  • Disaster relief fund for earthquake, flood victims in US and anywhere in the
  • world.

People are often interested in knowing more about the region you visited. Please describe the community where S.T.A.B.L.E. was taught.

A. Kanchanaburi province is in the central region of Thailand, many interesting site seeing, River Kwai bridge WWII, Cemetery for Unknown soldiers, beautiful Arawan waterfall, Oottamanusorn bridge the longest wooden bridge in Thailand. 

Somdet Phra Sungkarat 19th is one of the largest community hospitals with 120 beds and 1000 deliveries per year, second highest in Kanchanaburi province and in the process of setting up 4 beds NICU where TPAA members donated 4 sets of high flow nasal cannula with a few sets of bubble CPAP and one set of Masimo pulse oximeter radical 97.

The class was very successful!

There were 6 members on the team, one Ob-Gyn, one Family practice, one internist and two nurses. The hospital Administrator and staff were very happy, took care us very well, sponsored hotel for three nights and three dinners as well as karaoke Farewell party.

Sakon Nakhon province

This province is located in the northeast of Thailand. There are many beautiful temples where the very well respected monk used to stay, Wat Tham Pha Daen, Wat Phra That Choeng Chum Worawihan Temple. We also visited Ban Tharae Catholic Community, Phra Archan Man Phurithatto Museum, and beautiful Nong Han Chaloem  Phra Kiat Park. We visited the famous Kram Sakon Indigo dyeing shop for clothes, cotton .        

Sakon Nakhon hospital is the largest hospital in Sakon Nakhon province with 800 patient beds and 3500 deliveries per year with 12 beds NICU and one neonatologist.

Sixteen TPAA members met at Don Mueang and flew to Sakon Nakhon airport where we received a very warm welcome from the members of red cross and enjoyed a delicious reception dinner. All together 19 TPAA members participated in this medical mission.

The class was very successful! Here TPAA members donated one set of transport incubator with Neopuff resuscitator, four syringe pumps, three infusion pumps, and  two Masimo pulse oximeter radical 97 to the Department of Pediatrics, Sakon Nakhon hospital.

How many students attended your course and what were their credentials? 

  1. Class 1: There were 47 students with 40 nurses and 7 physicians.
  2. Class 2: 147 students from 37 hospitals attended the class (139 nurses and 8 MDs)

Describe some of the nursing and medical challenges being faced by the S.T.A.B.L.E. course attendees with regard to provision of day to day neonatal care:

The  Nursing and medical challenges in Thailand are:

  • Medical equipment shortage
  • The patients overload especially nurses and doctors who have to work very hard
  • Some patients live so far from the hospital
  • Some language barriers. For example, I spoke Thai during the class because most of the books are in the Thai Language.

How do you envision The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program will help the health care providers you taught?

I always think that S.T.A.B.L.E classes are a very valuable, in addition to NRP, providing excellent information for the care of sick neonates and should be a must for all neonatal providers.

If you collected information regarding student’s impressions of the S.T.A.B.L.E. course, please provide that information here:

 

HOW OTHERS CAN HELP WITH YOUR HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS:

We plan to do this medical mission every year, and you all are truly welcome to help support this medical mission by donating to TPAAF Save Babies Life project.

Kris Karlsen (STABLE Program Author) is very kind, very generous and very supportive. She had donated a large amount of S.T.A.B.L.E manuals previously and gave us a good discount for the manuals to help our medical mission in Thailand, we are very thankful and very appreciative.

In summary, I and our team cherished the whole experience and found that all the students were very excited, attentive, and very happy.

Thank you very much very much Kris, Beth, Mason, and S.T.A.B.L.E program for the creation of this wonderful neonatal education program.

 

MATERIALS DONATED FROM THE S.T.A.B.L.E. PROGRAM FOR YOUR COURSE:

6th Edition Learner/Provider Manuals

6th Edition Instructor Manuals

2nd Edition Cardiac Module books

 

Class at Somdet Phra Sungkarat 19th hospital

 

Dr Boonyapredee teaching S.T.A.B.L.E class at Somdet Phra Sungkarat 19th hospital

 

Reception dinner sponsored by Somdet Phra Sungkarat 19th hospital

 

Medical equipment donation for Pediatric department Sakon Nakhon hospital

 

Sakon Nakhon hospital during class

 

Reception of TPAA members at Sakon Nakhon

 

Zambia

THE S.T.A.B.L.E. PROGRAM

INTERNATIONAL TRIP REPORT

S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course: November 15 and November 21, 2022
University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia, Africa

Various learners at desks in Zambia
NNP Students attending a S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course taught by Dr. Sue Prullage

Course Instructor: Geralyn Sue Prullage, DNP, APN, NNP-BC, University of Zambia and University Teaching Hospital

ABOUT THIS EDUCATIONAL OFFERING:
I am the director of neonatal education for the Council of International Neonatal Nurses (COINN; https://www.coinnurses.org/) and I always travel within their name. But I was asked by Dr. Kunda and the University of Zambia to come and mentor NNP students.

The purpose of this trip:

Provide mentorship to the 1st and 2nd year NNP students. This is a brand-new program, and they have no developed mentorship program. I was to help develop the mentorship program and felt that STABLE should be part of what they needed to know. Several of the students had heard of STABLE and they were excited to have the content available to them.

STABLE: Our Instructors are often interested in knowing more about the region you visited. Please describe the community where S.T.A.B.L.E. was taught.

Lusaka Zambia is the capital of the country. Millions of people live in Zambia. The country has a neonatal mortality rate that has risen over the last few years to 27 deaths per 1000 live births. The University of Zambia trains doctors and nurses. They created a NNP program in 2020 which started with 7 nurses. It is the only program on the African continent that is training at the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) levels. I worked with those nurses and six 1st years (now 2nd years). They currently have six new 1st years from Botswana, Malawi and Zambia. We are helping the University teach these students. S.T.A.B.L.E. Lead Instructor Wakako M. Eklund DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN and I will offer STABLE via live Zoom to those students so that they too can be certified in the S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner course.

STABLE: Describe some of the nursing and medical challenges being faced by the S.T.A.B.L.E. course attendees with regard to provision of day-to-day neonatal care

The University Teaching Hospital (UTC) has several struggles.

  • No working CPAP machines they are using “homemade” CPAP.
  • Four ventilators and at any given time only one or two were working.
  • Ability to do lab but dependent on parents paying before the labs were drawn.
  • No transport mechanism. Each district hospital transferred with a staff from that hospital in a general ambulance. From the L&D unit the neonate was generally transported by a midwife or student

STABLE: How do you envision The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program will help the health care providers you taught?

The students were very excited to learn about labs especially gases. From the first day I got there it was something they asked for repeatedly. The course helped solidify their learning.

STABLE: How many students attended your course and what were their credentials?

We started with 14 students and 9 finished. They had trouble with work schedules and attending both days.

MATERIALS DONATED FROM THE S.T.A.B.L.E. PROGRAM FOR YOUR COURSE:
S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course Slides
Physical Exam and Gestational Age Assessment Slide Program

Ethiopia

S.T.A.B.L.E. Program – Ethiopia

August 26, 2018

Dear Kris Karlsen and Everyone at The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program:

The team at Wax and Gold would like to take this opportunity to thank Kris karlsen and everyone at the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program for your support and donations as we introduced the S.T.A.B.L.E program at the St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

We have just certified the third group of nurses and St. Paul Hospital now has a total of 32 S.T.A.B.L.E. providers.  We initially incorporated S.T.A.B.L.E. in the Neonatal Advanced Life Support training program, specifically for providers in the delivery room and now have started giving the course to the NICU nurses. The third group of students just certified were 11 of the forty NICU nurses.

This training has made a significant impact for neonates at St. Paul hospital. Neonatal hypothermia is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality and because of the introduction of this training, and because of the awareness of the detrimental effect of hypothermia, the practice has changed. The rate of admission to the NICU with the diagnosis of hypothermia has decreased by over 90%.

We hope to continue training more individuals and introduce the course to other facilities in the country.

Materials donated by The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program:

  • 10 Learner Manuals
  • 5 Cardiac Manuals
  • 1 USB Learner Course
  • 1 USB Physical Exam/Gestational Age
  • 1 Cardiac Intranet CD-ROM
  • 10 Bedside Reference Cards

 

Sincerely,

Misrak Tadesse, MD
Co-Founder
Wax and Gold, Inc.
www.waxandgold.org

Rwanda

S.T.A.B.L.E. Program – Rwanda
April 25, 2010

Dear Kris Karlsen and Everyone at The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program:

In March 2008, I was a member of a medical education delegation to Rwanda. Once I returned home, I kept feeling as if there were more I could do there. The country and its people continued to haunt me, and I eventually felt led to start a 501c3 organization to continue working with some of the people and projects that I had visited. In March 2009, I became a Lead S.T.A.B.L.E. instructor so that I could bring this program to the medical community in Rwanda. My first class was in October 2009 and I had 22 students made up of residents, nurse midwives, ER nurses, ICU nurses, L&D nurses, and NICU nurses.

Being the typical naive American abroad, I went with the expectation that this S.T.A.B.L.E. class would be similar to those I had taught in the U.S.-after all, they had a neonatal intensive care unit and took care of ventilated babies! What a surprise and treat I was in for during that class. These students were totally engaged in the class and I soon realized that much of the information was new to them. I discovered that many nurses in Rwanda have only a high school equivalent education and their training is literally “on the job.” During the temperature module, the nurse midwives asked how they might keep babies warm out in the rural areas where there are no radiant warmers or isolettes. Recognizing these limitations, we discussed how to do Kangaroo mother care and thus added this important information to the Temperature module. The rest of the class was spent with me coming up with “alternate” ideas for those rural situations – I was teaching at a regional hospital, very different from the situations most Rwandan mothers found themselves in!

The “treat” for me was in realizing that, as Americans from a very developed country, we have to volunteer not only our services, but also our acceptance of what is. Making change is not easy in places where things we in America have come to take for granted. Maternal and infant mortality is not just a statistic, but an unfortunate reality of life. Water that someone has walked three miles one way to haul back is most often used for drinking, not for hand washing. What a challenge, but also one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in 29 years as a nurse. I am returning to Rwanda in July 2010 to teach S.T.A.B.L.E. again as well as to do some teaching at a hospital on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My goal is to return twice a year, each time a little more knowledgeable and better prepared to adapt my teaching. My hope is that other colleagues will choose to make the trip with me!

Sincerely,

Sherri Brown
President
One Good Deed, Inc.
www.onegooddeedkc.org

Seeking assistance with an explanation from Alice Cannon, Team Leader (Educator) in the NICU at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali.
Seeking assistance with an explanation from Alice Cannon, Team Leader (Educator) in the NICU at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali.
Neonatal emergencies such as volvulus were of particular interest to these students.
Neonatal emergencies such as volvulus were of particular interest to these students.
Rwandan nurses, midwives, and residents learning S.T.A.B.L.E. for the first time at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda.
Rwandan nurses, midwives, and residents learning S.T.A.B.L.E. for the first time at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda.
Calling upon my critical thinking skills to adapt S.T.A.B.L.E. principles to Rwandan capabilities.
Calling upon my critical thinking skills to adapt S.T.A.B.L.E. principles to Rwandan capabilities.

American Samoa

S.T.A.B.L.E. Program – American Samoa
By Bev Jorgensen
Lead Instructor, American Samoa

STABLE Program Honduras
Map of American Samoa, submitted by Bev Jorgensen, Lead Instructor

In October 2006 the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program was taught to forty RNs and LPNs in American Samoa. This class had never been offered before in American Samoa and was made possible through the American Samoa Emergency Services for Children program (EMSC). The materials were generously donated by The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program. This trip was a group of physicians, nurses and paramedics organized by the South Dakota EMSC. The S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course was taught by Bev Jorgenson, Rhonda Karl and Dr. Stephen Karl of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The team also did clinics for the children of the two distant small islands of Ofu and Ta’u.

American Samoa is located in the South Pacific Ocean. The largest island, Tutuila is where the capital city of Pago Pago is located. Travel to and from the island can be challenging, since commercial flights are available only twice a week. The LBJ Tropical Medical Center is the only hospital on the islands. In the adjoining emergency services building, a classroom was built specially for these courses. Resources are limited for critically ill infants.

The beautiful Samoan coastline
The beautiful Samoan coastline

The Samoan people come from a strong Polynesian culture that embraces tradition. English is their second language. Teaching of the STABLE class required that the cultural aspects of the nursing staff be taken into account, including the length of the classes and emphasizing hands on learning of the material presented.

Rhonda Karl RN, teaching the Blood Pressure Module in American Samoa
Rhonda Karl RN, teaching the Blood Pressure Module in American Samoa

Edna Hala RN from American Samoa
Edna Hala RN from American Samoa

Specially built teaching facilities at EMSC Building
Specially built teaching facilities at EMSC Building

   

NICU care is delivered at the LBJ Medical Center. The committed staff and administration of the island typically care for four to five NICU infants at a time. Specialty services are limited and infants needing tertiary services are air transported out when necessary, and depending on resources available. The closest tertiary NICU care is typically located on the Hawaiian Islands or New Zealand.
Teaching in a different culture is very challenging yet very rewarding. The S.T.A.B.L.E. program provided a resource that was very much appreciated and utilized.

Qatar

S.T.A.B.L.E. Program – Doha, Qatar
By Ann Schwoebel, MSN, RNC, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Lead Instructor
Pennsylvania Hospital
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

S.T.A.B.L.E. Class Date: March, 2008

  Google Map of Qatar

 

In March 2008, Patti Clifford MSN, RNC Clinical Nurse Specialist and Jackie Evans, MD Medical Director of Children�s Hospital of Philadelphia Intensive Care Nursery and myself had the great opportunity to introduce the S.T.A.B.L.E Program and the Cardiac Module to physicians and nurses in Doha Qatar. The S.T.A.B.L.E. program was held as a pre-conference day at the International Neonatal Cardio-Respiratory Symposium presented by the Hamad Medical Corporation


The program was well received with sixty-nine (69) participants in the S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Course and two (2) participants in the S.T.A.B.L.E. Instructor Course. There were 2 physicians, 6 respiratory therapist, 59 nurses and 4 nursing students in attendance.

S.T.A.B.L.E. Attendees
S.T.A.B.L.E. Attendees

Qatar (pronounced KAH-ter) occupies a small peninsula that extends into the Persian Gulf from the east side of the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia is to the west and the United Arab Emirates to the south.

Qatar is largely barren, flat desert. Water is scarce, and agriculture is minimal. Once a nomadic society, Qatar now has little rural population. Doha, the main urban
center, is on the eastern coast of the peninsula.

Patti Teaching the Cardiac Module
Patti Teaching the Cardiac Module

About 40% of the inhabitants are Sunni Arabs of the Wahhabi sect of Islam. There are Christian and other minorities. Other ethnicities include South Asians, Iranians, and Palestinians. Less than one fifth of the population is native Qataris; most of the nursing staff working in the intensive care nursery is from the Philippines and India. Arabic is the official language, although English is widely used.

Patti and myself with several of our colleagues from Hamad Medical Hospital
Patti and myself with several of our colleagues from Hamad Medical Hospital

Materials donated by The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program:

  • 20 Learner Manuals
  • 1 Instructor Manual
  • 1 CD-ROM Slide Program
  • 1 Physical Exam and Gestational Age Assessment CD-ROM
  • 1 Cardiac Module CD-ROM Slide Program
  • 10 Cardiac Module Handbooks

Nepal

S.T.A.B.L.E. Program – Nepal
By Jennifer Norgaard, Lead Instructor
Madera, California

S.T.A.B.L.E. Class Date(s): June 22-23, 2009
Patan Hospital
City of Patan in the Kathmandu Valley
Nepal

  Google Map of Nepal

 

 

TEACHING TEAM
Jennifer Norgaard RNC-NIC, MSN (Lead Instructor)
Leslie Williams (Support Instructor)
Beth Case (Support Instructor)

Children’s Hospital Central California
NICU
9300 Valley Children’s Place
Madera, California

Leslie Williams teaching S.T.A.B.L.E.
Leslie Williams teaching S.T.A.B.L.E.

ABOUT THIS MISSION TRIP
This educational mission was supported in part by two groups, FOPH (Friends of Patan Hospital), and ANMF (American Nepal Medical Foundation). Patan Hospital, the focus of our efforts, located in the city of Patan in the Kathmandu valley is known for its compassionate care and high values. Patan, which began as a small missionary hospital has emerged as a busy acute care city hospital providing primary care as well as specialty services both to the local people as well as to patients coming from diverse geographic areas within Nepal.

In the summer of 2009 we were joined by team members from across the United States for an adventure of a lifetime. Our mission was to fulfill a nearly three year project designed to train staff and provide on-going clinical support for the opening of one of the first neonatal and pediatric intensive care units in the country of Nepal.

1st baby admitted to the NICU at Patan Hospital
1st baby admitted to the NICU at Patan Hospital

A country of nearly 30 million, Nepal is bordered to the north by China and to the south by India. The country struggles with an infant mortality rate of 62 per 1000 live births compared to the United States rate of 6.3 per 1000 live births, with a life expectancy at birth rated in the lowest quartile comparatively throughout the world.

The plan to establish a PICU and a NICU started in the summer of 2006 when a generous donor decided to build a maternity wing with space for the units next to the existing Patan Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Patan Hospital is a 500 bed charity hospital, with 50 pediatric beds and 300 pediatric admissions per month.

Infant receiving oxygen in \
Infant receiving oxygen in “head box” in newborn nursery

Preparation work for the trip included the development of training curriculum along with the procurement of supplies and learning manuals to leave with our new friends. We arrived with suitcases filled with donated baby clothes from staff in the NICU at Children’s Hospital Central California. Our curriculum, focusing on the care of critically ill newborns, was developed for a group of approximately 35 nurses and physicians working at the hospital. This curriculum included didactic lectures along with daily hands on scenario based exercises that allowed the participants the opportunity to practice and apply skills as they were learned. We started the curriculum with two days of NRP followed by two days of S.T.A.B.L.E. training. Subsequent lectures included topics such as mechanical ventilation, basic oxygen therapy, physical assessment, and basic skills labs.

Jennifer Norgaard with first Intubated Patient in the NICU
Jennifer Norgaard with first Intubated Patient in the NICU

The 6 bed pediatric and 6 bed neonatal units were newly built and furnished with much of the latest available technology including infant incubators, warming tables, IV infusion pumps and state of the art ventilators and a blood gas machine. The technology enhancements contributed greatly to the success of the intensive care units, however, much is still needed to continue and sustain the efforts of the team. After nearly three weeks of training, the NICU admitted its first patient in early July, 2009.

How do you envision The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program will help the health care providers you taught?

S.T.A.B.L.E served as foundational content for the entire NICU curriculum. Both physician and nursing attendees were able to gain core competencies in the stabilization and care of ill newborns. These competencies were demonstrated as the NICU admitted it’s first patient and the principles were applied and reinforced. Learner manuals (provided by the S.T.A.B.L.E program) were left with the hospital as they sought to continue the program for future caregivers. Teams from the US are planning return visits in March and November of 2010 to reinforce learning and skills taught in 2009.

Teachers and Students together
Teachers and Students together

Materials donated by The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program: 10 Learner Manuals

Kiribati

S.T.A.B.L.E. Program – Republic of Kiribati
April 2004
By MaryJane McGregor, S.T.A.B.L.E. Regional Trainer

  Google Map of Kiribati


MaryJane McGregor teaching in Kiribati

April 25th –May 3rd, 2004 Lead Instructor M.J. McGregor, BSN, RN and Support Instructors, Weatherford Clayton, MD, Douglas Coombs, MD and Gordon Lassen, RT presented the S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner Program on the Island of Tarawa in the Republic of Kiribati. (Pronounced Kir-ree-bas). The Republic of Kiribati is an island group in the Western Pacific Ocean, consisting of an archipelago of some 33 low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs with a total land area of 800 square kilometers.

The trip to Kiribati was sponsored by the Humanitarian Services Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints (LDS), which brings S.T.A.B.L.E. and Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) training to physicians and nurses in remote areas of the world.


Graduating class

A group of 59 physicians, midwives, nurses and nursing students enjoyed 2 days of NRP training and 2 days of S.T.A.B.L.E. training. Both programs were very well received. The group was very eager to learn and excited about the information presented. Many of the concepts were very new to the majority of the group, but they were grateful for the information and eager to begin using their new skills and information in the nursing school curriculum and in their practices.

The classes were held in an LDS church facility. The building was beautiful with a gorgeous view of the ocean right out of the classroom window.
There are some challenges, however, in teaching in these remote areas. First, many of the supplies that were shipped in advance did not arrive. The S.T.A.B.L.E. manuals were in the boxes that did not arrive. However we learned this before leaving the U.S., and we were able to take 40 Learner books with us. We did have some instructor books as well, so almost everyone ended up with a book.

Second, we really did not know the training or capabilities of the staff attending the class or any information about equipment that was available to the staff in the hospitals and clinics. It would have been helpful to know these things in advance so that we could tailor the course for them and their abilities.


Students taking post test

We originally were planning an instructor course as well as a learner course, but we soon realized that no one was qualified to be a lead instructor. None of the doctors had any high-risk neonatal training. We therefore did not teach the instructor part of the course. There were however, some attendees capable of teaching certain sections of the class, so some will be registered as support instructors. However, they will not be submitting rosters since they have no lead instructor on the island.

The situation in Kiribati is interesting. They have no way to transport sick babies from the outer islands to Tarawa where the hospital is located except by small boats. On the outer islands, they have some small clinics, but most babies are delivered in their homes or huts. If the patients do survive long enough to get to the hospital in Tarawa, there is no way to transport them to a larger hospital with more neonatal services except on a commercial flight that flies once or twice a week to and from Fiji. Therefore, the mortality rate in Kiribati is quite high, about 51/1000 births compared to the US which is 7/1000 births.

Babies born in the hospital at Tarawa do have the advantage of one working isolette. They can provide IV therapy and do blood gases. They also have one O2 saturation monitor that works part of the time.

I was very impressed with the dedication and excitement of the people of Kiribati. Even though they lack much of the training and equipment that we take for granted, they want desperately to improve the care that they give to newborns. Their dedication is inspiring under very difficult circumstances. I have no doubt that as they implement the information and skills they learned and practiced in NRP and S.T.A.B.L.E. they will improve the outcomes for the children of Kiribati.

More photos from Kiribati: