Part of our clinical experience includes doing a teaching project with a subpopulation of the people we work with. I decided to teach the men at Vida Nueva how to perform CPR and he Heimlich Maneuver. Vida Nueva is an organization affiliated with Santisimo Sacramento that is meant for men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. The program is very similar to Alcoholics Anonymous in the States. The program takes two years to complete but some men have been living their after they've finished up the program. When I was teaching them today, I took a minute to look at all of the men and noticed how they differed in age and personalities but how they all banded together to support each other in their struggles. It's always so awe inspiring how we all have our own burdens that most of us never know. These men chose to actively work through their addictions so that they can become better adults and men for their families, friends, and society. All of the men at Vida Nueva are open and honest about their pasts, struggles, and mistakes and they take ownership of it all. It was really humbling to work with them and teach them how to save a life. They brought it all back to God saying they were receiving a second chance at life the same way I was teaching them to help someone get a second chance at living. It was an eye-opening way to look at nursing and the way we can all teach each other in our every day mannerisms. The guys were jovial and in great spirits throughout my 30 minute teaching plan.
The project also helped me realize that I enjoy teaching medical lessons to others. Maybe I'll become a nurse educator in the future after I've accomplished my other goals. It was a ton of fun to see the men get so into learning everything. They made up their own scenarios and a few tied it to experiences they've had in the past. Some of them said they wish they had known how to do CPR before today because they could have helped their friends who were struggling to stay alive. Towards the end of my time at Vida Nueva today, one of the men approached me and gave me a metal charm with Jesus on one side and Our Lady of Perpetual Help on the other side. Megan, who taught the men yoga and relaxation today, received a beautiful purple rosary. We promised to return to play a game of fútbol against them in the next week or so. I'll be sure to write an update about that!
Here's a picture of the group with Megan and I
A cute kitten that the men take care of
No comments:
Post a Comment