IUBAT alumni perform well

Congratulations to IUBAT College of Nursing graduates, Poonam Limbu,  Karuna Sharma and Bimala Rai. They recently passed exams for an advanced ACLS course offered at Dhaka’s BIRDEM Hospital. Of about 40 health professionals attending, only 10 passed, with the three IUBAT graduates in the top rank.  When the head of the Critical Care Unit announced the results, he told the audience that nurses are intelligent professionals, as these three IUBAT alumni had demonstrated. 

Health information for volunteers

People interested in volunteering with our project are sensibly concerned about their health and safety in Dhaka. IUBAT is very experienced at keeping its many international visitors secure and comfortable. The university is located in the north of the city, far from occasional political demonstrations downtown. On the daily walk to work, neighbours greet us as members of the community. Our guest house is run by housekeepers who have been trained in food safety. Preparations before you leave are available from the USA Centre for Disease Control http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/bangladesh.htm#notices You can also read more about all these matters in our Volunteer Guide.

IUBAT at the School of Hope

Dhaka’s School of Hope provides free education to local poor children (http://www.schoolofhope.net/ ). Each year, IUBAT Nursing students provide free health screening as part of their training in Community Health. This summer they were taught by an educator from Vancouver Community College Nursing Department, Susan McNeill. Susan says, “We screened approximately 200 kids for hearing, vision, height and weight. The students actively participated in developing and evaluating the program. The additional picture of Rakib at the white board shows an impromptu lesson during our global health class. He was illustrating the distribution of donor aid, and how most gets siphoned off before it reaches the end user. Part of one of our lively class discussions! I was impressed by these thinkers and future leaders.”

"An incredible experience"

A Canadian RN working in a busy emergency department, Danielle LeMoine, volunteered at IUBAT during spring 2011.  This photo shows her (back row, right) with Monique de Groot and medical-surgical students at United Hospital. “Teaching at IUBAT was an incredible experience …. I learned what it’s like living in a developing country, and saw first-hand the impact of social determinants of health like income, education and access to services. It is important for me to involve myself with projects that help create sustainable change… educating nurses is an excellent way to do this. Nurses can be leaders for change; we have all seen this in action. Sharing our knowledge and experiences, while helping build their confidence, practical and critical thinking-skills can help shape the future of nurses and health care delivery in Bangladesh.” Thank you, Danielle, for your passion and effort.

 

 

 

International Nurses Day at United Hospital

Each year, the nurses of United Hospital celebrate International Nurses Day.  United Hospital [UH] is one of Dhaka’s major international hospitals and an IUBAT affiliate. This an excellent setting for our students to practice medical-surgical nursing. At this year’s Nurses Day festivities sponsored by the hospital, management made a huge effort to show their support for nurses.  IUBAT volunteers were proud to be invited. The UH nurses read poems they had written about their nursing experiences, and performed traditional songs and dances. Kudos to UH for the great work they're doing to elevate the status of nursing in Bangladesh!

Canucks fans at IUBAT

It's not all work at IUBAT.  Summer 2011 volunteers (l-r) Sean, Gillian, Jess and Ray introduced the IUBAT neighbourhood to Vancouver Canucks fever!  Sean, Jess and Ray visited Dhaka for six weeks as part of their Community Health coursework at our BSN affiliate, Vancouver Community College.  They conducted community assessments alongside IUBAT students, and participated in clinical rotations at local health care facilities.  Gillian, an RN who is also from Vancouver, joined IUBAT as Visiting Faculty, teaching Medical-Surgical Nursing and Professional Issues.

Learning more about Dhaka

Are you curious about living conditions in Dhaka while volunteering at IUBAT? Our website provides the basic information, which we follow with a personal discussion to answer your specific questions. Some other sources are these: the weather forecast http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/41923.html ; an English-language newspaper http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/todays-paper.php, and a unique city view from The Day Begins in Dhaka video, produced by Julie Lindsay of the International School Dhaka.