"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.

 

Media support for more nurse education

Bangladesh needs more nurses according to a recent article in The Independent, one of the country’s leading English-language newspapers. http://www.theindependentbd.com/paper-edition/frontpage/129-frontpage/51142-country-needs-more-nurses-than-doctors.html In addition to describing public sector nurse education, the writer comments on the role of private sector universities and the challenges they face. She cites senior officials in the Bangladesh Nursing Council, who suggest strengthening the government’s Directorate of Nursing Service “so that development issues of this significant sector can be properly addressed.... They also emphasized appointment of officials with nursing background at the policy making level in the health and family welfare ministry.”

 

 

Visiting faculty needed at IUBAT Fall 2011

Recruitment is underway for Fall 2011. Two courses still require visiting faculty volunteers.

We teach Mental Health Nursing over two trimesters, summer and fall. The second segment starts about September 5^th and runs for 12 weeks. Classes, assignments and exams are prepared. We have a good clinical placement at the National Institute for Mental Health, which is a progressive tertiary facility in Dhaka.

Similarly, Nursing Administration is offered in the fall. This also involves three hours of lecture per week and includes a full-day simulation workshop.

Elsewhere on this website you can find additional details about arrangements for volunteers. If you are seriously interested and available please contact us info@bangladeshhealthproject.com.

National Geographic features Bangladesh

Bangladesh features in the May 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine in a series on impacts of global climate change. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/05/bangladesh/belt-text This photo is taken on the same Turag River that flows past IUBAT. The article emphasizes how river flooding, rising sea-levels and stronger tropical storms will stress an already-crowded region. It quotes a population health expert on the importance of professional education as a way to relieve some of the pressures. But the theme of the article is resilience – how Bangladeshis are already adapting with their centuries of experience in crisis management. “Precisely because Bangladesh has so many problems, it's long served as a kind of laboratory for innovative solutions... proving itself far more resourceful than skeptics might have guessed.” This is no surprise to anyone who has visited IUBAT.