Healing in Senegal - Testimony of a Canadian

Healing in Senegal - Testimony of a Canadian

Written by Léa Poliquin

Last November, as part of my final nursing internship, I had the privilege of providing care for nearly a month in Senegal. It's not an opportunity that comes along every day, so it is with pleasure and a heart full of gratitude that I share my experience with you. However, several aspects need to be taken into account, such as cultural shock, potential ethical dilemmas, and adaptation to a completely different reality and routine.

As soon as I set foot on African soil, it was the warmth that struck me the most. To go from the cold winter wind to the summer breeze so drastically was shocking! I later learned from the clinic staff that this is the season for bronchitis here (after all, it's winter for them too!), which left me rather perplexed, considering our days could reach up to 40 degrees Celsius... It was one of the moments when I realized the extent of the learning and adaptation that awaited me in the coming weeks.

The welcome was extremely warm, despite my obvious discomfort as a foreigner. My colleague and I were assigned to Baback, a small village near the city of Thiès known for its clinic and maternity ward, where we met Sister Marion, a nurse of great expertise who accompanied us throughout our learning experience. I was touched by the exchanges I had with the staff. Olivier, an outstanding nurse in wound care and dressings, quickly made me understand the value of materials and the enormous waste I could generate during a simple shift in a hospital in Canada. As we cut and folded pieces of woven compresses ourselves, I realized that every resource, every care is carefully calculated so that each patient has what they need during the day, despite constraints in terms of resources, sterility, and time. Traditional medicine is also favored, in combination with other medicinal treatments, which are, along with the related teachings, quite well accepted by patients. However, it is necessary to insist on their presence at follow-up appointments and active participation in their treatment, as often patients do not return systematically.

In the morning, the sick line up outside the clinic. They patiently wait for the consulting nurse to examine, prescribe, and diagnose their problem. My clinical judgment was tested in a completely different way than in Montreal.

At first glance, the days seem similar, the routine repeats itself, each person has a well-assigned task, whether in the vital signs room, dressings, injections, or consultations. But when an emergency or childbirth occurs in the middle of the night, adrenaline kicks in. The patient who comes to deliver her baby with us fully trusts you. Everything happens very quickly. Patients in labor arrive almost ready to push. Efficiency, empathy, and meticulousness are required.

Once back in Montreal, returning to work was another shock in itself. Being an employee at the Birth Center, I took a moment to appreciate the resources we have. The uncertainty of not knowing whether a patient will have all the care and materials necessary at their disposal is almost nonexistent here.

This journey will influence my practice as a nurse and as a human being forever. As one of our colleagues said upon our return: "Providing good care is not limited to equipment, but to the dedication we have for the patient's well-being." Every day, I think of the staff at the Baback clinic. I deeply admire their dedication, kindness, and desire to provide patients with the care they deserve. I sincerely believe that this is what ultimately united us, no matter where we came from.