ONE MONTH LEFT

In the last four weeks I have had training in three different placements. The last week of January I ended my first training at the Red Cross Health Center. I spent four weeks there together with amazing nurses and joyful children (until they were vaccinated). After studying nursing with families, children and adolescents, it was nice to see the realization of the theory in action.

My next placement was a week in the Red Cross Home Care. For us as students, the days were really short. Usually we left to visit the first patient around 8 o’clock but sometimes not until 10 am, and we would be back at approximately 12. Most of the patients were elderly with pressure ulcers, stomas or nasogastric tubes and sometimes all the nurse did was take blood samples. Usually we had to just watch from the side but if we were lucky we got to assist while treating ulcers or removing stitches.

Last week I started my training at the Evaggelismos General Hospital. I have been told that it is the oldest and biggest hospital in Greece. Tomorrow is my last day at the neurosurgical department. I have spent most of my days with a nurse who doesn’t speak English, so it has been a little bit difficult to communicate. However, I feel like I have been able to do quite a lot, at least compared to the last two placements.

Every day we start the first round at 8. We (as in me or the guiding nurse) take blood samples, measure the blood pressure and the blood sugar, change or remove cannulas and we give the patients either oral, inhalable or intravenous medication. There has been a couple of patients with tracheostomies that needs suction and cleaning, but I haven’t been able to take part of that. After the first round I usually prepare some intravenous drops by adding either NaCl, KCl, Mg or a mixture of these. At twelve we go for rounds again but usually at this point we only give the patients different kind of medication.

Last Friday I was supposed to observe a neurological surgery but unfortunately the operation was postponed. Instead I got to observe a thorax surgery where they removed a tumor. I was sure I would start feeling weak but surprisingly that didn’t happen even though I was standing for almost four hours straight. What surprised me the most was how roughly they deal with the tissues and organs. The surgeon pushed his hand between the ribs and pushed the lunges out of the way. No one spoke English to me, so I can’t say for sure, but I think the operation was successful. At least the surgeon cheerfully sang while sewing the stiches. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to observe another surgery tomorrow but I don’t want to get my hopes up.

On Monday I will have my first day in the intensive care unit where I will spend nine days. The last seven days of my training will be in the emergency room. Everyone is telling me horror stories about the emergency room, they say it could be compared to a war zone. So I’m more nervous than excited about that, but we will see how it goes and I will tell you about it later.

Before I head to the gym I’ll tell you a little about my spare time. Many people might think that exchange students only party and drink all the time but that, at least, is not the case for me. I have been “clubbing” two times during my seven weeks here and don’t get me wrong, it has been really fun, but I just hate that it ruins the next day. The night club area here is called Gazi and it is in Kerameikos.

I prefer to spend my time exploring new places, shopping and eating dinner with friends. One day we went to the Mall Athens, a big shopping centre in Marousi. In addition to the stores, it also has a movie theater and many different coffee shops and restaurants. We went to see Fifty Shades Freed and it was only 7,50 € which is cheap compared to the prices in Finland!

Last weekend we were supposed take a bus to Patras and enjoy the carnival but we didn’t make it. Secretly, I was a bit relieved because I was quite anxious of the large number of people taking part of it. Now, this weekend we are going for a road trip to Kalampaka to visit the famous Meteora, a rock formation hosting a large monastery. I believe it is included on the UNESCO world heritage list.

For the following weekends we have planned to take a ferry to one of the Greek Islands nearby and to visit Sofia, Bulgaria for two nights. After that I will have one week left in Greece and instead of practical training I will spend the week as a Athens guide for my three Finnish friends who are coming to visit me ♥

Culture Shock

Sorry for not updating you sooner. After the other student from Finland arrived, we have been quite busy and to be honest I really haven't been that motivated to write. I have a lot to tell you about the last three weeks and about my future plans, but you will get to read about that on Thursday. Today I want to focus on a different topic; the culture shock I have been experiencing while staying in Athens. Please keep in mind that these are only my experiences and opinions, and this is only a small, negative part of an amazing, unforgettable journey.

The student life in Athens. I have been in Greece for almost 7 weeks and I still haven't gotten any confirmation about my registration being processed. Due to this, I have no student or Erasmus ID, so I have to pay full prices of everything because they don't accept the international student ID card I already have. Other than that, everything is fine on my part. The communication with my facilitators and professors works very well and they are flexible with the training programme which is nice.

The school campus looks good from the outside, but when you get in, it's filled with cigarette smoke and graffiti. They have a lounge area with no smoking signs all over the place, but this seems to have no meaning because without the signs I would have guessed that it was literally a smoking room. And by the way, they have smoking rooms in the hospital as well, right beside the medicine room. 

Before our Greek friends left to Estonia, we went to visit them in their dorm. It was their dear home, but for us it was like an old, abandoned mental hospital from a horror movie. I'm not lying when I tell you that taking the elevator at this place was the scariest moment in Athens after, of course, the tear gas experience. The bathroom was shared with other students. It had no toilet paper, shower curtains nor any doors to lock. But I mean, what can you do? The students here don't get any money from the government but instead they get to stay in a dorm like that for free. And after a while I'm sure you get used to it and start seeing it as your home.

The health center, the home care and the hospital. What surprised me at the health center was the fact that as a student you weren't allowed to do much. The same applies to the home care. It was interesting but sometimes it got boring when the only job was to take basic measurements  or to watch from the side. I'm currently at the hospital where the situation is quite the opposite. I have been able to do a lot in only a week.

What these three placements have in common is the lack of asepticts. Here it seems like the rule is to wash your hands instead of disinfecting your hands, when in Finland they teach the opposite. Even at the hospital it's sometimes difficult to find disinfectant. They only use it randomly while in Finland we almost use it as often as possible. I have gotten some weird looks for carrying around my own disinfectant. Nail polish, fake nails, lash extensions, rings, bracelets and open, long hair are not really something they pay attention to here.

Pressure ulcers are very common and I think the main reason for this is the fact that there is no proper prevention being done. I spent a week in the home care unit and I didn't see any position treatment. Of course the nurse might have given some instructions in Greek that I didn't understand but nevertheless I think that as a nurse it's important to actually show the care takers how it should be done. Another essential problem is that they don't remove the yellow/white cover of the ulcers. They believe that it is a good sign and that it shouldn't be removed. But what actually shocked me the most, is that I met a patient that wasn't even aware of the cancer he was suffering from. He goes to treatments, but his family and doctors aren't telling him the real reasons.

Housing and living. Nothing that I didn't expect but some of you might not be aware of these habits and differences. The traffic is mad. There are cars everywhere and they are driving and parking wherever they want to. In the middle of an intersection? Yeah, sure if you have the blinkers on. Driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road? Yep, if there is space for it. It doesn't matter if you have a green light while walking over the crosswalk - it will still be your faulth if a car hits you. It is always your fault. Not that this has happened to me...

I knew that there was the possibility of strikes and demonstrations but I did not expect stepping right into a tear gas cloud after having a lovely time in a restaurant or to enjoy a Greek meal while 20 police men are running by with riot shields. The school being closed for three weeks and the public transportation being shut down every now and then, have been the only strikes that have affected me.

About my apartment that I was so happy about in the beginning. Everything was working fine until in the matter of one week, when suddenly the water stopped working, the electricity started going off whenever the oven was used, the washing machine broke and the bathroom was ripped open because of some sewage system emergency downstairs.

As it comes to throwing the toilet paper in the bin instead of flushing it down, there was no surprise for me. But finding dirty toilet paper on the floor just because people are too lazy to empty the trash is not something I was expecting. Finding dirty underwear on the bathroom floor and egg shells etc. on the kitchen floor was also a not so pleasant surprise. I really miss living in my own apartment with only my own mess.

I'll catch up with you on Thursday with more positive thoughts! :-)