Comments for Kath's Blog

Comment on Nepal – patients required to bring caregiver with them to hospital by kath

kath — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:45:44 +0000

PRavita,

Thank you so much for your comment!

I do not consider this an issue of “fault” but rather, that it is different in NEpal, and it is something that I can learn from, and that perhaps all countries can learn from. The reality in Canada is also that the nurses do not have excess time – and there are too many times when patient care is not provided in a manner that is acceptable to the patient, the nurse, the family…. Including families more may be something that we need to learn from Nepal and other developing countries.

As you mention, people do not often live together in multigeneration family units. So, if the nurses are not able to provide care, then WHO would a patient bring with them? This is a challenge we face. I wonder if there are people in Nepal who also face this challenge, and how this is addressed for those whose family are working or who do not have family.

And, in Canada and the USA, one of the things that requires so much of nursing time and energy is the requirement to complete a LOT of paper work. And though the intent behind the paper work is supposed to be to improve quality of care, it may also be for legal protection issues. The paper work can decrease the time with patients and consequently may decrease quality of care.

Culturally, although many families help with caregiving… I wonder how we could include those families who want to be included, in a way that allows the family the opportunity to provide care using the resources in the hospital, the supportive presence of nursing. This might not only benefit patients, but also family and nursing, and other patients. Not sure how this would be integrated without causing families to feel burdened, or resentful, and address the challenge of rising patient load.

What do you think Pravita? Other thoughts?

Comment on Nepal – patients required to bring caregiver with them to hospital by prativa

prativa — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:50:11 +0000

Hi Kath, your assesments are quite right. But there are some other things that are missing… that is understanding the culture.Is it law, rules or what that a patient have to bring the caregiver to the hospital with them.Its culture, we live in joint family , a very social life, a close bond with family. In western culture we wont find people living up to 3 generation together. Sorry if I am wrong…. another fact is that Nepal as a developing country… a role of nurse could not be possible same as you define in western ethics, a holistic care… The load of patient is so high that a nurse hardly have time to talk to patient.The main job of nurse … what I been seeing…medication,vital sign, follow doctors order… lack of nursing care… not their fault anyway. So, most of the care is done by family………………….
Prativa

Comment on Interesting facts about Nepal… by Srijana

Srijana — Sun, 06 May 2012 20:06:54 +0000

*there

Comment on Interesting facts about Nepal… by Srijana

Srijana — Sun, 06 May 2012 20:06:28 +0000

Hi Kath,
I knew it you would love the place and people…
I spent nearly six months with them and it was wonderful and learning experience being their..

Comment on Nepal – patients required to bring caregiver with them to hospital by Srijana

Srijana — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:57:07 +0000

Kath!
Yes, you did a great job…
Srijana

Comment on Nepal – patients required to bring caregiver with them to hospital by kath

kath — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:52:32 +0000

Srijan,
Many of the stats were presented during the conference “The future of palliative care in Nepal”. (I hope that i credited them correctly!)
Wonderful to see the nationals and the visitors gather to discuss this, and to hear the presentations of the Nepalese people who had such great content to share.
Kath

Comment on Interesting facts about Nepal… by kath

kath — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:51:06 +0000

Thanks Srijana!
I got your email WHILE sitting in the Hospice in Bharatpur with your nursing colleagues. We thought of you, and I passed along your love to the nursing team! What a beautiful community. After only a few days there, I figured that it was worth coming that big distance if only for those few days. I enjoyed Kathmandu also, and really enjoyed Bhaktapur and the Nanaimo Hospice Twin.

A highlight was definitely meeting some of the nursing colleagues that we had met in the LDMOnline classes!
Warm regards,
Kath

Comment on A walk in the hills, Bhaktapur, Nepal’s New Years Day by Srijana

Srijana — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:53:56 +0000

It feels so good to see all these pictures.And how was your new year experience in Nepal??

Comment on Interesting facts about Nepal… by Srijana

Srijana — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:51:29 +0000

Well, I don’t know the exact data but its almost true.Only mistake is Dr. Bishnu’s lastname.I guess it should be Poudel or Paudel or Poudyal not padel.I think so .And I am sorry if I m wrong and talking completely out of topic.

Comment on Nepal – patients required to bring caregiver with them to hospital by Srijana

Srijana — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:46:38 +0000

Hi Kath , just checked your blog.You have assessed correctly in a very short period of time spent in Nepal.The visitors are the must at the hospital along with the patient and they are the care takers most of the time.They are always having a vital role from the day of admission to the day of discharge.They bring them food, wash clothes, buy medicine, take them to the bathrooms and many more.Only few people who don’t have their relatives come alone and you can really imagine what its gonna be a patient without a visitor.Nurses do care for them but its never going to happen like a visitor or relatives.And most of the patients are forced to be discharged or leave hospital because the relatives have so much of work pending or missed.The family member are so concerned when the patient is going to be discharged starting from the day of admission.I wonder when its gonna be like family member drop the patients to the hospital and nurses gonna take full care of them.