Poor Monsieur Pastèque!

Monsieur Pastèque has to be the most tolerant patient I have ever come across! He laid quietly on his bed while 11 nervous nurses each gave him a intramuscular injection, without uttering a word of complaint! 

Excellent, if a little bruised, patient!

Monsieur Pasteque

This week, saw the 11 nurses who achieved the top marks in the pre interview test, be whittled down further to 5 who will be joining the team at Hopital de Guinebor II over the coming months.  In preparation for this day of interviews, I was charged with drawing 11 bottoms, which seemed to get increasingly round and peachy! Upon these works of art, the interviewees indicated their chosen site for the intended IM injection, because, as obliging as Monsieur Pastèque was, he really didn’t look all that realistic.

I worked with Dr Andrea in the practical assessment and was overall impressed with the nurses and their abilities to address the watermelon, err, I mean Monsieur Pastèque, with some kind of realism and compassion!!

Other than watching the tense nurses every move, my other responsibility was to pour the water for the nurses from a plastic kettle when they wanted to wash their hands, Chad’s ingenious answer to the scarce availability of running water. This was not the only cultural difference I noted today; They get Coke and doughnuts here half way through the interview day!! I don’t remember the NHS ever doing that!!!

So, several doughnuts, one drugged up watermelon and several hours later, five nurses were selected and I look forward to working with them soon(ish).