Page 11 - QARANC Vol 14 No 11 2015

THE GAZETTE QARANC 9
OPERATION GRITROCK
My personal experience as a Health Care Assistant
My experience as an HCA in Sierra Leone was very emotional and dare I say it has been one of the best experiences of my life. Before heading to Sierra Leone as a Military HCA I had never worked under the demanding pressures and environment before it was quite scary! Day to day we were all working in an environment were Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was very much your life saver! albeit hot and sweaty!
The priority was ensuring we were safe and protected whilst treating very ill patients, this involved lots of team work using the Army’s “Buddy Buddy” system. Team work played a massive part in keeping each other safe and breach free by supporting colleagues in the simplest of glove and apron change, although this was not as straight forward as it sounds in an environment of virus and chlorine. However, with a lot of practice prior to deployment, once we were in the hospital and working within the team environment it become less scary and was an experience that I’m very proud and privilege to be a part of.
Caring for people who had contracted the deadly Ebola Virus and being an integral part of their treatment and care was quite a privilege, however at times it was hard to watch people quickly become unwell and very sick with the different stages of the virus.
Before arriving in Sierra Leone we received in-depth training in the mocked up Hospital complex in York. This allowed us to train together and prepared us for what to expect when we arrive to work in the Hospital in Sierra Leone. However, until you actually see the deadly virus close up, you cannot fully prepare yourself emotionally. Shortly after we arrived we treated a lady who had nursed her family through the virus, with unfortunately no survivors and herself becoming victim to the virus a few weeks later. Sometimes our patients were not just fighting one illness but a multitude of illnesses. With all the sadness of this illness and through the bad times there were positive and extremely rewarding moments to celebrate after treating patients through their worst of the illness to full
health and becoming Ebola free! It’s an amazing feeling as a team member knowing that we get to do the Ebola dance to welcome our patients out of the unit and give them their certificate to celebrate their Ebola free status.
I have had an amazing tour full of tears, hard times, long hours and feeling home sick, but the good points and the learning experiences out weight the bad ones by far!! Meeting and working with amazing professionals who now are friends for life through a close professional bond created by the extreme working environment. From my family at home and my unit, I had lots of support and was sent lots of parcels and letters that kept me smiling through the tough times. I am truly thankful to everyone who supported me whilst on tour.
It has been an awesome experience and I would not change anything about my first tour! It has changed me and made me a lot more thankful for all
that I have! It has made me become more confident in my role as a HCA. Before I went away, I considered myself fit, but Physical Training (PT), was an emotional relief during the hard times and became my friend rather than devil it always had been, as PT in this environment was good for me, it helped to keep me physically and mentally fit! Never did I think I would complete a half marathon in the middle of Africa! As a new member to the Queen Alexandra’s Army Nursing Corps I celebrated it having lunch with a Brigadier in the African Desert! The highlight of my amazing tour was being awarded a commendation for HCA skills. I am very proud of myself, as I may not be the loudest or appear the most confidence, but when I comes to my role as an HCA I know I am good at the job I love, specially as an Army Reserve HCA.
Pte Joleen Rayner 201 Fd Hosp