Page 12 - QARANC Vol 14 No 11 2015

10 QARANC THE GAZETTE
OPERATION GRITROCK
My Personal experience as a Registered Nurse Team Leader
I joined the QARANC, to encounter new challenges and to help people in a different environment, as I am an Emergency Nurse by background. I completed my Basic Military training in 2015; this consisted of an alpha course over six weekends followed by a two-week bravo course which meant I became a trained soldier. Now I was trained both as a nurse and a soldier I was asked if I could deploy to Sierra Leone in West Africa in December to work in the Kerry Town Treatment Unit. I said yes straight away as I wanted to help in a humanitarian crisis and knew I would be well looked after and trained to an exceptionally high standard with the British Army.
We did two-weeks military training at a
barracks near Nottingham which included
loaded marches, weapons handling, shooting
on the ranges, navigation, first aid, the law of armed conflict, Values and Standards. We then went onto Strensall Barracks in York to integrate with the Canadian Medical Service and commence our clinical training over a further two weeks. This was a fantastic experience seeing how the Canadian teams work from a clinical and military perspective. They also had an incredibly professional approach, with a flamboyant infectious sense of humour. We undertook team tasks then completed a hospital exercise; this was a replication of the treatment unit in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone.
During the training phase I was asked to be section commander, this involved taking command and responsibility for a team of nurses, medics and Health Care Assistants. The hospital taught us how to use the personal protective equipment (PPE); we had to learn about all the policies, and standard operating procedures to be followed. This included managing patient load, infection control and pharmacy procedures. Also we had many lectures on Ebola and the pathophysiology of the disease, the stages and treatment, plus the holistic approach on how to care for the patients.
The initial shock of being asked to be Section Commander wore off, and the pressure of the task in hand came to the forefront of my mind. The main duties of my role included leading the team and managing patient load, managing the team including allocation of the right staff to tasks, organising training sessions, supporting and guiding staff through challenging and stressful situations. I had very experienced soldiers up to the rank of Staff Sergeant and Officers up to the rank of Major in my team. I was concerned that rank may become an issue and potentially cause some issues as I was a Corporal. At no point was this ever an issue, my team were incredibly supportive and made up of a mix of highly skilled and determined individuals, who I was incredibly proud to work with on a daily basis. Their continual drive, enthusiasm and tireless dedication to the task in hand never dimmed. I also had a very experienced ICU/ED Nurse as my second in Command, Capt Brad McCullum, who had a wealth of experience, a very diplomatic approach, and excellent leadership skills.
On a personal level I was also very lucky to have Maj Claire Davies-Griffiths and Lt Col Sharon Stewart from my Unit, 207 Field hospital, who were to become my adoptive Mum’s whilst out there. We carried out the hospital exercise, battling with the confinements of the suits, the heat, dealing with dexterity issues that arose from wearing multiple pairs of gloves and a visor over the face, becoming familiar with the clinical procedures and the high levels of cross infection skills that had to be practiced and mastered. We then felt ready to combat the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone.
We arrived at Benguema Camp after flying from Brize Norton and hit by the arid heat and tremendous humidity. Sierra Leone is so beautiful but so incredibly poor, it was heart- breaking to see the small children with nothing, begging at the sides of the road. The impact
of Ebola on the communities, became very clear as we drove through noticing all the Ebola treatment units, the sealed off areas, the devastation was incredible. We commenced our induction package, attempted to acclimatise to the heat and became familiar with our new home for the next few months. We were staying in mosquito pods in a room with 4-5 other team members. We were then orientated to the Kerry Town Treatment Unit, taken around the unit by the previous Team 2, also known as Team Awesome as we were! The Kerry Town hospital was impressive as it had been built by the Royal Engineers amongst the jungle in a very short period of time.
Working with the Sierra Leonean people was interesting and rewarding, learning about their culture, religion and customs. Combating their fears of the British military was another battle we had; reassuring them and helping them overcome their fears, and gaining their trust and building their confidence in us. Also learning about the Ebola Virus, the signs symptoms, and treatments and other tropical diseases was fascinating. Caring for the patients with Ebola was rewarding and harrowing at the same time. The disease could be incredibly aggressive and cause a lot of pain. Being able to help and make such a difference to these people gave an incredible amount of satisfaction.
The mission was run so efficiently and well managed by the Lt Col Alison McCourt, her background was also in emergency nursing and she ensured care remained compassionate and patient centered, this was inspiring and gave me great respect for her at all times. I also had a tremendous amount of support from Lt Col Patricia Gibson, who’s a truly inspiring nurse and amazing person, a great leader with a huge personality and heart, who gave me exceptional advice in difficult situations, and never failed to make me smile. Once again I have to mention the team of individuals I worked with selfless hardworking amazing people who just wanted to help people in need and did so in a humble and professional manner.
It was a true life changing experience that has altered the way I look at all aspects of life, and I feel truly grateful for everything I have. I wished there was more we could do for