So the other day the scrub nurse assisting me in the operation shared his story.
He was born in an African country ravaged by war. He saw his friends and family murdered violently. He had to flee his village with a handful of survivors. 1/
He was born in an African country ravaged by war. He saw his friends and family murdered violently. He had to flee his village with a handful of survivors. 1/
He jumped over the dead bodies of people he knew. He fled to another country. Lived in refugee camps and somehow made it to the UK as a refugee many years ago.
Fast forward a few years he spent 16 years working as an accountant. 2/
Fast forward a few years he spent 16 years working as an accountant. 2/
Since the EU, worked became difficult for him and he lost his job. He and his family returned to their country of origin and thought they could consider living in their post-war home nation.
They couldn’t fit in. They couldn’t deal with the lawlessness and corruption. 3/
They couldn’t fit in. They couldn’t deal with the lawlessness and corruption. 3/
Their kids struggled too. And they sought to return back to the UK.
His mum objected to them returning to the UK by not taking her antihypertensives. Ultimately she suffered a stroke and there in the village he felt the hopelessness of not being able to help his mum. 4/
His mum objected to them returning to the UK by not taking her antihypertensives. Ultimately she suffered a stroke and there in the village he felt the hopelessness of not being able to help his mum. 4/
Rather than returning to the UK, they took a gamble by choosing to move to Australia. He took an accounting job and soon realised the legalities of accounting was different in Australia. He had to retrain all over again.
Instead of retraining in accounting and law...5/
Instead of retraining in accounting and law...5/
He decided to do nursing because he felt he wanted a career that was practical and tangible. When his mum died he promised to do something meaningful.
Nursing training was totally foreign to this middle aged man with teenage kids. He completed it. 6/
Nursing training was totally foreign to this middle aged man with teenage kids. He completed it. 6/
When he became a graduate nurse he remembered the day his patient died.
There was a lot of commotion and he was being contacted by nursing supervisors, educators and nursing seniors to see if he needed to take the shift off and to debrief (I never had this support as a Doc) 7/
There was a lot of commotion and he was being contacted by nursing supervisors, educators and nursing seniors to see if he needed to take the shift off and to debrief (I never had this support as a Doc) 7/
Fellow nurses wanted to support him because he lost a patient. They were worried that he might not cope with the death of a patient.
He said, “It is sad, but that’s not the first time I dealt with death.” 8/
He said, “It is sad, but that’s not the first time I dealt with death.” 8/
“As a kid I had to hop over the dead bodies of people I knew to run away from gunfire. I had to learn to be strong.”
Fast forward a few years, he is assisting me as a scrub nurse in a Head & Neck procedure. 9/
Fast forward a few years, he is assisting me as a scrub nurse in a Head & Neck procedure. 9/
I asked, “Did your gamble coming to Australia pay off?”
He silenced the yankuer sucker and over the anaesthetic beeping said, “Australia has been the best thing that has ever happened to me & my family. 10/
He silenced the yankuer sucker and over the anaesthetic beeping said, “Australia has been the best thing that has ever happened to me & my family. 10/
“If I had known about Australia 20 years ago, I would have taken the boat to come here. Australia has give me and my family a new life.”
So I asked, what’s similar between Australia and the UK?
He replied
“Racism”.
11/
So I asked, what’s similar between Australia and the UK?
He replied
“Racism”.
11/
“In both countries, my skin colour and my accent, makes me less of a member of society than others.”
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12/
I know.
I’m sorry.
4.0 vicryl & 5.0 monocryl please.
End/
I’m sorry.
4.0 vicryl & 5.0 monocryl please.
End/
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