CHELSEA AT LA LOMA LUZ

My name is Chelsea Ruhl and I’m a nursing student at Messiah College. My nursing observation was at a private hospital called La Loma Luz (L.L.L.). I was placed here because I am very interested in surgical nursing and L.L.L. is one of the surgical hospitals in Belize. I have had an absolutely incredible experience here. I have seen several surgeries as well as had the opportunity of assisting doctors with patient prep. I also have attended to many patients in the emergency room, but I definitely prefer the O.R. My favorite surgery by far was a spinal operation performed by Dr. Cervantes, the only neurosurgeon in all of Belize. It was an 8-hour procedure to remove a bullet from a man’s spinal cord. I was allowed to observe the entire procedure and it was just incredible to see an actual human spine. I find the blending and mixing of cultures here very interesting. There are three main languages spoken in Belize: English, Spanish and Creole. The interesting part is when I am dealing with a patient who does not speak the same language that I do. It has been neat to see how the medical staff at L.L.L. deal with these potential barriers. Overall, this has been an experience of a lifetime!