Reflection

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One skill that I was going to be able to improve on was checking blood sugars, it was a critical part of the health care we were providing to the locals. In order to do blood sugar checks we have to wear gloves; it was not until we arrived at the health fair that I realized that they did not bring the right size gloves for me. At first, I was really upset about the situation because I felt that I was missing out, I had to take a moment to realize that I was not in Grenada only for my personal growth. There were other aspects of care that I could provide to the locals. I decided that this slight setback was not going to impede me from providing the best service that I can. I helped at providing healthcare education, as well as doing crafts with the children to provide a distraction so that their parents could focus on getting information and learning. During this time, we also went out into the community to spread the word about the health far so that more individuals can benefit from it.

 

I feel as though, prior to the study abroad program, I have always valued information, but I have not always placed enough importance on disseminating it. I saw the widespread lack of health knowledge in the communities of Grenada during my visit and thought to myself that there was a need here. I saw an opportunity to share my knowledge. After multiple interactions with the Grenadian locals, I recognized that the people were ready and willing to learn. So why was there such a lack of knowledge here? Although there is a desire to learn here, the country did not have widespread and easy access to the resources that the people need to pursue this knowledge. Being a resident of the United States, it is easy to take for granted how easily it is to obtain information. The internet can be accessed anywhere and at any time, because of this ease of access I did not understand why people were not taking the initiative to make needed lifestyle changes. After my visit, I realized that this same ease of access was not available to the residents of Grenada. During the radio podcast, the host continually mentioned the phrase “Health is Wealth. Let’s Make Granada a Wealthy Nation.” I realized the strength and power in this message as a future healthcare provider, I now understand my important role in disseminating healthcare information especially to populations lacking in this area.