Reflections from the nurses

Nursing Division of P.D. Hinduja National hospital and MRC collaborated with the Missouri University of Science and technology Rolla, Missouri USA, for enhancement of the research experience & interdisciplinary learning. Ms. Nidhi Ranpuriya Executive and Ms. Bhavna Nayak Management Trainee, nursing division participated in the international collaboration program at Anand Gujarat from 29.12.2012 to 12.01.2013. The team of 15 people (2 Nursing administrative personnel from P.D.Hinduja National Hospital and MRC, Mumbai, 6 Students from Missouri S&T University Rolla, Missouri USA, 7 students from ISTAR College, Anand Gujarat) under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Oerther and Mrs. Sarah Oerther.
Highlights of the program:

• To assess few aspects of the health & wellness in the rural area of the Gujarat state, India such as sustainable agriculture, drinking water status, nutritional status in the school going children, Maternal surveys.
• Visit to the AMUL (the taste of INDIA) dairy plant at Anand.
• Visit of the agricultural team to Anand Agriculture University.
• Visit to Akshardham Temple and Sabarmati / Gandhi Ashram at Ahmadabad.

Summary: It was an enriching experience with the mixed outputs of personal and professional growth, work pattern difference and learning.

Professional front:

• We were able to cordially work with different disciplines (Nursing administration, Environmental Engineers, Civil Engineers, Environmental science) and were able analyze the co-relation between different disciplines to achieve common goals.
• It helped us to grow for the co-ordination of the team, so that it increases the output of the work. It helped us to learn how to collaborate the nursing aspects with the different disciplines with the areas of health and wellness of the community.

Personal Front:

• Exposed to different cultures (USA and Gujarat), it was an exchange of the ideas & lifestyle of the different students.
• Were able to ease the adaptation of USA students towards the Indian scenarios.

Recommendations:

• The duration of the research can be increased as it will give the opportunity to increase the sample size as well as the time for interventions.
• Pre – communication of the research can be in more details so the Indian counter parts can participate in the planning phase (as the scenario is different from country to country)
• The ground work suggested to be done when an area is selected for research, as to co-relate the work of the team and existing Indian government’s activities. (so that the interventions planned can be more focused on the area which is not being looked after by any of the regulatory bodies)
• Co-relation of previous research & the future plans

 

Acknowledgement:
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Mrs. Phalakshi Manjrekar (Director Nursing) P.D. Hinduja Hospital for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this research program. Our Sincere Thanks to Missouri University of Science and Technology for giving us the opportunity to collaborate in the program in every way possible, Dr. Daniel Oerther and Mrs. Sarah Oerther for guiding us throughout the program. We acknowledge the help and support of the team members from Missouri S and T University and ISTAR College Sardar Patel University, Anand Gujarat.