Jessica from Australia to Study Arabic in Palestine: She is originally from Australia and is in her 2nd year studying Nursing which (3 ½ year course). She chose to come to the Middle-East and had the choice between Jordan or Palestine. She chose Hebron in Palestine as it appealed to her as a more interesting city.
She has traveled to Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, and Iran. She loves the Middle-Eastern culture, for all it has to offer. She is now in lovely Hebron, Palestine in her 2nd year of Nursing studies in Al Ahli Hospital. She has already been working in Hebron for 3 weeks and gives her first impressions. “The people here are overwhelmingly friendly and helpful. It is incredibly easy to get around in the daytime in the West Bank. Really, I have not experienced any problems whilst living here.”
What did her friends and family have to say about her coming to Palestine? “Quite frankly, they are used to me traveling a lot, in weird places -). Perhaps one member of my family questioned if it was safe of not, I think it is purely to do with the lack of knowledge of the region. I can´t stress enough that my experience so far has been of a safe place to live. Yes, you will see some uncomfortable situations at a time but mostly, you will witness true generosity and kindness on the part of the Palestinians! Regarding accommodation, I couldn´t recommend enough to opt for the host family solution. It is the most authentic way to know people!
So how about her work at the Al Ahli Hospital? “I did a few weeks in Cardiology and now I am in Emergencies. The Hospital is funded by an NGO: The Patient´s friends Society.” How does the Hospital compare to some she has known in Australia? “First of all, the El Ahli Hospital is one of the biggest in the West Bank. So far, I have found the staff to be highly skilled, in particular, their anatomy and biology knowledge is astounding.”
Has Jessica perceived strong differences in the way the Hospital works or any cultural gaps? She says “The biggest and obvious difference is in the implication of families regarding patient care…Families get spontaneously involved in patient feeding, washing, and clothing. Here, patients are never on their own, they are surrounded by a network of friends and family. This does not happen in “Western Hospitals”! There is an obvious positive impact on patients, they feel more at ease and less body conscious with their families.
Perhaps, as a nurse, I can perceive some issues with so much involvement from the family, which is that medical staff need to keep a close eye on body changes to make the right diagnostic on the state of the patients so if the family takes over, we might miss some changes, however small.”
“I must add that I have been surprised at the fact that there is a lot more gender equality in this hospital, I would say, here, the ratio male/female in nurse staff is 50/50!
Why did she choose the E.C to take some Arabic lessons? In my work, it is really important to be able to communicate with patients so when I heard from a friend, previous student at the E.C, that the center was great I went. So I am having my first lesson really soon and I can´t wait!
When asked about her social life in Hebron, she says “I have made friends through various channels like my host family, the E.C also I am part of the Action Aid network, here in Palestine. We meet now and then to collaborate on various projects, for example youth empowerment, women support groups, children etc…
It is really nice to meet other people who are trying to make a difference. My motivations, she says, were also about getting out of my comfort zone, I feel it is the best way to reflect on my own practices, especially in the medical field. It gives me a sort of consciousness about how nursing is taught in my home country.
What lies in the future for her? I am absolutely coming back in Palestine! If there are opportunities, I would love to work with Doctors without Borders or the World Health Organisation, there is so much work to be done here in Palestine!
