I have to confess that this first experience has marked me in a very special way. I am a nurse and I arrived here to Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) from Madrid in October 2014 to work in the Superior Institute for Nursing Science (Institut Supérieur en Sciences Infirmières, or ISSI). After multiple years of not exercising my profession, I found myself before a real challenge, both on a personal and professional level. I knew about Monkole Hospital Center and I was excited to be able be a part of the project, but life never fails to surprise us and the opportunity arose to work instead in the Nursing School, an institution associated with Monkole.

During these months I have thought a lot about the impact and reach that my current work can have, if I make the effort to give the best I can in order to form both professionally and humanly the hundreds of girls who pass through ISSI each year. From here, I can contribute to their formation such that each one can become a nurse who is competent professionally, capable of humanizing care by putting the person in the center of their work.
Like I said before, this initial experience has been both a personal and professional challenge. Beginning with the language which I’ve learned here, there’s also the weather, the culture, and the customs which are all totally different. On top of all this, one would have to add that I have no teaching experience and it’s been six years since I was working as a nurse. It’s true that some days the language gets the better of me and I don’t manage to express myself as well as I would like, though I can certainly say that the people here are not lacking in patience, because even when you don’t finish your sentence, the people listen to you with all their attention. Another thing is that sometimes, basic necessities are difficult to obtain… you don’t always have light or water, which at first glance could seem like something of an anecdote, but it does complicates one’s life quite a bit. However, in spite of these little difficulties, I wouldn’t change places with anyone and in fact, I think I can say that in the end, I’m the one who gains.

During this period of observing students in their clinical practice, I have learned a lot both from them and with them. To see them each week, to work at their side, and to help them to overcome their small or not so small difficulties, has become a fascinating task. Thanks to this new program of formation through skill acquisition, I work individually with each student so that they learn how to treat each new situation with scientific rigor while learning to communicate, and so that a human tone may pervade all their activity (listening attentively, respect for the beliefs and values of the others), working with professionalism, (order, punctuality, respect for ethical principles) and all on the basis of reflective practice, one that really humanizes care, because when one understands the how and why of what they do, they can adapt themselves to whatever people or circumstances that come their way, without falling in to offering “mass care”, something that is neither professional nor human.

In conclusion, I would say that although sometimes my work of observing is not so easy, as it means a change of mentality and in how to teach, it’s totally worth it. At ISSI, we have opted to work this way, as we believe that in the long-run, the history of this great country will show why.
Olga Tauler San Miguel, Kinshasa.