Vital Signs

On March 7, 2012, Milwaukee Commissioner of Health Bevan Baker captivated nursing student, as well as community audiences, bringing to light the Fetal Infant Mortality Report for Milwaukee. As he described the devastation of infant mortality racial disparities in Milwaukee, he also exhorted Christians to help reduce the stress of racism in our community. His compassionate demeanor and public testimony of Christian faith were inspiring and motivating. – Prof. Rebekah Carey

WLC Nursing students react to Baker’s visit:

When I first learned about the opportunity to listen to Bevan Baker, the Milwaukee Health Commissioner, regarding infant mortality, I expected to be lectured on facts. What I learned, however, was so much more than mere information. What struck me the most was the focus of Commissioner Baker’s life and work. He made it clear that only through Christian love and service, the devastation of Milwaukee’s infant mortality rates could be changed. His faith was shown throughout his presentation, and this not only gave me confidence in him, it also motivated me to make a difference and let my Christian light shine throughout my nursing career. - Kayla W., BSN class of 2013

It was a great privilege to have Dr. Baker come speak to us on Milwaukee’s number one health issue, infant mortality. He was so passionate about the topic and it was incredible to hear him give the statistics – there truly is a problem right here in our very own city! These infant mortality rates are nothing to be proud of here in Milwaukee and something needs to be done. As a future nurse it opened my eyes and heart even more to this issue. I would love to someday be a part of helping to find a solution, whether it is educating the community or educating my patient prior to discharge – I feel nurses can help play a big role. - Rachel B., BSN class of 2013

I am beyond impressed and motivated after hearing the Health Commissioner of Milwaukee, Bevan Baker, speak on Wednesday. Dr. Baker delivered a powerful speech to the students and faculty at Wisconsin Lutheran College on the devastating health disparity of infant mortality and racial and ethnic disparities in Milwaukee. In the past year there were 122 infant deaths and 67 stillbirths in Milwaukee. The overall infant mortality rate was 11.1 compared to the Wisconsin rate of 6.0. The Black infant mortality rate was 14.7, the White infant mortality rate was 5.9, and the Hispanic infant mortality rate was 8.8. These shocking statistics certainly create feelings of uneasiness and sadness. However, this motivated my classmates and me to have the social, ethical, and spiritual dedication to do something about this health disparity. Dr. Baker asked each one of us to help him to begin a new trend towards reducing infant mortality and reduced racial and ethnic disparities. I was truly amazed to hear Dr. Baker, a public health figure, boldly bring in a spiritual perspective on this distressing topic. - Leanna M., BSN class of 2013

The WLC nursing program recently had the opportunity to listen to a presentation about community health by the Milwaukee Commissioner of Health, Bevan Baker. The presentation was eye-opening in regards to the infant mortality rate here in Milwaukee. More importantly, however, the presentation was eye-opening in regards to community health. Community health is complex. Commissioner Baker effectively reminded the WLC community that it is part of the Milwaukee community and as such WLC has a great opportunity. WLC can be a light to other colleges and organizations in general by being directly involved in community health. WLC already has connections to the community through the Granville neighborhood health center where work is being done to help the underprivileged of the Milwaukee community. Commissioner Baker’s presentation was a refreshing reminder that each and every one of us is part of the Milwaukee community therefore it is our responsibility to work towards a more healthy community. - Dan M., BSN class of 2013

Seventeen Global Health Nursing Students from Wisconsin Lutheran College will be traveling to Zambia in May 2012.

Please see this article by one of our clinical hosts in Zambia during our 2011 trip: Nursing students from Wisconsin Lutheran College visit CURE Zambia.

The Wisconsin Lutheran College School of Nursing is in the process of developing a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. We would like to know how many of our fellow WELS nurses are already a member of a chapter and who would be willing to support our endeavor.

Please email Prof. Amanda Passint at amanda.passint@wlc.edu if you are interested.

Two Wisconsin Lutheran College nursing students had successful fall seasons as members of WLC Warriors athletics teams.

Congratulations to tennis player and nursing student Emily Pearson, a sophomore, for the role she played as the Wisconsin Lutheran College women’s tennis team claimed a share of the 2011 Northern Athletics Conference championship on October 1.

Congrats to junior nursing student Florin Maduta for his game-winning goal as the Warriors men’s soccer team shut out Maranatha 1-0 on October 8.

The School of Nursing is pleased to welcome Prof. Amanda Passint (center).

Prof. Passint obtained her BSN from Concordia University. Her MSN from the University of Wisconsin-Madison includes both a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Educator. Her practice experience has been at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Bone Marrow Transplant and Hematology.

She will be teaching Child and Adolescent Nursing, as well as Adult Health Nursing, and Issues and Trends in Professional Nursing.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14

God has granted each of us another chance of a life full of faithfulness, joy, and love to Him for his gracious gift to us on the cross. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” These words remind us as Christians that we are the Lord’s Masterpiece. If we find ourselves questioning the Lord by saying, “Who am I?” or “What makes me special?” we should ultimately turn to God himself for the answer. He is the One who created us and has given us a true identity on this earth. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” We are perfect in his eyes, no matter the different physical appearances, personalities, or struggles we have physically or mentally.

Each year Jesus Cares Ministries along with Camp Phillip organizes a Jesus Cares camp specifically for individuals with special needs. This Christ-centered camp offers a variety of activities and opportunities to grow together in Christ. Whether making cards, swimming in the lake, singing during music period, or listening to God’s Word around the campfire, the campers are not afraid to share the love of their Savior our loud. This camp continues to be a blessing to staff, volunteers, and for the campers themselves. All of these individuals have an opportunity to learn from each other and are forever impacted by the strong faith these campers bring to camp.

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

Imagine starting out your morning fresh by hearing this beautiful song. This is a song surrounded with words of encouragement, love, and gratitude. One of the campers, every morning would sing this song to me as I passed out medication. These moments, joining in singing with this camper, will forever be in my heart as I am reminded that we are on this earth, not to glorify ourselves, but to serve the Lord in all we do. Christ has allowed us to see once again.

As a Senior Nursing student at Wisconsin Lutheran College, I was blessed with the opportunity to assist Nurse Debbie Ottesen with numerous nursing tasks, such as medication administration, charting, and taking care of illnesses. This experience has helped me grow as a future nurse, not only in material knowledge, but more importantly spiritual knowledge. I created many relationships with the campers, staff, and volunteers. I was able to spend quality time with these people and learn from each of them. The campers that I encountered gave me an opportunity of a lifetime. Words cannot express the amount of joy they had for their Savior as well as the impact every one of them had and continues to have on my life.

The title of this article, Special needs-Special LOVE, is a great reminder to have that special love that these special needs individuals have for the Lord. Not a love that we should keep inside, rather, let it be known through our words and actions every day on this earth. To God be the glory!

“And whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” John 11:26

Kayla Wisniewski
Senior Wisconsin Lutheran College Nursing Student

Thank you to Bill Truebenbach for giving me this opportunity!

We have had two interesting days in Zambia as we saw very nice living conditions yesterday in a home in Lusaka and the exact opposite today in the bush outside of the city. We celebrated African Freedom Day yesterday with an enjoyable afternoon at the home of Judith, the head nurse at Beit Cure International Hospital where the students spent part of their clinical time. Judith and her family have a very nice home and they welcomed us with open arms (literally!). She also invited other staff from the hospital, which made the afternoon extra special.

Today we traveled to Mwembezhi to see the first Lutheran church (Martin Luther) established in Zambia in the 1950s, as well as the rural health clinic where Professor Carey spent three years serving as a nurse. According to Professor Carey, the road conditions have improved greatly from what they were, but the last several miles of the trip were on a very bumpy, dusty road.

The rural clinic is very busy, serving more than 2,000 people every month. They offer care for pregnant women, infants and children, and medicines for HIV patients, among other healthcare services. Professor Carey enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces from her time at the clinic.

After a tour of the clinic by Jackson Kalekwa, clinical officer, we took a short walk down the road to see the homes where Professor Carey and the missionaries lived. Now the clinic is completely run by local Zambians and the homes are rented to local people as well. We then walked in the opposite direction to the home of Grey and Catherine Bili who prepared an authentic African lunch for us. The home was small, but Catherine creatively arranged the room and table so that our large group fit inside comfortably for the meal. The hospitality was unbeatable!

We will be wrapping up our trip this weekend with a blood pressure screening on the seminary grounds tomorrow morning and then taking a driving tour of Lusaka.

A trip to a local market is scheduled for Saturday morning and in the afternoon we will be attending the graduation of the ten seminary students.

On Sunday morning we will travel to one of Pastor Wendland’s bush churches for the service before returning to Lusaka in the afternoon and packing our bags for an early departure for the airport on Monday morning. After a layover in London on Monday night, we will be back in the United States on Tuesday afternoon.

I hope all of the readers have enjoyed keeping up with our trip as much as I have enjoyed sharing the stories through this blog. The students will definitely have many things to share, countless pictures to show, and souvenirs that will remain as keepsakes. However, their best remembrances of the trip will be the memories they will always keep with them of their time in the special country of Zambia.

Thank you for your support and prayers. God’s blessings to you from Lusaka, Zambia.

We returned to Lusaka late yesterday afternoon after spending a very enjoyable weekend in Livingstone. Friday’s trip down there was supposed to take six hours by bus, but three breakdowns lengthened the trip to 12 hours. We arrived safely though, at 9:00 p.m., having quite a story to share about our experience. This included finding bathroom facilities in the “bush,” meeting many nice Zambians along the way, listening to several hours of Christian music (chosen by our bus driver), watching six Zambians change a bus tire, and driving the last hour through a rainstorm – even though it is supposedly the dry season here and it never rains during the dry season.

On Saturday morning we were up before the sun for our game drive (AKA safari). We were greeted at the entrance of the park by impala (deer) and the cameras came out in full force. Little did we know that there are impala everywhere! We eventually saw warthogs, baboons, monkeys, birds, lizards, a hippo, and elephants. We also got a special treat – the chance to get out of our vehicles and walk up to an area to view rhinos. An amazing experience!

In the afternoon we headed to Victoria Falls. Our pictures and video and stories will never be able to capture the full essence of the experience. The water is exceptionally high right now, so the force of the water was absolutely amazing. The spray of water is so strong that when people stand along the observation areas they get completely soaked. Ponchos are available for rent, but the students went without and enjoyed the downpour.

We also got the opportunity to do some shopping from vendors at the Falls and in Livingstone. It was an interesting experience trying to negotiate prices and convert kwacha to dollars in our heads. Coasters, small carved animals, bowls, and jewelry were the most popular items for purchase.

Today we were back to clinicals – one group at the children’s hospital, the other at a hospital for those with mental illness. The students are learning about nursing care from a very different perspective than what they see in the United States. What is not so different though, is that regardless of the disease or condition or what part of the world where they are, the patients need help that nurses can provide.

Today marked the end of our clinical experiences for the week, which meant saying goodbye to all of our new Zambian friends. In just three days, we shared and learned a great deal from each other. We gave small gifts to staff and to some of the patients that we met. They were thrilled with these remembrances of the Wisconsin Lutheran College nursing students.

One of the students was determined to make a basketball hoop for a young boy confined to a wheelchair, so he hunted the grounds for branches to twist together. After finding nothing that was going to work, he found a bucket that no one was using and colored it with a marker. At first, the boy was a bit hesitant to try shooting the ball into the bucket, but his face lit up when he caught on.

Earlier in the week, we saw a modern shopping area in Lusaka that surprised all of us; this was not what we expected to see in Africa. We learned that it is a new addition to the city and that the relatively few people who can afford it, do enjoy it, but we also discovered that it does not represent the majority of the people and areas of Lusaka. We have driven through sections of the city called compounds where the living conditions are very sad and very, very poor. It is impossible for any of us to imagine what it must be like to live there.

The food has been a new experience too! We have been eating nshima, sugar cane, rape (don’t panic – it’s a green leafy vegetable), ground nuts, avocados the size of some of the students’ head, soup that is poured over potatoes, rice, and noodles, and an interesting tasting type of ketchup. The students are cooking breakfast for themselves each morning – they will have stories to share. One student has been banned from the kitchen because they all went hungry that day (won’t mention any names).

We made a stop at the chemist this afternoon – Africa’s version of a pharmacist. Some medications can be purchased there without prescriptions, unlike in the United States, and often at a relatively low cost. We made a few purchases – heartburn medicine and laxatives. The packaging didn’t look familiar, but the list of ingredients sounded harmless . Everyone was doing well at our evening meal, so the medications must have been a success!

We are scheduled for an early start tomorrow morning – going by bus to Livingstone, which is where Victoria Falls is located. The students have been told to keep food packages closed since any open food attracts monkeys. Hopefully no one gets any ideas to “accidentally” leave food open – doing so may mean sharing their room with a monkey.

Because of our trip, there will be no blog posts until Sunday when we return (depending on internet access). Hello to everyone back home!

Greetings!

The Wisconsin Lutheran College students had an intense day of clinicals today in Zambia, seeing and hearing things that they will most likely never experience in the United States. Students at the orthopedic hospital observed surgery, and those at the hospice saw the ravaging effects of HIV.

Every day the students are asked to share their high points and low points for the day. The high points are many and center around the learning experiences they have been having. Most of the low points are not related to personal disappointments; rather, the students share sad things that they have witnessed. Children who are orphaned because of a deformity or because their parents have died from HIV, caregivers’ struggles from a lack of supplies, and patients refusing certain tests or recommendations because they cannot afford them; all of these things are a constant reality for the people here.

On a lighter note, Team USA (WLC nursing students) took on Team Zambia in an exciting game of kickball on the seminary grounds this afternoon. Team USA prevailed, winning by a score of 17-16, but it was a fierce competition down to the very last out. The red uniforms worn by Team Zambia were a gift from St. John’s in Lannon, Wisconsin. According to Coach Dave, the students were dressed in them since noon today. They definitely wear them with pride!

Tonight after devotion the students were asked to share a brief part of one of their journal entries. One of the students ended her entry for the first night in Zambia with the words, “Thank the Lord for this opportunity.” A few words that say so much about our time here. This experience is certainly a blessing from God; we are so thankful for all that He provides!