Bonnii Heber

I decided to undertake an overseas placement because I wanted to experience healthcare in a different setting. With a paramedic background, I haven't experienced healthcare in a hospital setting, so I wanted exposure to different patient presentations and the prolonged care aspect of patient management. 

I have been trained how to deliver a baby, but I had never witnessed it before, so this placement really helped with that. The beautiful scenery and kind people of Nepal were a bonus.  

Work the World were incredibly helpful when it came to booking this trip. The pre-departure calls were insightful, and I feel as though they prepared me as much as they could have for this placement. The Operations Manager answered all of my random questions, and my emails were always answered promptly. 

The guides set out in the MyTrip portal were detailed and informative without being overwhelming. The timeline really helped me to keep on track and on top of things despite uni-life and studying for my final exams. Everything I needed was right there. 

The house is stunning! It is always clean and tidy, and the beds are so comfortable it's hard to get up and go to placement on those cold winter mornings. The house is a credit to the hardworking team that keeps it running!

I was initially hesitant about the bunkbed situation, but it brings such a nostalgic school-camp vibe. I shared a room with two great ladies. Some nights, we would stay up chatting, and on others, we would just pass out after a big day at placement. They made me feel welcome, and we became really great friends. 

I haven't got a single bad thing to say about the food! The cooks were more than accommodating with my dietary requirements and made sure I never felt left out with my own delicious meals. There is a wide variety of meals served. We all look forward to BBQ night every week and enjoying dinner by the fire! 

I was so fortunate to meet so many great people at the house. I made so many good friends, I now have places to stay all over the world, and we’re even planning an Everest Base Camp Reunion Hike in 5 years! 

I travelled to Kathmandu solo, so I was hesitant about coming to the house alone, but I was welcomed immediately! 

On my first day, they took me out for lunch and gave me a tour of one of the local World Heritage Sites. Not once did I ever feel like an outsider. 

Living with other healthcare students helped me to put my experiences into context, especially from the ones that had been in the same department. We could share our experiences from all over the world and different healthcare settings and debrief what we were seeing and experiencing here. Plus, seeing another familiar face in the hospital is always lovely. 

The in-country team was phenomenal! Everyone was super kind and friendly, and they made sure I felt welcome every step of the way. 

During the orientation, I was the only student who arrived that week, but I was made feel very welcome. I got a personal tour of the hospital and was introduced to the department leads, so I had some familiar faces to turn to on my first day. 

The differences in the healthcare setting compared to back home were eye-opening. Coming from a paramedic background, I had never worked in a hospital setting before, and naturally, I felt way out of my depth. Despite the calls beforehand, I wasn't sure how the day-to-day reality of placement would go, how I would feel, or what I would see. Although many things are different between here and home, the core concepts of patient care are the same, and empathy and humanity transcend language. 

Like paramedicine, my placement hospital was resource-poor, and we had to work with what we had on the day. The departments I spent time in were very busy and understaffed, with a never-ending line of patients out the door — a familiar sight in healthcare worldwide. Pre-hospital care was still new in Nepal, so many patients came straight to the ED with minimal first aid.

Despite the chaos, the doctors and nurses were always happy for me to get involved and ask questions, they gave me their time and were more than happy to discuss cases with me. 

The treatment plans and practices are similar — they read the same textbooks and get taught similar things at university, but their system is built differently, and the funding is not always there. Unlike in Australia, where you can just grab gloves out of a box or a cupboard, here they actually have to go out and buy it first. This placement has made me appreciate how much I took for granted back home, even something as simple as having gloves when I needed them, let alone all the gadgets and monitoring equipment we have. 

Another thing I appreciated was how much the family is involved in the patient's care here. In Australia, it is not uncommon for people to travel to the hospital alone, but in Nepal, the family is always there by their side. They sit by the patient's bedside, help with basic nursing care, push the patient to CT or to get an X-ray, and go out to buy the medication and equipment needed for treatment. It is really heartwarming to see the care they provide and how strong these family bonds are. 

I appreciated the team's support and insight into local life. They had the best suggestions for places to eat and have adventures. But they were also there for the hard chats when I struggled to adjust to a new department. He helped to give context to what I was experiencing and helped me reframe it in a more positive light. I appreciate that chats a lot and it changed my mindset for the rest of the placement. 

I genuinely cannot express how much I appreciate the in-country team. When I got sick, the team came and picked me up from placement and took me back to the Work the World house. The team then made me the best chicken soup and lemon, ginger and honey tea! They all made sure I was well looked after, and I felt very cared for. 

Even the security Guards are great; they are like worried uncles, chatting to the taxi drivers for us so we can be picked up and making sure we get back safely at the end of the day (or night!) Write a summary of the differences between the local healthcare system and that of your home country.

We had so many fun adventures in the afternoons after placement. Most often, we explored Kathmandu during the week; a high turnover of students means there is always someone to act as a tour guide and show us around. Most evenings after dinner, we will either play card games, watch a movie or just sit and chat for hours. Some days, if you didn’t feel like being social, you could always find some solitude in your room or escape up to the roof to enjoy the view. 

On weekends, someone always goes trekking, so it's easy to jump in and go on an adventure. Everyone is really helpful in sharing gear and planning the longer treks away, but the short treks nearby are just as good, too! 

There are Yoga retreats, cooking classes, gondola rides up mountains, wood carving and pottery classes. If you are willing to go find it, there is always something to do!

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