The clinic has an amazing staff, and one of them is named Diana. Diana is a certified midwife, and was hired by the clinic, because she is really good at what she does. She was taking over for Jen, while Jen is back in the states, and she just recently went back to school to become a registered midwife. Diana is attending the United Methodist University in Monrovia for two years to learn more about a job she already loves.
I sat down with Diana and had a conversation about the medical field in this county. I learned that in Liberia, patients in a lot of facilities, are treated very poorly, and are not given the proper care that they need. For example, the staff yells at patients, and treat them with great animosity. One of the reasons that Diana wanted to go into nursing, was to change that. She wanted to treat patients fairly, and she wanted them to know that they matter. By getting the right training and the help from Jen, her wish came true. To Diana, nursing is more than just giving out medicine, it’s also about having a personal connection with the patients. She wants them to understand their condition, and she makes sure they leave confident on knowing how to get better.
I also talked to her about working in the clinic. I learned how much she loves her job, and is so grateful for the opportunity to give back to her community. Diana told me her favorite thing about working here was the cooperation between the staff. For example, if someone is absent that day, everyone pitches in to fill that spot. She loves how everyone cares for the patients as much as she does. She also likes how each day is different, and she said she will never get bored working here.
Diana is such a great asset to the clinic, she works hard every day to give the best care she can give. She can’t wait to finish school and come back with a better understanding on how to help patients even more. It’s so great to know that that she is helping her community, even when it’s one patient at a time.
Kasey (the intern)
Po River Medical Clinic 