Grenada General Hospital

Grand Etang Road

St George's, Grenada

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This was an incredible experience to work for a day in another country's healthcare system.  We shadowed the nurses and helped them with basic skills while interacting with the patients.  Before going to our separate wards, we visited the pediatric ward and the ward where you could pay for a private room.  The ward with private rooms was much different than the others we worked in.  There were two nurses working here and the rooms were large and very nice.  Ms. Hopkin said the patients pay a lot of money to stay in this part of the hospital.  

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the female ward was the french doors and windows that opened up to a gorgeous view of the Caribbean.  This is not the first time I have experienced a hospital abroad that allows fresh air into the rooms.  Some of the hospitals in Germany do this too.  I understand the risks of opening up a hospital to the open air and environmental factors outdoors but I must say I loved having fresh air in the room as a patient.  It really changes the atmosphere.  There was a balcony too that extended all the way across the length of the ward overlooking the sea.  It was stunning and peaceful.  

The second thing that caught my attention was the paper charting system.  Every patient had their own binder at the nurses station and there was a clipboard kept under each mattress for documenting at the bedside.  One of the nurses I worked with had just returned home from a 2 month stay in the Jacksonville, FL because her daughter was there receiving treatment.  I asked her what she thought of the Electronic Healthcare Records.  She said she would love to use those and mentioned if there is a hurricane or fire, there is a widespread panic over medical records.  I have never thought of this before but it is a great point.  However, I did see their charting takes less time and is easier to complete.  We discussed this and how although true, the fear of spending a lot of time charting in computers serves as a barrier to implementing EHR's in Grenada.   

I was shocked to see the medication rooms are open and people can freely walk through the room.  In fact, you had to walk through the medication room to get to the staff break room.  

The patients all socialized with each other as there were not curtains separating the beds unless they were closed to provide privacy for bedside procedures.  Visitors were not present and the nurse told me this is not as common in Grenada.  She said visitors will come once a day but only for a few hours.  This was surprising to me because there were many young children in the ward but I noticed that all the older girls cared for the younger girls.  

I helped one nurse perform an admission on paper.  It was interesting as we just casually sat at the dining table and talked about the reason for being admitted and performed basic vitals and physical assessment.  

I noticed the nurses were more limited in some of the nursing skills.  One nurse told me only the doctors perform wound care. The nurses I worked with performed very basic nursing skills such as medication administration and personal care.  

Last, the parents of the patient we admitted brought her sheets and bedding to the hospital.  My nurse told me everyone brings their own bedding here.  The side tables were full and sometimes spilling over with personal items and food the families had brought from home to leave with the patient.  

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