With the many training and mentoring programs delivered by Interplast volunteers around the Asia Pacific region each year (31 in the last financial year), it is always heart-warming to hear about how our local trainees are putting these new skills into practice. Often it is in areas not directly related to plastic and reconstructive surgery, but demonstrated in the daily work of doctors, nurses and allied health therapists

In late 2015, two Interplast volunteer nurse educators delivered a one-week training program at the Tungaru Central Hospital in Tarawa, Kiribati, generously supported by the Rotary Club of Brighton.

Some weeks after completion of the program, Interplast received a wonderful email from one of the nurse educators, Mbene, which she had received from an i-Kiribati nurse who had participated in the training.

“ I want to write because I have many things to say especially for thanking you again for everything you did in that training… it was a very good and empowering training… and now I am very confident in doing CPR. I have done it three times already. Twice during operations on the operating table, both of them were successful and one was just happening yesterday. The case was a caesarean section, a twin pregnancy, where one baby had already died, and we were operating to save the other baby and the mother. The mother start to complain of shortness of breath and her vital signs were deteriorating and finally her heart stopped. But you know what? it was me who initiated the CPR and I was the one performing it. I was proud when I was thanked because I wasn’t standing waiting for the doctor to order, but I jumped onto the operating table and did CPR. The intern Dr was scolded for not knowing what to do. I felt sorry for the junior Dr but I did for the sake of my patient.

I remembered you while I was doing my CPR and I recalled that day when I perform my CPR on the manikin during your training. You made me keep practicing until I was confident.  I took a video of you when you did that demonstration, I watched it often…”

Everyone involved agrees that it is feedback like this which truly demonstrates the reach of the training delivered by our incredible volunteers, which wouldn’t be possible without our amazing supporters. The impact of not only teaching new skills, but also building the confidence of one i-Kiribati nurse, will no doubt have far-reaching implications on her community for years to come.