Today we started our day early, at 6am, going to watch the preparation of a body for the funeral. Nurses here have a lot more responsibility than they do in the US--they care for the person from before their birth, until after their death. It was very interesting, watching the washing of the body, the dressing, including the traditional tapa cloth, then the family taking the body wrapped in mats and cloth taken away from the van.
When we got done, we found there was a mother there in labor. We stayed there with her for several hours, offering labor support and just being there. We finally got to see the birth of her little boy, and see she, her husband, and their new little family together. It was an amazing experience. What a privilege nurses here have to be such an important part of the family, community, and culture!
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