Originally from a small town in Northern California, I got the travel bug on a volunteer trip to Mexico and the passion for healthcare in university anatomy class.  While I have now traveled, worked and volunteered abroad in several resource-limited settings, I have never experienced the complexities of providing humanitarian aid during an ongoing conflict.  As a registered nurse with six years of experience in critical care and my Master’s from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, I am excited (and a bit nervous) for my first mission with Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) as an Outreach Nurse in Lankien, South Sudan.

Home to one of the largest surgical hospitals in the country, Lankien provides a diverse range of in-patient and out-patient services.  During my nine month assignment, I will be responsible for patient care, admissions, surveillance, outreach activities, supervision and training of local staff, data collection, inventory, nutritional surveys and vaccination campaigns.  A challenging list to say the least, but I am ready to tackle it and can’t wait to meet my co-workers.

I hope by the end of my mission I have a better understanding of challenges and opportunities in delivering healthcare in this region and have provided excellent care to my patients in the process.  One of my goals in life has been to work for MSF and I am honored to be sharing my experience with you!