Annual Nursing Congress: The Art of Care

People who live in Iraq, not because of how they look or what they wear, but because of their strength and grace. In early 2017, the civilians of Mosul were suffering tremendously during an unforgiving war between the Iraqi Government Forces/ allied militias and ISIS. The team of selfless humanitarians who traveled overseas to care for trauma victims in Erbil and Mosul. It witnessed horrors beyond human comprehension. Soldiers were carried into medical facilities with gunshot wounds to their heads, terrorists presented as patients that could not be turned away and children, innocent children sat quiet and still on stretchers as we Nursed their broken bodies and bleeding souls. The previous work experience as an emergency room Nurse and hospital administrator provided the tools to apply in this difficult setting. From there, using critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to facilitate movement of patients in the pre-hospital setting and tapped into my management hat to interview, hire and manage staff in Iraq. Nursing is a powerful entity. When coupled with humanitarian aid, the possibilities are endless. Our planet is in need of more individuals who are willing to apply their valuable skills to work that defends those who cannot speak and act for themselves. It is the collective responsibility to shed light on the inhumane global conflicts that continue to occur today.