Teaching the nurses in Mexico PALS (Guadalupe Ortiz ’15 in top center)
Recent OSU College of Pharmacy graduate and current PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at the Children’s Hospital & Medical Center of Omaha, NE, Guadalupe Ortiz (’15), was invited to Mexico with the head CT Surgeon, Dr. Hammel. During their time there, they planned to establish a pediatric ICU pharmacy for his foundation “Abriendo Corazones.” As part of her residency project, Ortiz blogged about her experiences in Mexico:
“There are only four of us here right now (Tiffany, Julie and Bridget). Today was spent teaching the Mexican nurses PALS. I spent the day helping the team in translating their course information when they were teaching.
Rogelio is a doctor that works for the administration of health and is the liaison for the foundation. Today he introduced me to the director of pharmacy, Dr. Sanchez and his oncology pharmacist (can’t remember her name.) The plan we have arranged is that tomorrow I will spend the day with them getting an idea of what they have and their process.
I have spoken with Greg, another director of the foundation and he has indicated his desire to determine the things necessary to implement so that the pharmacy may become accredited as an ICU pharmacy. He is under the impression that you have to maintain a specific inventory with certain quantities of medications stocked in order to receive accreditation. I’m not sure what the process of accreditation is, especially in Mexico, but will find out more when I get to meet the director tomorrow.
You would be shocked at the set up they have for mixing medications. There is a tiny little room on the PICU floor where the nurse will go in and mix up medications. There are drugs everywhere in this little room with the diluents just sitting out. I didn’t get the opportunity to see the medications that are currently in there but my plan is to go in there tomorrow and following a PICU nurse.”
On the way to teach the nurses on our first day in Mexico (Guadalupe Ortiz ’15 second from left)
There will be a series of 10 posts from Guadalupe. Part 2 in the series will be in the next newsletter.