My feet are not touching the ground:

This is usually a busy time of year....semester finishing, marking, getting ready for Christmas etc, etc, etc; However for me this is a particularly busy time.... semester is finishing and I have my usual marking....thankfully I love this assessment so it is easier to mark and the students also enjoy it and usually do it well, this makes marking so much easier...and as a teacher it is rewarding to read so many good papers;

I am taking on a new challenge...GLOBAL HEALTH ALLIANCE next Saturday i leave with 20 students from 5 universities (4 students from my university) in an inaugural project to Tanzania...to broaden their healthcare skills, provide care to people in the developing world, and to expand their cultural awareness.
“The placements are unique in that it is the first time the five WA universities have collaborated, as part of the GHAWA program, in sending a combined student and supervisor cohort to a developing country,”

“The trip will expose students to a unique healthcare environment which will improve their ability to work in challenging settings and help them to adapt to new cultural scenarios.”

The student nurses will travel with expert clinicians and will commence placements at Hubert Kairuki Memorial Hospital and Amana Hospital in the Tanzanian former capital of Dar Es Salaam.

We will also travel to two rural community health centres, Masaki and Masangaya Health Centres, where the students will undertake supervised clinical practice.

We are hoping that the international placements will allow the students to develop skills and knowledge in dealing with transcultural healthcare issues.



I am so excited...but as you can imagine this has increased my work load... preparing for this trip has been interesting and I don't know how I am going to fit all the protective equipment in my suitcase, together with the text books I want to donate as well as some other essentials...so watch this space for how the trip goes....but that is next Saturday....before then...I should be studying instead of writing this blog...but its called a break....

I am sitting two exams next week...Tuesday and Thursday.... finish my marking... have a couple of meetings....did I leave anything out.... ah yes there is still the surprise to announce which I anticipate to be middle next week....see the family and get on the plane..I think I also have a performance review......its called effective time keeping: or insanity:

I return after two weeks have two days to get Board of Examiners and supplementary papers out and then go to Singapore for three days of intensive teaching.... for trimester three..and two days shopping of course...can't forget that.... home for several hours then off to Canberra for another meeting... no wonder my husband and family think I have too much on my plate... but you know I have done all the Christmas shopping the grandchildren have their presents... if I get time I will wrap them before I go :)..... I will be home for the 17th December.... YEAH: enough time to sort out the Christmas dinner:

My mantra is " I have enough time in the day to get all I need to do done"
ok back to cramming now......