We went to Zimba (an hour away from Choma) to have my first transcultural nursing experience. It was quite a success. I successively put in an IV, with my clinical instructor’s help, measured blood pressures, respirations, and pulses, learned how to use a mercury thermometer, and also learned how to use the charting systems. It was interesting to see how the nurses and doctors ‘improvised’ when they did not have something they ne

eded on hand. I admired their ingenuity and how they made things work because they had to. We were also able to go on an outreach program to one of the villages with a Zambian nurse to give immunizations and patient teaching. It was mostly said in Tonga, so I did not understand any of it. But, we got to sit under a mango tree on home-made Zambian chairs! Most of the things I experienced seemed pretty confidential on that visit, so I will just say that we helped a lot of people and educated them in several areas. It was an amazing experience!

One of the girls that I was with spotted this chameleon when we were waiting for the bus to come back. It was a bright bright green when it fell from a nearby tree, but then turned to this darker green once it reached the tree. It took it about 30 minutes to cross the drive. I was amazed by the way they walk with their jerking movements. It takes them about 5 to 10 seconds to make a step with one of their legs. The other nursing student I was with took these pictures; we got laughed at by the Zambians because of our peculiar behavior at marveling about something they see quite often.