Elective Placements in Vietnam – ODP

BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practitioner and Dip HE Operating Department Practitioner

Thanks to the long-term projects, research and activities undertaken by the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences with staff and Vietnamese universities and hospitals, 13 students from the School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing and Midwifery have been offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Hanoi and experience Vietnamese healthcare and culture.

Ligia Burton was the first ODP student, who spent four weeks in Vietnam during the summer 2017. In 2018, Joanne Roberts and six other ODPs followed Ligia’s students and spent 2 to 4 weeks in Viet Duc and Bach Mai Hospitals.

Here is what Ligia and Joanne thought about their experience.

Highlights

“It really is difficult to say because there is not a single thing that I did not enjoy from this experience. I was privileged to observe/practice abroad, enjoy the beautiful sites after work/weekends, immerse myself in the amazing Vietnamese culture and enjoy the great weather including the most spectacular thunderstorms I have ever seen. The highlight however, was the beautiful people I met and worked with. They were very open, willing to share information on their practices, curious about our practices and very keen to impress." Ligia (2017)

“Both hospitals were very accommodating, and I was fortunate enough to gain experience in surgical specialities that I had not had the opportunity to experience during my placements in Birmingham including transplant surgery, spinal and cardiac. I was also exposed to a lot of emergency/trauma surgery such as open fractures, head injuries, knife injuries and traumatic amputations. This was particularly valuable being a military student since it was a close reflection on the type of injuries that may be encountered on deployment.” Joanne (2018) 

Differences in professional practice

Achievements

“ My aim was to gain a better global outlook by having better knowledge and understanding of other cultures healthcare practices and how it impacts the patients, I believe I have achieved that. Due to its tropical climate, many infectious diseases rarely seen in the West are endemic here such as Zika, Malaria and Dengue fever to mention a few (…). Additionally, I got real world experience of giving presentations and attending departmental meetings in which my feedback and knowledge of the UK practice was sought. This re-affirmed and refined my communication skills at higher levels.”

“Experiencing the trauma injuries has been invaluable. Communication skills where a barrier exists have improved which are transferable to dealing with patients in the UK. Adaptability/flexibility has developed since you would be sprung with tasks last minute and plans would change on a regular basis. We also delivered a number of presentations to healthcare professionals whilst on the placement, so I have developed confidence in this.” Joanne

Advice to students considering going abroad