What's it like to work on a Hospital Ship?

Work experience in the high school years is a pretty regular occurrence for schools in the West and the kids on the Africa Mercy don't miss out. Work experience on a ship may offer limited opportunities but many of those opportunities are  unique such as:
* Working in the deck department helping to make our drinking water potable and general maintenance of the ship
* The galley doing salad prep for hungry crew or baking hundreds of loaves of bread
* The dining room, churning out over 1500 meals per day for crew, patients and day crew
* Infant feeding to help prepare the most vulnerable little ones for their cleft lip/cleft palate surgery
* In a floating hospital where there are conditions not seen in the Western world, treated by world class surgeons
*  With the rehab team in a dirty tent on a dock helping patients to regain movement and strength
*The floating school where kids on board, whose parents occupy key roles, are educated at the highest standard
* The Hope Centre (Hospital Outpatient Extension) where patients recover after surgery and stay after travelling long distances before admission
* In Security assisting with off ships programs such as the dental and eye screening
* Carpentry helping to repair and construct around the ship
* Ship Shop/Sales, providing the crew with the essentials and a few treats as well :)

Jessica is in her third year of work experience, which begins in grade six. Her first year was spent working with the rehab team which she found extremely rewarding and as a result wishes to pursue a career in physiotherapy. In grade seven she worked as a nanny for one of the mum's on broad and had a great time with some of our crew cuties. This year she decided to work in reception which totally suited her outgoing personality and excellent social skills. A ship reception is unique, especially a hospital ship. All our patients pass through the reception area to access the hospital and about 1,300 crew arrive and depart as well as guests, vision trips and media teams.

The reception team are at the front line. They man the fire panel 24 hours a day, assist with fire drills and musters, receive radio calls from the cars, including the panic alarm and are the first point of contact for dignitaries and officials coming on board. They shred, stamp, dispense, receive, hand out, laminate. They answer the phone, make public announcements over the PA, do radio checks with the land rovers, hand out the car binders and fuel vouchers, assemble welcome packages for new crew and guests, receive lists of patients and the census for the Hope Centre, sign out Rosetta Stone French lessons headsets, hand out the work request binder and also take any 911 calls and summon the Emergency Medial Team. Their duties are endless and their job is diverse and important to the smooth running of the ship.

Jess taking the job seriously! (There is always time for fun!)

 

Learning job skills from fellow receptionist Tierrah.

 

Jess had a great week working in reception and we are grateful for the wonderful opportunities that the Academy makes available for the student, despite it's small size and limited resources. We are blessed with a creative and forward thinking staff whose heart lies with the well being of the students, their ability to thrive and grow into men and women of God!