My impression of the typical Maltese patient and their family.

Although all patients are vulnerable the Maltese patient can be very demanding. The Maltese are very health concious when unwell, the tend to contact their family Doctor and frequently contact specialist for minor injuries and illnesses and call out for ambulances for the slightest things. In spite of their reliance on health services their religious tradition often plays a major role in response to injury and illness commonly in the older adults and in chronic/incurable situation. In most cases the Maltese patient and rely on Doctors a lot, they diminish the use of community services and the nursing profession due to lack of trust. They tend to abuse available facilities e.g. a dying cancer patient will be encouraged to die at home as it will benefit the patient and the can die with dignity a Maltese family will opt for the patient to die in a hospital, if offered one pair gloves the will want a box etc. However, when a illness occurs the family support is strong, the help each other get through hard times, they show up for the ill patient and provide them with prayer, love and support which I guess is always good for a patient to have.

(Picture to be loaded)

I found it easier to communicate with patients and their in A&E than ITU for the obvious reasons. The patients and families that I came across dealt with their illness/injury in different ways, some where demanding, some where angry and going through the stages of grief, some were grateful for assisting and caring for them and others just needed support and someone to listen to. As a foreigner I wasn't always welcomed with open arms however, I did as much as I could to be involved, to answer questions and used my basic Maltese language I learnt to communicate with patients I cared for.

Health Care Systems in Malta

The health care system in Malta is provided by the Maltese government, being that it is the only ACUTE hospital in Malta and due to the notion that it is free there is a high turn over of patients throughout the hospital especially in Accident and Emergency (A&E). Although over the last couple of years the nursing profession has identified its importance in the state health service, the health care service continues to be controlled and dominated by Doctors over other health care professions. However, working relationships between Doctors and other health care processionals are generally good.

Due to private and confidentially reasons I was unable to take pictures inside the hospital however a picture of me standing outside follows:

This is me after a great lecture on caring for the Critically Ill patient......

......a picture of the acute government 4year old Mater Dei Hospital from afar. 

My First Impressions of Malta

Malta Malta Malta...


I could not wait to get here, when I arrived at the airport in Luqa I felt the sea breeze and humidity and thought this is going to be a great experience. Before I left the UK I was under the impression that everything was going to easy sailing but it was not. 


Malta has great views, the Maltese people where helpful when asked for directions etc. However, one thing I didn't anticipate as Malta is part of the EU is bad public transport. When I first tried to get on the bus I got lost, went around in circles, I had to wait for an hour for a bus on so many occasions and almost suffered from injuries due to reckless bus driving. 

Due to the lack of black people on the Island I felt at times I was being started at, either because I was associated as being a refugee or a prostitute. This made me offended and very uncomfortable and made me crawl into a shell.  At times there where some Maltese people who wouldn't even want to sit next to you on the bus, make funny comments or point and when I offer seats at times they would refuse the offer. 


There where times also where I had missed home so much that I almost packed my bags and left. I missed the civilisation, the 'rush of feet' feeling and knowing that a supermarket will be opened till 12am unlike here where everything closes at a curtain time then re-open. Some times when in need of items from the grocery store it would be closed at one in the afternoon, it took a while for me to get use to it. 


When I arrived I didn't think things will be expensive but I found that there where things that where over priced in comparison to back home. It also took a long time to get the Erasmus grant and although we where warned to bring money to cover us the grant took a long time to come and only cover majority of my rent let alone my finances. 


On arrival, we where asked to open an account and make identifications etc. This involved a lot of going back and fourth as these companies asked to excessive documentation. 


Another thing about Malta is that the Maltese people love to eat, drink, smoke and have a good time....

I also made friends with foreign students whom also felt the way I did and we became each others family. Until they left me after the 1st semester and I was alone :( 

What made most of these negatives things shocking was that we where not told about any of this therefore we didn't anticipate any off it. However Malta has a nice relaxed atmosphere and has also bought a different side to me that I didn't realise I had an adventurous side.....


Abseiling ......

Scuba diving ......

The 'George Cross' Bell

THE BELL....

The  bell is situated in the heart of Malta, Valletta. The bell was given by King George after the tragic World War II. It was give to the Maltese people for their bravery act during the WWII and till this very day it holds it stand. There is also a fantastic view from were it is!

    

St. Paul's Shipwreck

 

Feburary 10th was a Public holiday in Malta, it is dedicted to the Shipwerck of the Apostle Paul. It occured in St. Pauls bay in the year 60 AD.

The Shipwerck

Saint Paul stayed in Malta for three months and performed a number of miracles, like the healing of the father of Publius, the Roman governor. Publius became the first bishop of Malta. Tradition has it, that St. Paul converted the Maltese to christianity, but there is no historical evidence to prove it. The first signs of the existence of a christian community in Malta date back to not earlier than the fourth century. Nevertheless Saint Paul is regarded as the one who brought christianity to Malta; Saint Paul is the patron saint of Malta and the cathedral of Valleta (the capital city) is dedicated to him.

MINE 2011

My participation in 'THE MINE' project this year....

I made new friends.......

And reunited with old ones....

It was intresting to watch them work under pressure together as it was I who felt the same last year.....

& this time next year, they too will be on an ERASMUS.......

...singing with thier fellow collegues and lectures. Wether it be in Italy, Finland, Czech of Republic, Spain, UK or Malta.

Mentoring In Nursing in Europe!!!

A fascinating experience :)

Casa Rocca Piccola

In the heart Valletta lies the Cassa Rocca Piccola .....

A visit was made on the 5th of Decemeber 2010 by myself Alexis Owusu and Bo Willams....

The Cassa Rocca Piccola, some may say is a palace and now a museum. It was once a home of the noble maltese family, De Prio. Our tour started on the main rich staircase made with marble, as we climbed the stair case was a double door opening leading to the De Prio humble adobe. The first thing seen was the family tree of the De Piro family, it had the likes of Cosimo De Piro, Lorenzo, Jerome and many others who carried the rightous name. As we went around the house we noticed the collection of different items they had collected from all over the world such as chest games from China, carved wood from Africa, Lace from Malta and portable hand fans from France. 

 

The next room was the chaple room which was their

 sancturary, they worshiped there and said their prayers.

 Inside was a hand carved wooded protable chaple

 which in those times their servents carried where ever

they needed it to go. The De Piro family had a priest in their family who was also the society priest. He led the family in worship, founded a charity and went around Malta and Gozo preaching teh word of God and healing the sick. He provided shelter and feed the poor. To him, everybody was the same, he did not discriminate, he used real clean silver equiptment on those who needed procedures done i.e. needles, surgical equipements etc. In the mansion was a table in 'the morden' room which had some of the equipment used. 

In one of the rooms were a childrens room and in it was dolls, hair brushes, a walker, a dressing mirror and a childrens cot bed as well as a single bed draped in hand stiched lace.The next room was 'the prophyry room' it had a beautiful wardrope, a shiny chandlier and portrates of the De Piro family. There was one perticular painting of the Giovanni De Piro, he was the first to travel in that line of family therefore his portrate repesented it as it had mountains in the back. He was also appointed ambassador represent ing the grand matser, as time went on he gained trust and married into a wealthy family. Indeed, Gio De Piro earned a well desevered good name for him self. On his tavels he wrote to his family back home and in the next room was an archive/libary where books were kept and letters written from these varies journeys were kept. They were in different categories from family gossip, medicine, food, to language and tavel. Also, in that room were gifts recieved from friends such as Queen Elizabeth II.

http://www.casaroccapiccola.com/marquisate.php

The De Piro family had two dinning rooms, a winter dinning room used in winnter which had dark furniture and the summer dinning room used in summer with a bighter atmosphere and a view of the garden.

In the Garden were oranges trees, sunshine

 and a stair case that lead somewhere....................

The stair case led to the bomb shelters......

This was built during world war II and here is a picture of the daily graphic informing the public oof the coming war. There were three parts the these shelters, there was the big, the small and the family bomb shelter. Up too one hundred pople cramed the big bomb shelter, up to thirty people in the small bomb shelter and the family bomb shelter belonged to the honourable De piro family. It was the first bomb shelter.  

 

In the mansion were also a resturant, an art gallery and a book shop. Untill this day the family members of the De Piro remain in the mansion.