Global Surgery & Anesthesia
Low cost resources to train in critical care
As you may know, I teach nursing at the University of Hawaii school of nursing, and I am now making my fourth trip to teach nursing here in Nepal. I have previously taught at PCL level here, but this summer I am teaching a Critical Care Nursing course at Lalitpur Nursing Campus (LNC), for working nurses. I am also offering my training course at other sites in and out of the Kathmandu Valley (Bhairawa and Bharatpur). By the time I am finished here August 2nd, I will have trained 210 nurses in selected advanced techniques with a focus on ECG assessment and teamwork during emergency situations.
If you wish more details, send an email to me at
It has been my serendipitous privilege to make the acquaintance of Jason Waechter, MD, a Canadian anesthesiologist who is teaching critical care medicine at Patan Hospital. (His email is )
Dr Waechter has a website, www.teachingmedicine.com
And at that location he maintains an archive of teaching materials on a variety of critical care topics.
I have reviewed these extensively and I think these are excellent. Well-written, clinically sound, up-to-date, and at a level that offers the bedside clarity we all seek but often do not find.
In particular, the fifty-page booklet on ECG is wonderful. I have been a critical care educator since 1980 and this booklet is a compilation of "Pearls of Wisdom" that can serve as the text for upgrading the skills of the nursing staff and junior medical staff. I did not know it was available prior to meeting Dr Waechter, but now I am encouraging all my nurses to use it as a primary text.
These are copyrighted, but with proper attribution Dr. Waechter has made his material available for free download.
It has been my privilege to be in Nepal again to work with LNC, a historically Christian NGO, and I hope that all members of NCHA will avail themselves of this fine low cost resource for staff training.
Joe Niemczura, RN, MS
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Attached resource:
