Faith-based experience: A unique international perspective from Perú

Medical mission programs provide a unique opportunity to conduct observational assessments, collect critical data about basic living conditions, education, and medical needs. There are multiple opportunities to “step outside of the box” to look at the public health role of the medical provider and how that role can be used for the benefit of the group served. The investigator conducted a case study August of 2006 in Arequipa, Perú at the San Benito Hogar de Niños de Especialidad. The home is under the care of the The Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Materá(IVE), an order of Catholic sisters. The home has 15 children of a range of ages with different conditions including autism, schizophrenia and varying degrees of developmental and genetic defects. The investigator, a pediatric nurse practitioner, took this opportunity to work in a country that is unacquainted with nurse practitioners and the autonomous role of nurses, to make observations and to design an educational program for the sisters. The children's living conditions, home schooling program, physical and mental rehabilitation were part of the observation assessment. Also of the exposure to risks including sanitation, potable water, open sewers, and open air markets were examined. The findings were then used to develop a program addressing the basic nursing for the children, medication use, and first aid. The program was then manualized for the sisters. Documentation and findings from the observational assessment will be presented.