This website is intended for healthcare professionals

Professional

A day in the life of...

Volunteer ward nurse, Vanessa Thomson, on board the world’s largest civilian hospital ship

I have been qualified as a nurse for five years, and have been volunteering with Mercy Ships, an international charity that operates the world's largest civilian hospital ship, for the last year. The charity's hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, delivers much needed medical care and assistance to the poorest nations.

The ship is currently docked in Madagascar. With a crew of over 400 professional volunteers from more than 40 nations, Mercy Ships volunteers deliver and support the provision of free medical services to Madagascar's population of 22 million.

7am
The day begins as we get a handover from the night nurses and the team leader for the ward shares the notices for the day ahead. The day crew also start their day with us. These are local people who help us to translate on the wards. They are a huge blessing on the ship and help with cleaning, laundry and meal times too.

Register now for access

Thank you for visiting Independent Nurse and reading some of our premium content. To read more, please register today. 

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here