Iemina Koae

• Leadership Development: Led a screening team for mass health interventions, including TB, leprosy, Hepatitis B, and scabies, enhancing my team coordination, resource management, and operational planning skills.
• Community Engagement: Gained extensive experience in working closely with local communities, stakeholders, and government officials to ensure effective communication, cultural sensitivity, and the successful implementation of health interventions.
• Clinical Expertise: Strengthened my clinical skills by performing screenings, patient assessments, and ensuring proper treatment adherence for a range of infectious diseases and skin conditions.
• Problem-Solving and Adaptability: Developed the ability to think critically and respond quickly to unforeseen challenges during fieldwork, ensuring the smooth delivery of health services in remote areas.
• Cross-Cultural Communication: Enhanced my ability to build trust and rapport with diverse populations, improving health outcomes through respectful and collaborative communication.
• Health Education and Support: Provided ongoing support to patients, ensuring they safely completed prescribed treatments, and understood the importance of adherence in managing infectious diseases.

This experience has significantly enhanced my leadership, clinical, and cross-cultural communication skills, while contributing to the successful implementation of a major public health initiative aimed at eliminating TB and leprosy in Kiribati.

As an Emergency Triage Nurse in Kiribati, my role involved providing critical care in high-pressure situations, ensuring that patients received timely and appropriate treatment based on the severity of their conditions. Here’s a more detailed description of my work:

• Triage and Patient Assessment: I was responsible for quickly assessing patients upon arrival at the emergency department, determining the priority of their medical needs based on the urgency of their conditions. This required rapid decision-making and the ability to assess both physical and psychological symptoms to ensure that the most critical patients were seen first.
• Clinical Decision-Making: I utilized my clinical expertise to make quick, accurate decisions in assessing vital signs, symptoms, and medical history, applying triage protocols to prioritize care for patients with life-threatening conditions. This required strong clinical judgment, especially when dealing with limited resources in an emergency setting.
• Collaboration with Healthcare Teams: I worked closely with doctors, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals to provide coordinated care for patients, ensuring seamless communication, and effective treatment in high-stress situations. Collaboration was key to managing patient flow and ensuring that everyone received the necessary care.
• Patient and Family Communication: I was responsible for explaining the triage process and treatment plans to patients and their families, often in stressful, emotionally charged situations. This required strong communication skills, empathy, and cultural sensitivity to ensure understanding, and reduce anxiety.
• Resource Management: Given the limited resources in Kiribati, I had to be resourceful and flexible in managing medical supplies and equipment to ensure efficient care delivery. This often involved making difficult decisions about patient prioritization, and ensuring that available resources were used effectively.
• Emergency Response and Preparedness: In addition to triaging regular emergencies, I was also involved in disaster preparedness and response, providing emergency care during natural disasters or outbreaks. This required maintaining a high level of readiness and adaptability to respond to evolving situations.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding the local cultural context was crucial in delivering effective care. I worked to ensure that treatment was respectful of cultural practices and beliefs, fostering trust and cooperation within the community.

Working as an Emergency Triage Nurse in Kiribati challenged me to operate efficiently in a resource-limited, fast-paced environment. It enhanced my ability to think critically, act decisively under pressure, and collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams to provide life-saving care.

• Provided assistance to staff in the daily operations of the organization.
• Organized and maintained records of volunteer hours and donations.
• Assisted with fundraising efforts, including event planning, and donor outreach.
• Assisted with data entry projects to update organizational databases.
• Compiled reports on volunteer activities and accomplishments.
• Developed new ideas to increase volunteer recruitment and retention rates.
• Participated in team-building exercises to strengthen relationships among volunteers.
• Served as an ambassador for the organization at community outreach events.