I recently went to Haiti on a disaster relief medical mission as a nurse practitioner with International Medical Relief. Haiti’s infrastructure has been devastated by a hurricane and an earthquake in the last decade. Their health care system is outdated and, for some, challenging to reach. My time in Haiti, while short, was beautiful and cannot be summed up in words. It was an emotional experience of the heart.

I served alongside an extraordinary group of talented people who also gave their time to care for this medically underserved population. We spent our time passing out bags of rice, beans, milk, baby formula, multivitamins, Ivermectin, and worming medicine to the people. Patients are examined and treated for their chief complaint as best as the provider is able. The Haitian people live with scabies and worms. The patients always smile as they walk away, grateful for what we do. It is so refreshing and rewarding to experience.

I had to learn a different way of living and practicing medicine quickly. I had to do without technology, electricity, and water much of the day. I slept on a concrete floor. I had to rely on our assessment skills and knowledge, not numbers, laboratory tests, and scans. I had to look at the person and speak through an interpreter to figure out what wrong with the patient. Practicing this way is authentic medicine, and I loved it! Best of all, our team did valuable work we can’t do stateside! We didn’t have quotas, seven-minute visits, or burdensome paperwork.

In America, we take health care for granted. I will never do that again. It was a pleasure to serve the Haitians as a provider. There will be few greater joys in my career as a nurse practitioner.

Lisa Johnson, MSN, RN, FNP-C