JESS DISCOVERS HER SEA LEGS ON FLOATING HOSPITAL
REGISTERED nurse Jess Davis realised she had found her career calling after spending two months volunteering on a hospital ship off the Central African nation of Cameroon.
“When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a nurse but never knew why,” she says.
“Being on the ship really helped me realise I was in the right profession.”
The Australian Catholic University graduate says the biggest challenge during her time on Africa Mercy was the language barrier – but this also made the job rewarding.
Davis says the best part of being a nurse in general is getting to know the patients and not seeing them as an illness. “In the health profession, especially in a busy ward, people can lose sight of the fact it’s an actual person, not just a disease,” she says.
After much fundraising, she headed off on Africa Mercy again last month.