U Magazine, Spring 1986

Nurses as peacemakers

By John S uthe rland

improper by Saudi standards. The expe rie nce is probably more difficult for women , Becke r feels. because the Saudi c ul tu re conside rs wome n to be depende n t a nd in n eed of m a le protection . Single women are n ot a llowed to visit with s ingle men, and wome n cannot drive or go s hopping a lone. All wome n are required to wear ankl e-le ngth black robes during off duty hours in the compound . and in any public place. " But if yo u can a djust. the expe rie n ce is so worthwhil e," Becke r says. "Sa udi Arab ia is making prog ress becau se of its oil money. and a lo t of things in the culture are a dmirabl e- s u c h as th e ex pe riences in th e hosp ital itself was deali ng with the Bedou in tribesm a n who insisted th a t h e a nd fa mily could camp on the fl oor s ince a ll the hosp ita l beds we re full. "He couldn' t unde rstand ." Becke r says. "wh y s u c h a huge building had no beds whe n a ny number of g ues ts cou ld be invited into his te nt." Becke r c redits h e r USD expe rie n ce for giving he r the confide nce to work ove rseas. " Until yo u tes t yourse lf, yo u can le t fear keep you from acti n g." she says. " I greatly admire Dean Pa lmer a nd he r fac ulty. They h e lped to insti ll in m e the confide nce I n eeded to succeed . That was the most important part of my educa tion ." As fo r the fut ure. Becke r says. " the re a re a lot of cou ntri es a round th e world tha t n eed he lp in improving the ir health care services. I di scove red that I e njoy be ing a bit of a nomad so I expect to go a broad again some time in th e nex t few yea rs. I hear China is expe c ted to h av':! nurs ing pos itions availa ble in the near future." Un til h e r n ex t soj ourn. s he is curre ntl y working as s hift supe r visor a t Grossmont Distr ic t Hosp ita l's ph ys ical re hab ilita ti on unit. value placed on fa mily un ity." On e of h er more interesting

Pa ul e tte Becke r '83 (MSN) combines on e part adventure r with one part compassion to lead a life that m a ny might e nvy. Tha t combination h as taken the enthusia stic nursi ng adm inistrator to Saudi Arabia during the pas t year. whe re s h e pursued he r career in a way s he h a d n eve r be fore considered just a few years ago. "I fe lt like a c haracter in a James Bond movie." s h e says. recalling h e r e ight months in Saudi Arabia . "It was exciting. Th at's pa rt of the a ppeal-it takes a person who likes n ew ex perie n ces. an independent perso n : a ris k-take r." But more than the exci tem ent. it was Becke r's commitme n t to making the world a be tte r place t hat m oved h e r to give up h er job in the U.S. to move to Sa udi Arabia in September 1984. " I rea lly fee l that nurses can be peacem a kers through the ir profess ion." s h e exp la ins . 'Tve a lways be li eved that if yo u take t h e time to unde rstand people from other cultures. you begin to see them as d ifferent instead of judging them wrong." Becker worked as a s hift s upe rvisor a t King Fahad Hospita l in Riyadh . a hospita l se rving m embe rs of Saudi Arab ia's na tiona l g uard. The hosp ita l is ope rated by a n Ame ri can corporation a nd staffed by doctors a nd nurses from around th e world . Because Saudi Arabi a is c losed lo to urists. the hospital employees a re a mong the few fo re igners a ll owed in th e country. Fore ign e rs a re expected to obey a ll Saudi regula tions a nd fac e social and travel restric tions as we ll. " It's not a n easy s ituation to a dju s t to." Becke r recall s. "Ma ny westerne rs

Paulette Becker '83 (MSNJ and on e of her patien ts

h ave a hard ti me adapti ng." Hospi tal employees li ve in a

compound near the hosp ital. Security g ua rds monitored ac ti vity within the compound. a nd occas iona lly employees we re d eported for be hav ior co nside red

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