United Nations Headquarters, Essay Example

Experience summary/clinical objectives- UN

My tour of the United Nations Headquarters started on the entrance at 46^th Street and 1^st Avenue in New York City. I was able to see many of the renovations made in the General Assembly Hall, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber, the Trusteeship Council Chamber, and the in the renovated Conference Building the Security Council Chamber. The tour guide talked about many of the actions involved in the United Nations dealing with security and peace, Millennium Development Goals, and disarmament. The most telling aspect of my visit was the images that were shared with us on the tour of developing countries. There were many impoverished individuals in need of medical care. The tour truly provided a broader scope of the world than I had known prior to the visit.

One aspect of the trip that intrigued me was the truly global nature through which the United Nations handles all aspects of its services. For example, the tour was structured to accommodate a range of language types, specifically German, Korean, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Spanish, Chinese, English, Italian, Russian, Japanese, and Arabic. They were able to make this possible by hiring a staff of multilingual tour guides from as many as 15 different countries. My guide on the tour spoke English and she was informed in-depth on many of the non-profit organizations that interacted with the United Nations and many of the relief and development programs the U.N. conducts across the globe. As a Nurse and clinical practitioner I became aware that there are endless volunteer opportunities to work in regions of the world that need medical care. There are even programs where the knowledge Nurses have is valuable commodity, while not necessary being the principle necessity in the field, such as water, food, and clothing drives. The tour opened my eyes to a larger sociopolitical landscape that could utilize all aspects of my personal experiences and expertise, one that could challenge my knowledge a nurse and medical practitioner but also as a human being.

Evaluation of professional growth: How has this experience influenced your professional practice?

This experience has influenced my professional practice in that it has opened my perspective in regards to how I can service the world as a medical practitioner. The United Nations visit made me much more aware of the wide range of NGOs that are helping third world countries, and developing resources all around world. The most valuable takeaway from this trip was becoming aware of the variety of diverse cultural opportunities that are available to me. It makes me realize that experiences I gain in the field can be of significant value in another part of the world where I might be needed, and that if I travel there I can acquire new experiences and knowledge that could be valued and needed somewhere else. The ultimate takeaway becomes evolving my skillset and establishing myself as a well-rounded nurse.

What changes, if any will you make?

The first change I will make is to get involved with NGOs that are affiliated with the United Nations and that need nurses. In addition to supplying developing nations with resources and assistance, the U.N. is also a premium source of information on a variety of NGO activities throughout the world. Through subscribing to the U.N.’s newsletters and various publications I can stay more informed about global opportunities, but this also motivated me to read more medical journals in my field for information.

Another change I will make is that I will take the experiences I am acquiring more seriously. While I have always taken a professional approach to my field of nursing, this trip forced me to realize just how small my geographic section of the globe is in respect to the rest of the world and it allowed me to understand the true value every bit of knowledge that I gain in the field.

Find and summarize one NGO website relating to today’s global market

The NGO organization Lifewater International has a program that engages the global market through supplying water to regions that need it most. Their main campaign is a promotion where they try to bring water to every malnourished child for the cost of $40. They have estimated this can supply 1 person with water for the rest of their life. They note that $40 is representative of the overall average cost it takes to bring tools, knowledge resources and support to individuals to ensure they have safe water nearby, household latrines, as well as support systems to keep these systems working.  In addition to water being an essential resource to keep communities nourished as a whole, it’s also a first stepping stone to uplifting them out of poverty and preventing disease. Nurses can be helpful in contributing to programs like this because while the organization is acquiring funding, allocating the funds and then putting those funds to good use in the regions, the individuals benefiting from the program are still in desperate need of medical care prior to, and after, receiving the water. The website is lifewater.org, and in association with the United Nations its bringing water to the developing world.

References

Lifewater International (2015). Lifewater, http://lifewater.org/breakdown/