Course Description: Participants discuss strategies for maintaining personal safety and mental well-being and have the opportunity to discuss issues within their own settings and set their own goals and encourage others in practical applications. “This is a critical time to support both the mental, emotional as well as physical health of our West African colleagues as they are on the frontline of preparation within their own national healthcare situations.  It is important that they know they are not alone during this time when news of the virus in other parts of the world has created so much fear,” – Dr. Westman.

Course Goals:

1. To see yourself and others as God sees His creation
2. To learn new paradigms in self-care needed during this COVID crisis
3. To be a positive change agent in healthy caregiving relationships

Presented by: Dr. Lyn Westman, Mental Health Program Consultant – Mercy Ships & Tributaries Int.

Requisites:

1. Offered at no charge
2. Device and Internet connection capable of Zoom video meeting

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

Language: French and English

Dates: May 22, 2020,  June 18, 2020,  July 21, 2020, TBA

Course Description: As a caregiver, you are responding to the need of those whose lives have been affected by disease, injury, and trauma. The choices you and I make as caregivers can build life and relationships, or the choices we make can be the source of pain and suffering for the very ones we intended to help. This program prepares you to be an even more effective part of your own care team in your home, your faith community, or your hospital.

Course Goals:

1. To see yourself and others as God sees His creation
2. To be a positive change agent in healthy caregiving relationships

Weekly Sessions:

1. Orientation
2. Physical health and safety of the caregiver
3. Emotional and spiritual health of the caregiver
4. Healthy coping mechanisms for caregivers
5. Consequences of poor coping mechanisms
6. Applications and personal goal setting
7. Wrap-up and tools for continued learning

Presented by: Kat Foley, Mental Health Program Consultant – Mercy Ships & Tributaries Int.

Requisites:

1. Offered at no charge
2. Device and Internet connection capable of Zoom video meeting
3. WhatsApp

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

Dates: To be announced

Course Description: Mercy Ships is committed to promoting hope and healing through global mental health programs. The “Understanding People” eLearning course is designed to help participants begin to develop a self-directed framework to better understand others and themselves in ways that help facilitate healthy change in relationships, communities, and organizations. In doing so, this course is meant to create safe places for conversations and peer support around mental health, trauma, and addressing stigma.

Course Goals:

1. To better understand self and others using a series of mental-health models
2. Using these models to develop a framework to understand people holistically, including their needs, awareness levels, thoughts, actions, behaviors, and motivations.
3. To better understand self in ways that help facilitate healthy change in relationships, communities, or organizations

Weekly Sessions:

1. Orientation
2. Whole Person Model
3. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
4. Johari Window
5. Behavior Process Model
6. Change Model
7. Wrap up

Presented by: Kat Foley, Mental Health Program Specialist – Mercy Ships
With a panel of expert international mentors

Requisites:

1. Offered at no charge
2. Device and Internet connection capable of Zoom video meetings
3. WhatsApp
4. Time commitment of at least 4 hours/week

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

Language: English

Dates: November 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020 | Tuesdays @ 2PM (GMT+1)
To be announced

Course Description:

Mercy Ships is committed to promoting hope and healing through global mental health programs. The “Understanding Stress” interactive e-Learning course uses a combination of: high quality easy to understand materials developed by mental health professionals working in Africa, peer groups and expert mentors to help participants begin to develop a framework to better understand stress and facilitate healthy change in relationships, communities or organizations.

Course Goals:

1. To better understand stress, its causes, and consequences
2. To better understand wounds of the soul—Crisis, Grief, and/or Trauma
3. To better understand potentially destructive responses to Stress

Weekly Sessions:

1. Orientation
2. What is Stress
3. Internal vs External Stressors
4. Crisis
5. Grief
6. Trauma
7. Destructive Thoughts and Feelings
8. Destructive Behaviors
9. Wrap-up and tools for continued learning

Presented by:

Kat Foley, Mental Health Program Specialist – Mercy Ships

With a panel of expert international mentors

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

Requisites:

1. Presented at no charge
2. Device and Internet connection capable of Zoom video meetings
3. WhatsApp
4. Time commitment of at least 4 hours/week
5. Prior successful completion of part 1 Basics of Mental Health 1 – Understanding People

Language: English

Dates: February 16, 2021 – April 13, 2021

Course Description: Health care workers often feel helpless when a disease cannot be cured or is life threatening. Palliative care takes another perspective, looking at the person behind the disease and aiming for the best quality of life, regardless of the nature of the disease.

In times of pandemics and/or limited resources the ethical dilemma about what to do for people who don’t qualify for advanced health care or don’t have the resources to pay for these services is expanding quickly. This palliative care course will introduce healthcare workers to an inexpensive, holistic specialty that gives them opportunities to answer the needs of suffering patients, their families and their health care workers, from diagnose to bereavement.

Course Goals:

1. Describe what palliative care is and use the approach in their daily work
2. Express the holistic needs of people with serious health-related suffering (SHS)
3. Know and use management algorithms for common symptoms (physical, psychosocial and spiritual) in people with SHS
4. Describe the basic ethical considerations with regards to delivering palliative care
5. Recognize the signs of end-of-life, and manage patient and families at this stage
6. Know and demonstrate the effective communication skills with patients and families about SHS, treatment decisions and end-of-life
7. Explore and understand the impact of grief and loss in patients and families with SHS
8. Explain the need for self-care and the different types, identify in themselves their level of holistic health and can exercise 2 different types of self-care
9. Make a personal implementation plan of gained knowledge and experience
10. Built a network with peers and mentors, to aid in implementing knowledge and experience in their health system, through support, encouragement and advice

Weekly Sessions:

1. Orientation
2. What is palliative care? Where and how can it be delivered?
3. Pain and other common symptoms and emergencies of life-threatening illnesses and how to manage them.
4. Psychosocial and spiritual issues in palliative care
5. Ethical issues in palliative care
6. End of life care and management
7. Communication and breaking bad news
8. Grief and bereavement
9. Implementation of palliative care skills in the primary nursing context.

Wrap up and tools for continued learning

Presented by: Christina van der Zande, Programs Consultant Palliative Care – Mercy Ships

Mariam Ibrahim, Palliative Care Team Leader – Mercy Ships

With a panel of expert international mentors

Endorsements: Hospica Africa, Cairdeas International Palliative Care Trust, (Global Health Academy of the University of Edinburgh)

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

Requisites:

1. Offered at no change
2. Device and Internet connection capable of Zoom video meetings
3. WhatsApp
4. Time commitment of at least 4 hours/week

Language: English

Dates: October 7, 2020 – December 9, 2020
To be announced

Course Description:

This course will provide nurses with tools to safely and respectfully mobilize patients during any prolonged hospitalization. It encourages safe nursing practices and introduces patient self-nurturing activities to aid in the prevention of unnecessary loss of function due to contractures, breathlessness and loss of muscle strength and fitness.

Training Components/ attributes/methods:

_ 100% self-paced study

√ mentored

√ online

√ small groups

_ projects

_ wet lab

_ simulation

√ case study

_ webinar

_ onboard a Mercy Ship

_ onsite/local hospital

 √ offered free of charge

Course Goals:

1. The nurse understands which physical disorders and limitations and psychosocial problems hinder the patient to do self-nurturing activities and get out of bed.
2. The nurse is able to formulate (smart) goals together with the patient, which enable the patient to do self-nurturing activities and get out of bed.
3. The nurse is able to draw up a nursing care plan together with the patient based on these goals, including the right exercises and the number of repetitions needed to achieve the goal.
4. The nurse is able to reassure and motivate the patient to perform the exercises in the nursing care plan daily.
5. The nurse is able to involve present family as much as possible in the implementation of the nursing care plan.
6. The nurse is able to teach the exercises to the patient in the correct way and to perform the passive actions properly.

Weekly Sessions:

1. Orientation
2. Importance of Mobilizing Bedridden patients and movement analysis
3. Nursing care plan and SMART goals and strengthening of the legs, glutes and abdominal muscles
4. Strengthening the muscles of the upper extremity and upper back
5. Breathing issues and breathing therapy
6. Psycho-social obstructions
7. Problem solving – discussions on problems participants face in practice
8. Wrap-up and tools for continued learning

Presented by: Karin de Haan

• Physiotherapist from the Netherlands
• Bachelor degree Physiotherapy
• Specialized in Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation and Peripartum Pelvic Pain
• Elder in the Free Evangelical Church

With a panel of expert international mentors

Audience: nurses

Selection Process: Please submit online interest/registration form

Requisites:

1. Device and Internet connection capable of Zoom video meetings
2. WhatsApp
3. Time commitment of at least 4 hours/week
4. Practice partner

Assessment: pre and post course interview

Participant hours: 32

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

Dates: to be announced

Location: Online

Language: English

Course Description:

This course will provide nurses with tools to safely and respectfully mobilize Covid-19 patients during any prolonged hospitalization. It encourages safe nursing practices and introduces patient self-nurturing activities to aid in the prevention of unnecessary loss of function due to contractures, breathlessness and loss of muscle strength and fitness.

Training Components/ attributes/methods:

_ 100% self-paced study

√ mentored

√ online

√ small groups

_ projects

_ wet lab

_ simulation

√ case study

_ webinar

_ onboard a Mercy Ship

_ onsite/local hospital

 √ offered free of charge

Course Goals:

1. The nurse understands which physical disorders and limitations and psychosocial problems hinder the patient to do self-nurturing activities and get out of bed.
2. The nurse is able to formulate (smart) goals together with the patient, which enable the patient to do self-nurturing activities and get out of bed.
3. The nurse is able to draw up a nursing care plan together with the patient based on these goals, including the right exercises and the number of repetitions needed to achieve the goal.
4. The nurse is able to reassure and motivate the patient to perform the exercises in the nursing care plan daily.
5. The nurse is able to involve present family as much as possible in the implementation of the nursing care plan.
6. The nurse is able to teach the exercises to the patient in the correct way and to perform the passive actions properly.

Weekly Sessions:

1. Orientation
2. Importance of Mobilizing Bedridden Covid-19 patients and movement analysis
3. Nursing care plan and SMART goals and strengthening of the legs, glutes and abdominal muscles
4. Strengthening the muscles of the upper extremity and upper back
5. Breathing issues and therapy for Covid-19 patients
6. Psycho-social obstructions
7. Problem solving – discussions on problems participants face in practice
8. Wrap-up and tools for continued learning

Presented by: Karin de Haan

• Physiotherapist from the Netherlands
• Bachelor degree Physiotherapy
• Specialized in Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation and Peripartum Pelvic Pain
• Elder in the Free Evangelical Church

With a panel of expert international mentors

Audience: nurses

Selection Process: Please submit online interest/registration form

Requisites:

1. Device and Internet connection capable of Zoom video meetings
2. WhatsApp
3. Time commitment of at least 4 hours/week
4. Practice partner

Assessment: pre and post course interview

Participant hours: 32

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

Date: to be announced

Location: Online

Language: English

Course Description: As a nurse, you are often responding to the needs of those who are critically ill. The choices you make can have serious life or death consequences. This 8-hour course will examine the role and responsibilities of the nurse in the limited resource critical care unit (CCU) setting to facilitate development of the skills, attitudes and critical thinking required to provide a high level of patient care. It is offered at no charge by Mercy Ships experts in critical care nursing in 8 weekly 1.5-hour sessions.

Course Goals:

1. Enhance observational skills needed to identify the critically ill patient
2. Enhance skills in managing the critically ill patient, specifically for COVID related illness
3. Apply personal mental health strategies to support patients and reduce risk of personal burnout

Weekly Sessions:

1. Orientation
2. What is holistic care
3. A – E Assessment of patients
4. Medicine administration
5. Infection prevention control
6. Communication methods
7. Presentation case study
8. Final evaluation, Wrap-up and tools for continued learning

Presented by: Ali Herbert

Dates: to be announced

Description: Course is designed to optimize the role of rural medical providers in the diagnosis and management of basic eye disease

Training Components/ attributes/methods:

_ 100% self-paced study

√mentored

√ online

 _ small groups

_ projects

_ wet lab

_ simulation

_ case study

_ webinar

_ onboard a Mercy Ship

_ onsite/local hospital

 √ offered free of charge

Course Goals:

1. Optimize the role of rural medical providers in the diagnosis and management of basic eye disease
2. Set parameters in which primary care providers can safely address eye care needs
3. Build confidence in management and referral of patients with eye disease.

Sessions:

Week 1: Periorbital disease

Welcome, team presentation, devotional

Introductions, course orientation, pretest (30 minutes)

Ocular anatomy

Periorbital Disease:

Acute and chronic blepharitis

Lid trauma

Ectropion, entropion, trichiasis

Chalazion

Orbital cellulitis

Herpes/ Zona

Week 2: Ocular history and examination

Ocular history

Ocular examination overview (lid, orbit, conjunctiva, cornea, visual acuity, pupil)

Examination techniques for lids and orbit, proper hand washing/gloving, palpation, lid eversion exercise-cotton tip swabs

Case presentation

Questions and answers

Review

Week 3: External disease and injury

Devotion time

External Disease: conjunctiva and cornea

Acute and chronic conjunctivitis including vernal, viral, and bacterial

conjunctivitis

Allergic conjunctivitis

Dry eyes

Pterygium, corneal foreign body, corneal injury, corneal ulcers

Blunt trauma and penetrating injury

Examination techniques for conjunctiva and cornea

Week 4: examination techniques

Case presentations

Visual acuity examination, visual field test, pupil examination, cranial         nerve (3,4,5,6,7)

Questions and answers

Review

Week 5: Anterior segment and related systemic diseases   

Vitamin A deficiency

Trachoma

Cataract, Glaucoma, and diagnostic strategies including pupil and visual examination

Vascular diseases including hypertensive and diabetic retinopathy

Leprosy, Onchocerciasis

Iritis, Acute glaucoma

Week 6: Wrap -up

Case presentations

Review

Quiz

Wrap up and final evaluation (45 minutes)

          Presentation of certificate (participation) attestation?

Presented by:  Dr. Guy Chevalley Sept 2020

Audience: Primary Care Physicians

Selection Process: Please submit an online interest form

Requisites:

• Stable internet connection

Assessment:

   Participant – Pre and Post skills evaluation and cognitive evaluation quiz

Workshop – evaluation survey

Participant hours: 18

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

———————————————————————————————————-

Schedule:

Date                                      Location                         Language

to be announced                 online                              English or French

Description:

This course provides an in depth review of all important tools and algorithms for proper diagnosis and management of eye disease. The focus is on skills and management that is appropriate for low resources areas.

Training Components/ attributes/methods:

_ 100% self-paced study

_ mentored

√ online

 _ small groups

_ projects

_ wet lab

_ simulation

_ case study

√ webinar

_ onboard a Mercy Ship

_ onsite/local hospital

 √ offered free of charge

Course Goals:

1. To enable primary eye care providers to accurately diagnose the most common eye care problems in sub Saharan Africa.
2. To improve the diagnostic skills of eye care workers working in collaboration with specialty consultants
3. To build strength in the best of patient care attitudes

Sessions:

Day 1: Periorbital disease, ocular history and examination 6 hours

Morning session: 3 hours

Welcome, team presentation, devotional

Introductions, course orientation, pretest (30 minutes)

Ocular anatomy

Periorbital Disease:

Acute and chronic blepharitis

Lid trauma

Ectropion, entropion, trichiasis

Chalazion

Orbital cellulitis

Herpes/ Zona

Afternoon session: 3 hours

Ocular history

Ocular examination overview (lid, orbit, conjunctiva, cornea, visual acuity, pupil)

Examination techniques for lids and orbit, proper hand washing/gloving, palpation, lid eversion exercise-cotton tip swabs

Case presentation

Questions and answers

Review

Day 2: External disease and injury, examination techniques 6 hours

Morning session: 3 hours

Devotion time

External Disease: conjunctiva and cornea

Acute and chronic conjunctivitis including vernal, viral, and bacterial conjunctivitis

Allergic conjunctivitis

Dry eyes

Pterygium, corneal foreign body, corneal injury, corneal ulcers

Blunt trauma and penetrating injury

Examination techniques for conjunctiva and cornea

Afternoon session: 3 hours

Case presentations

Visual acuity examination, visual field test, pupil examination, cranial nerve (3,4,5,6,7)

Questions and answers

Review

Day 3: Anterior segment and related systemic diseases     6 hours

Morning session: 3 hours

Vitamin A deficiency

Trachoma

Cataract, Glaucoma, and diagnostic strategies including pupil and visual examination

Vascular diseases including hypertensive and diabetic retinopathy

Leprosy, Onchocerciasis

Iritis, Acute glaucoma

Afternoon session: 3 hours

Case presentations

Review

Quiz

Wrap up and final evaluation (45 minutes)

          Presentation of certificate (participation) attestation?

Presented by:  Dr. Eppe (Cameroon) Nov 2019

Audience: Primary Care Physicians

Selection Process: Please submit an online interest form

Requisites:

Stable internet connection

Assessment:

   Participant – Pre and Post skills evaluation and cognitive evaluation quiz

Workshop – evaluation survey

Participant hours: 18

Credits: Mercy Ships Certificate

———————————————————————————————————–

Schedule:

Date                                      Location                             Language

to be announced                 online                                  English or French

Course Description:

This is part 1 of a three part series. Part 1 is a 1 day course designed to assist healthcare professionals with assessing and treating pain. It is presented in a traditional classroom setting and includes case scenario discussions.

(The complete 3 part series utilizes the Training-of-Trainers approach to train healthcare professionals by identifying key trainers among initial course participants and utilizing these new trainers in subsequent courses. The Essential Pain management series includes one day of initial training in pain management, followed by one day of “Training-of-Trainers”. The newly trained trainers will then have the opportunity to assist in teaching the initial course material to others under the supervision of the course facilitators.)

Training Components/ attributes/methods:

_ 100% self-paced study

_ mentored

_ online

 √ in person

 √ small groups

_ projects

_ wet lab

_ simulation

√ case study

_ webinar

_ onboard a Mercy Ship

√ onsite/local hospital

 √ offered free of charge

√ accredited

Course Goals:

1. improve pain knowledge
2. establish a framework for managing pain
3. address pain management barriers

Sessions:

1. What is pain?
2. Why should we treat pain?
3. Classification of Pain
4. Physiology and Pathology
5. Barriers to Pain Management
6. Basic approach to pain management
7. How to assess severity of pain?
8. Pain management examples and case-based discussions

Presented by:

Dr. Odry Agbessi (Benin)

Dr. Helen Makins (UK)

Audience: doctors, nurses, anesthesia providers and medical students

Selection Process: In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, facilitators will identify and select appropriate participants for each initial course (Essential Pain Management part 1).

Please complete the online interest form to be considered. Course facilitators, in collaboration with hospital leadership, will select the participants for the subsequent Training-of-Trainers (part 2) and opportunity to help train others (part 3) .

Requisites: This training is aimed at surgeons, nurses and anesthesia providers who are managing post-operative pain.

Other medical professionals may also attend if space permits.

Endorsements: Run in partnership with EPM UK Working Group of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists (ANZCA) –   Faculty of Pain Medicine, approved by the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiology (WFSA).

Assessment: pre and post course assessments

Participant hours: 7

Credits: Mercy Ships Attendance Certificate

———————————————————————————————————-

Schedule:

Date                                      Location                                                  Language

April 2021                             Benin                                                         French

Course Description: This is part 2 of a three part series. Part 2 is a 1 day course designed to equip selected healthcare professionals, who have completed part 1, with teaching skills to help them train others.

It is presented in a traditional classroom setting and includes case scenario discussions.

(The complete 3 part series utilizes the Training-of-Trainers approach to train healthcare professionals by identifying key trainers among initial course participants and utilizing these new trainers in subsequent courses. The Essential Pain management series includes one day of initial training in pain management, followed by one day of “Training-of-Trainers”. The newly trained trainers will then have the opportunity to assist in teaching the initial course material to others under the supervision of the course facilitators.)

Training Components/ attributes/methods:

_ 100% self-paced study

_ mentored

_ online

 √ in person

 √ small groups

_ projects

_ wet lab

_ simulation

√ case study

_ webinar

_ onboard a Mercy Ship

√ onsite/local hospital

 √ offered free of charge

√ accredited

Course Goals:

To equip medical professionals with teaching skills to be able to teach others in essential pain management

Sessions:

1. Introduction
2. Giving a lecture
3. Presentation skills
4. Leading a discussion
5. Scenario teaching

Presented by:

Mercy Ships in partnership with EPM UK Working Group of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists (ANZCA) –   Faculty of Pain Medicine

Audience: selected healthcare professionals who have completed Essential Pain Management part 1

Selection Process:

Course facilitators, in collaboration with hospital leadership, will select the participants for Essential Pain Management – Part 2 Training of Trainers.

Facilitators identify these participants based on their performance on skills and knowledge assessment, observations of their performance and the availability of the participants to present these courses to their colleagues.

Requisites:

• Completion with excellence of Essential Pain Management – part 1
• Special invitation of course facilitators
• Interest and availability to present the Essential Pain Management Course to colleagues

Endorsements: Run in partnership with EPM UK Working Group of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists (ANZCA) –   Faculty of Pain Medicine, approved by the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiology (WFSA).

Assessment: pre and post course assessments

Participant hours: 5

Credits: Mercy Ships Attendance Certificate

———————————————————————————————————-

Schedule:

Date                                      Location                                               Language

April 2021                             Benin                                                      French

Course Description: This is part 3 of a three part series. Part 3 provides an opportunity for new trainers to gain experience training others the Essentials of Pain management with the help and supervision of course facilitators. Participants in part 3 lead classroom sessions and discussion topics.

(The complete 3 part series utilizes the Training-of-Trainers approach to train healthcare professionals by identifying key trainers among initial course participants and utilizing these new trainers in subsequent courses. The Essential Pain management series includes one day of initial training in pain management, followed by one day of “Training-of-Trainers”. The newly trained trainers will then have the opportunity to assist in teaching the initial course material to others under the supervision of the course facilitators.)

Training Components/ attributes/methods:

_ 100% self-paced study

_ mentored

_ online

 √ in person

 √ small groups

_ projects

_ wet lab

_ simulation

√ case study

_ webinar

_ onboard a Mercy Ship

√ onsite/local hospital

 √ offered free of charge

√ accredited

Course Goal:

To successfully train other healthcare professionals in Essential Pain Management

Sessions:

Same as Part 1, under guidance of course facilitators

1. What is pain?
2. Why should we treat pain?
3. Classification of Pain
4. Physiology and Pathology
5. Barriers to Pain Management
6. Basic approach to pain management
7. How to assess severity of pain?
8. Pain management examples and case-based discussions

Presented by:

Mercy Ships in partnership with EPM UK Working Group of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists (ANZCA) –   Faculty of Pain Medicine

Audience: selected health care professionals who have completed Essential Pain Management part 1 and part 2

Selection Process:

Course facilitators, in collaboration with hospital leadership, will select the participants for Essential Pain Management – Part 3 Training of Others.

Facilitators identify these participants based on their performance on skills and knowledge assessment, observations of their performance in part 1 and part 2 and the availability of the participants to present these courses to their colleagues.

Requisites:

• Completion with excellence of Essential Pain Management – part 1 and part 2
• Special invitation of course facilitators
• Interest and availability to present the Essential Pain Management Course to colleagues

Endorsements: Run in partnership with EPM UK Working Group of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists (ANZCA) –   Faculty of Pain Medicine, approved by the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiology (WFSA).

Assessment: pre and post course assessments

Participant hours: 7

Credits: Mercy Ships Attendance Certificate

———————————————————————————————————-

Schedule:

Date                                             Location                                  Language

April 2021                                    Benin                                        French