The energy in the room was undeniable. A group of nurses from Connaught Hospital, eyes bright with excitement, pulled me into a small room—what used to be the chaotic and cluttered wound care room. “Look at what we did!” they exclaimed, their pride unmistakable.

At first glance, the changes might not seem like much. A couple of surfaces have been cleaned, wound care supplies have found new homes, and instruments are neatly stored. But if you’ve never been inside a hospital in West Africa, you might not grasp the gravity of this transformation. This wasn’t just about rearranging items; it was about something far bigger.

These nurses had just completed the MSSI peri-operative nursing course, a six-week intensive program that sharpened their skills and deepened their understanding of best practices in surgical nursing care. They weren’t instructed to tackle this room—it wasn’t part of the training. Yet, something in the course sparked within them the realisation that this space needed to change. Without waiting for approval or guidance, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

For years, this wound care room had served its purpose, but not effectively. In a hospital where resources are scarce, organization and cleanliness aren’t just good practices—they are essential to patient outcomes. Before, it was easy to ignore the mess or to feel helpless in the face of it. But now, these nurses felt empowered. They didn’t need someone to tell them what to do; they saw what had to be done, and they did it.

What makes this even more remarkable is that they didn’t stop there. Fuelled by the momentum of their success, they moved through the surgical wards, repeating their efforts and sharing their newfound knowledge with colleagues. This wasn’t part of their formal job description or mandated by management. It was an outpouring of pride in their profession and commitment to patient care—a ripple effect of their training at MSSI.

This might seem like a small story—a room cleaned, some supplies reorganised. But I see it as something much larger. It’s a testament to the power of education and the drive within these nurses to create lasting change. They didn’t wait for orders or resources to be handed to them. They saw a need and took action, reminding all of us that sometimes the biggest transformations begin in the smallest spaces.

And trust me—if you’ve ever set foot in a hospital in Sierra Leone, you’d know just how big of a deal this really is.