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Have you ever watched a National Geographic documentary and wondered, "How do they do that?" Scaling treacherous mountains, diving into murky depths, encountering potentially dangerous wildlife – it takes a special kind of person to be a National Geographic explorer. But behind the scenes, there's an unsung hero ensuring these adventurers return home safe and sound: the National Geographic nurse.
For 17 years, Karen Berry has held this crucial role, her office a haven for explorers prepping for expeditions. Imagine a world map stretching across her office wall, dotted with pins marking the locations of National Geographic teams. Karen's job is to anticipate the health and safety challenges each location presents and equip explorers accordingly.
It's not your typical nursing job. There's no bedside manner here, no direct patient care in the field. Instead, Karen's work is all about preparation and education. She's a teacher, a strategist, and a bit of a worrier, all rolled into one.
"My plan of care is to keep them well and healthy while they're working and in the field," Karen explains. Her measure of success? "The healthy returning traveler."
But what does it take to prepare someone for an encounter with a venomous snake in the Amazon or a potential Ebola outbreak in the Congo? Karen's approach is surprisingly personal. "I actually put myself in their place," she says. "What is going to happen to me if I'm in that exact position?"
This empathy allows her to anticipate potential dangers and pack medical kits accordingly. A team scaling a volcano? They'll need a comprehensive burn kit, just in case. Venturing into hippo territory? Knowing how to identify an angry hippo versus a curious one becomes crucial survival information.
And then there's Brady Barr, the herpetologist and alligator wrestler who might just be Karen's most frequent patient. From a crocodile bite to brain worms to a lost finger (reattached, thankfully!), Brady has encountered his fair share of occupational hazards.
One particularly memorable incident involved a python bite in a remote Indonesian cave aptly named "The Snake Palace." Imagine a place teeming with bats, scorpions, poisonous gas, and, of course, pythons. It's enough to make anyone reconsider a career in herpetology.
Brady, however, perseveres, and Karen is there to help him navigate the aftermath. She calmly assesses the situation, asking crucial questions about the wound's severity and potential complications. It's a testament to her experience and composure that she can handle even the most hair-raising medical situations with a level head.
But Karen's role goes beyond simply patching up explorers. She's also responsible for setting boundaries, knowing when an assignment is simply too dangerous. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she made the difficult decision to ground a team headed to Southeast Asia as borders closed. It was a tough call, but one that ultimately prioritized the safety of the explorers.
As explorers head out into the field, Karen leaves them with these reassuring words: "You're not alone out there, and we're going to make sure that you come home safely." It's a promise she takes to heart, and one that allows National Geographic explorers to push the boundaries of knowledge and exploration, knowing they have a guardian angel watching over them.
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