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Ayla Jane

@aylaajane

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I recently asked some of the nurses at Connaught Hospital one simple question: “What does nurse mentorship mean to you?”

Their answers were a powerful reminder that mentorship is about so much more than teaching clinical skills. It’s about building confidence, supporting one another, sharing knowledge, and empowering nurses to become leaders within their own hospital.

One of the things I love most about @mercyships is that our work doesn’t end with the surgeries performed onboard. Through our Education, Training & Advocacy teams, we’re committed to strengthening healthcare systems by investing in local healthcare workers, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to continue improving patient care long after the ship has sailed.

Because sustainable change isn’t achieved by what we do ourselves. It’s achieved by empowering the people
who will carry that work forward every single day ✨🙏🏼

#mercyships #educationandtraining #empoweringchange #changemakers #godswork taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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4 days ago

Sometimes all you need is some alone time and a deserted beach to fill your cup back up ✨ #restandrelaxation #beachvibes #mercyships #beachescape taken in Tokeh Beach by @aylaajane

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5 days ago

Reflecting back on how much @mercyships has changed my life 🙏 #mercyships #volunteerafrica #ilovejesus #humanitarianwork #godslove by @aylaajane

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12 days ago

How is this my life? Feeling immense gratitude today for what the last 3 years has given me ✨🙏🏼 @mercyships

#mercyships #hospitalship #sierraleone #exploretheworld #godisgood taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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15 days ago

And just like that, the Global Mercy has sailed away from Sierra Leone…

There are no words to fully capture the gratitude I feel today. For the last three years, this ship has been so much more than a vessel. She has been home.

Within her walls, I laughed until my stomach hurt and cried tears I thought would never stop. She carried me through some of the most beautiful, painful, challenging, and transformative seasons of my life.

This is where strangers became family. Where lifelong friendships were formed. Where my world grew bigger and my heart softer.

This is where I discovered the beauty of a life lived in service to others. Where I learned what it means to belong. Where I met Jesus.

When I first stepped onboard, I thought I was giving three months of my life. I had no idea that God would use those three months to completely rewrite my story. The woman standing on the dock today is not the same woman who first walked up the gangway all those years ago. My life has been changed in ways I never could have imagined.

The tears I cried today were not tears of sadness. They were tears of love. Tears of gratitude. Tears for every friendship, every lesson, every challenge, every act of kindness, and every moment that brought me to this place.

And now, as the ship sails on and I remain behind in Sierra Leone to continue the work, my heart is full. Full of gratitude for everything this season has given me. Full of hope for what lies ahead. And full of awe for the God who has guided every step of the journey.

Three months turned into three years. Three years that changed my life forever.

Thank You, Jesus🤍 taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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a month ago

Memories that will never leave me ✨🙏🏼 #mercyships #sweetsalone #godisgood #friendship #beautifulmemories taken in Tokeh, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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2 months ago

Forever a sunset girl because I know who painted it for me ✨🙏🏼 #godisgood taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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3 months ago

Sugarloaf⛰️🌸 taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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3 months ago

Did you know that @mercyships impact reaches far beyond the ships?

For the past year, I’ve been working with our Education, Training and Advocacy team, where our focus is strengthening local healthcare systems through sustainable capacity building. Rather than only providing short-term care, we invest in long-term change, equipping local healthcare professionals with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to continue delivering safe, high-quality care long after we leave.

In Sierra Leone, I’ve been leading a Nurse Mentorship Program at Connaught Hospital, working closely with surgical ward nurses. Through this program, we provide hands-on bedside teaching, mentoring, and support nurses in developing critical thinking, clinical skills, and confidence in managing complex surgical patients. The goal isn’t just teaching skills, it’s empowering nurses to become mentors themselves, creating a ripple effect that strengthens the entire system.

It’s been incredible to see nurses grow in confidence, take ownership of patient care, and begin mentoring others, building something that will continue well beyond our time here 🙏🏼

#mercyships taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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4 months ago

Sweet Salone moments ✨ #sweetsalone #mercyships taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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7 months ago

Grateful to have gotten to share this part of my life with my mum ✨ what a gift 🙏🏼 #mercyships @mercyships taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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8 months ago

And just like that, we’ve officially launched our Nurse Mentorship Program! 🎉

Over the next 12 months in partnership with Connaught Hospital we’ll be training and mentoring 20 surgical ward nurses using a training-of-trainers approach or in our case a Mentoring-of-mentors approach.

This program will empower these nurses with the skills, confidence, and knowledge to train and mentor others—ensuring that, long after Mercy Ships departs, the learning continues and safe surgical care in Sierra Leone keeps improving 🙏🏼

#mercyships #traininganddevelopment @mercyships taken in Freetown, Sierra Leone by @aylaajane

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9 months ago