When a group of student nurses embarked on an elective experience to Romania, they believed they’d be able to ‘make a difference’. However, they quickly became disillusioned by a healthcare system still blighted by its past and staff that did not welcome their interest

In July 1998, I joined eight nursing students for an elective experience in northern Romania, where we planned to gain some insight into how children fared under the Romanian healthcare system. Initially, we were based at the Infectious Disease Clinic, which provides both inand out-patient facilities for adults and children and is home to about 50 orphaned children, all HIV positive. The clinic was housed in a dilapidated old building on the outskirts of a town called Turgur Mures in Transylvania. It was surrounded by railings and high fences, and the front gate was locked and guarded.