Curious about nursing in remote villages in Alaska

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Jul 25, 2015

Ahh, cool! Sounds like my kind of adventure!

I can't personally speak to the accommodations and amenities in rural Alaska, but my favorite professor in nursing school spent some time doing peds nursing in remote Inuit villages throughout Northern Canada (through their equivalent of our Indian Health Service program). She said it was absolutely life-changing and that she had a wonderful experience. Highly recommended it to our class.

If you do decide to go, keep us updated!

Creamsoda, ASN, RN · Jul 26, 2015

I live in the large city of Los Anchorage , that being said, I've only worked in hospitals here in the city. But from talking to co-workers who've done it they really enjoyed it. You have to like small towns i suppose, be open minded, and be able to find the fun in things where you would least expect it. The nurse I knew who worked in nome loved it, said everyone knew everyone. Very good community feel. But things are way expensive, difficult to get fresh foods etc as everything is flown in. Gallon of milk will cost you an arm and a leg, but for nurses I'm sure the pay is pretty good. When I was a travel nurse my recruiter always asked me if I wanted to go to places like barrow, or nome, but I don't think its for me. or maybe if I was single I might try a travel contract, which they do offer! So you could try it short term. But I don't know what people do for fun, I'm sure they make their own fun, but I personally like the mountains and hiking and I don't really think there much of that in the villages. But I have a friend who is a CNA in an incredibly small village and she seems to really love the lifestyle there.

NOADLS · Jul 26, 2015

But things are way expensive, difficult to get fresh foods etc as everything is flown in. Gallon of milk will cost you an arm and a leg, but for nurses I'm sure the pay is pretty good.
But I have a friend who is a CNA in an incredibly small village and she seems to really love the lifestyle there.

Insane cost of living, but pay is amazing.

Sounds like something someone would do for a year or two before taking their earnings and running far far away.

For someone to "love the lifestyle" up there, I can't imagine what they are forking out to enjoy it. I'd suck it up and live like a college student knowing that I'd be loaded after my ordeal up there.

ambr46 · Jul 26, 2015

Part of it sounds like it would be intriguing and life changing and then also miserable and freezing cold. I am really interested on getting some first hand info on this. I hadn't really thought about the expense of it all. Might end up just breaking even ha ha.

Racer15, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2015

I have a coworker that did it as a travel nurse. It was a critical access hospital, only way to get there is by plane. He really enjoyed it.

~PedsRN~, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2015

It sounds amazing. If I wasn't married with kids, that sort of thing would be right up my alley. Alaska is so on my bucket list of places to see. (I love to travel)

toomuchbaloney · Jul 27, 2015

Most of the villages do not have "nurses" who are paid to stay and practice there. Most villages work with Health Aides who work under the license of a physician. They have an entirely different scope of practice that is completely separate from an RN.

The village residents who have chronic health issues generally travel to the closest city for care at the native health system in their area. That is where they receive the bulk of their nursing and medical education. All that is provided in that environment is supported by those trained lay persons working in the village.

Having said that, it is not unusual for an MD/NP/PA to travel with an RN to remote villages for specific visit and training purposes, but that is not the foundation of the health care. For example, if pregnant women in village plan to deliver in a health care setting they are required to travel and live in city for the last several weeks of the pregnancy. Care is consolidated when folks travel into the urban areas. They will often accomplish as much as is humanly possible before returning to village...optometry, medicine, pharmacy, shopping, etc.

In my experience, public health nurses travel to villages more often than other types.

On the other hand, I am a nurse and I spend a reasonable amount of time in a couple different AK villages. I simply am not practicing my profession when I am there.

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Jul 29, 2015

Alaska is not always cold. I have traveled there before and it was beautiful and warm. I would want to be VERY confident in my skills and knowledge before moving to a remote village. You may be the only healthcare provider people have seen in a long time.

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Jul 29, 2015

Alaska is not always cold. I have traveled there before and it was beautiful and warm. I would want to be VERY confident in my skills and knowledge before moving to a remote village. You may be the only healthcare provider people have seen in a long time.

As I mentioned, I haven't actually worked as a nurse in Alaska. However, I have done a fair amount of nursing and public health work in very remote villages in other countries.

My experience, at least when working internationally, is that you do the best you can. There's a ton of autonomy and very little oversight since you'll likely be on your own without anybody following up behind you (probably pretty similar to home health). That said, it seems like a great clinical opportunity to provide diabetes education. You wouldn't really require a lot of oversight (assuming you've done diabetes education before), and there would be very little risk with an enormous potential benefit to the population. Even our rural patients in the continental US may go years between doctors visits, so any additional education can have a profound impact.

I can't advise you on the cold--cold weather makes my ears hurt, so I tend to seek out slightly warmer adventures.... :cheeky:

lassenlake · Jul 29, 2015

Most health personnel including nurses are hire through the Health Area each one is Tribally owned and they hire through the IHS Indian Health Service as well as other sources. Many advertise through like recruiters. Any area you go outside of Anchorage and Fairbanks will be a once in a lifetime trip. The further north above the Arctic Circle the further you will be removed from the amenities people in the lower 48 take for granted. It's said that a person has to be able to fall back on themselves to be successful in these remote areas. There are school plays and performances. Many of the subsistence villages are as they were thousands of years ago save the advent of buildings and electricity. There is mail service. Few if any restaurants, and the food quality is fair. Anything that is heavy at the local market will cost you money. Housing is typically provided by the employer and some charge more than others. Utilities are almost always included. Travel is by small plane only. On some days the weather in winter closes down the area. I think that's remarkable some people find it frightening. Most residents who live year round are highly trained. It is not unusual to find a nurse who is also a paramedic firefighter.

Nothing can really prepare you for the remote villages. If you need to be entertained maybe don't try. If you are wanting to see a part of the world before time started on the American Clock then go and soak it in.

ambr46 · Jul 29, 2015

Most of the villages do not have "nurses" who are paid to stay and practice there. Most villages work with Health Aides who work under the license of a physician. They have an entirely different scope of practice that is completely separate from an RN.
The village residents who have chronic health issues generally travel to the closest city for care at the native health system in their area. That is where they receive the bulk of their nursing and medical education. All that is provided in that environment is supported by those trained lay persons working in the village.
Having said that, it is not unusual for an MD/NP/PA to travel with an RN to remote villages for specific visit and training purposes, but that is not the foundation of the health care. For example, if pregnant women in village plan to deliver in a health care setting they are required to travel and live in city for the last several weeks of the pregnancy. Care is consolidated when folks travel into the urban areas. They will often accomplish as much as is humanly possible before returning to village...optometry, medicine, pharmacy, shopping, etc.
In my experience, public health nurses travel to villages more often than other types.
On the other hand, I am a nurse and I spend a reasonable amount of time in a couple different AK villages. I simply am not practicing my profession when I am there.

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for. When you go into the villages is it mainly patient education?