Need advice on how to help nurses

G'day,
1st let me say I am not a nurse. But I am deeply involved in a development program in the Solomon Islands that is trying to find ways to help the local nurses improve their professional skills and working conditions. That is why I am here. I came to present my problem, and the problem of most of the nurses we are working with, to other nurses from more fortunate countries in the hope that a few workable solutions might be found.

Most of the nurses in Isabel Province, Solomon's poorest province, were very badly trained in the first place - if that is, they received any official training at all. The vast majority have had to learn on the job and by reading everything they can find on nursing. There is a very strong tradition of the older nurses teaching what they know to the younger ones, but that only goes so far, especially now that we are introducing more modern techniques and equipment.

These people are dedicated and hard working, while being radically over worked and under paid. I was once told that last bit is one of the true definitions of any nurse. The question is how can the charity I work with help these people learn and improve their skills? Going away for training is not possible, even if there was a school for them to go to. We could have volunteers in to do training if that seemed like the best solution. Are there any interactive training programs that we could set up on our intranet server for on line training? Any other ideas or suggestions?

And finally are there small things, unofficial things, we can do to make working life a little easier for our nurses? Aside from teaching doctors to write in a readable manner and / or getting these nurses a well earned raise. Both hopeless causes I am sorry to say.

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions