Best AP Specialty for Medical Missions

Specialties Advanced

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Specializes in Developmental and Intellectual Disabilty.

I am currently a BSN nursing student. I am committed to doing international medical missions in some capacity. After graduation from my BSN program I will be going on to complete a Doctorate of Nursing Degree/Nurse Practitioner Degree. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share some advice on the best Advanced Practice Nursing Specialties for international medical missions work. FYI: I especially intend to work in the regions of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, other Middle Eastern areas & Southeast Asia.

My first choices for AP:

Family Nurse Practitioner

(or)

Adult/Gerontological

(or)

Women's Health (I want to do work in the Middle East and Southeast Asia where I am aware women are sometimes more easily accepted in areas where they work with women patients, as well as vise versa)

My second choice:

Midwife

Other specialties I would be interested in getting extra training for international work:

Wound Care

OR

Areas I am considering working after I graduate with my BSN and begin preparing for graduate school:

ICU (Med, Surg, Adult)

Burn

OR

Public Health

Any feedback would be greatly welcomed! I really want to take every step well in-line with the goal of work abroad.

Thanks!

Wow, sorry no one responded to this before! If I hadn't just have registered, I'm sure I would have been able to see this before. If you're still interested in looking at the various role differences, much of the Middle East does not recognize Nurse Practitioners or have a similar role. More of the developing Middle East (meaning excluding the UAE, Saudi, etc.) may allow individuals to practice according to their educated potential, but that will require an individual to work through the levels of the ministry of health for the country.

On another note however, is your interest in midwifery. Many countries in the Middle East do not allow individuals to work across genders due to religious beliefs. As a result, many nurses perform the role of a midwife with even basic training. As a nurse midwife, you can rather offer this service with more in depth training and have greater versatility in the region you're looking at. As an FYI, India does not recognize nurse practitioners and at this time, the country does not seem to be leaning toward utilizing them in the near future.

Specializes in Developmental and Intellectual Disabilty.

Thank you so much for your response! :)

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