CRNA & volunteering abroad

deepz · Aug 2, 2007

http://www.gaspasser.com/BudBusby.html

crazylilkelly · Aug 4, 2007

http://www.gaspasser.com/BudBusby.html

thank you so much! that story was very touching. i saved it to favorites so i can read it again, time to time.

UCDSICURN · Aug 6, 2007

One of the CRNA's i worked with did 6 weeks in Vietnam last year. I'm not sure who he went through, but he said there's plenty of opportunities available.

dfk, RN, CRNA · Aug 10, 2007

i know a bunch of CRNAs that go every year to different locations, mostly 3rd world/underdeveloped areas.

i would love to do that someday.

quite admirable.

journey_bound · Feb 27, 2009

I am planning a trip to Guatemala soon after I write the CRNE. Once I'm successfully licensed as a registered nurse do I need anything additional to volunteer as a nurse in another country? Thanks! : )

reded · Feb 28, 2009

Two or three years after I got out of school I went to an old Catholic hospital in Georgetown Guyana for three months, I could have used a little more experience first. Teaching three students the fundamentals and no other anes. provider to share work and "expertise" with. A real plus was the fact that it's an English speaking country.

I had a stretch during the 1990's where I'd meet two surgeon's in a small busy hospital outside of Cap-Hatian in Haiti every year for two weeks. They were both retired and loved to cut. There was more then enough work for them as people would come from the cities to have surgery by the Americans. Here again I was the only anesthesia provider and it could get pretty exhausting, but a few sips of their 5 star Babancour rum in the evening helped ease the load. Any thing that could be done under regional was. That went on for ten years.

Once I went to Equador with a surgeon from a hospital I was working at here. In this instance it seemed like more of a promo tour for him with a lot of meetings with dignitaries and such. Not enough surgery. If we're not going to get anything done for these folks don't waste my time. Some times these trips could be frustrating in that time can be wasted but eventually I took the attitude that you had to focus on the individuals you did take care of and it's impact on their life.

Volunteering is a great experience for the most part. One thing that hit home often was how fortunate I was to have been born here in the U.S. A good clearinghouse for me was Catholic Medical Mission Board on 17th street off Union Square in Manhattan [That's New York for those of you in Rio Linda as they say] Best of luck and by all means go for it Idoubt you'll regret it RedEd