Is anybody a RN or knows of one working in a developing country???

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Hi Everyone,

I'm a third year nursing student with one unit of theory & a clinical block to go until I graduate. I am looking at doing my last clinical block, which is a speciality of our choice, in a developing country but need an Australian registered nurse to work with and to undertake my assessment at the end of the 2 month block. I thought perhaps I could make myself useful in one of these countries while at the same time gaining valuable experience for something I would like to pursue when I graduate. So far I have had clinical blocks in HDU (gaining a High Distinction grade) and Emergency, which I'm currently doing. My final placement commences at the end of August and continues for 8 weeks. If anyone knows a registered nurse or is a registered nurse willing to do this could you please contact me via pm or reply on here. I am able to do a lot of work independently and I'm sure could contribute in some way to this kind of work, even as a student. The assessment process itself is a very basic and easy procedure and is really just a matter of observing me while we would be working together, then circling a grade for each of the 10 ANMC competencies at the end of the 2 months.

If anyone can help ... even if its a lead or some info which might be helpful in being able to achieve this, I would be forever grateful

Thank you,

Vanessa

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Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

Wow, thats an unusual specialty! I'm not quite sure how you would go on that one; surely your lecturers would be able to assist? Aren't they responsible for helping to organise your placements?

Maybe if you contacted the ANF they may be able to give you some pointers...

But would there be problems with such things as travel insurance, as well as legal protection while you are a nursing student overseas? You would have to check to see if that country would accept you to do certain procedures as a nursing student. How much responsibility would your preceptor have to take legally should somethiing happen?

By the same token, have you tried contacting some of these agencies? Have you also contacted the board in your state - will they recognise what you plan to do as a legit part of your practicuum?

So many questions! But I'd love to see you reach your goal...

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Most of the developing countries and the foreign nurse is not licensed there to work in the hospital role. They are usually working for NGOs, which are non-government agencies.

In any of the Asian countries, it is impossible to get a license there to work as an RN if you do not speak the language and able to pass their licensing exam, so have not seen any in the hospitals working in the role of the RN.

As one of the other posters here mentioned, you have to deal with issues as well, and not sure that you would be able to be covered since you do not hold a license, therefore hard to find.

You may wish to contact some of the global missionary agencies and see what they have that you may be able to do, but not sure if you are going to find a nurse from Oz there all of the time. This may be your best bet to start off with.

I have seen students come to Thailand, but they are more as observers than anything else. And they are there under the Thai nurses, not with someone from your country.

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Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

I just had another thought. Have you contemplated contacting the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, you know, that group on high that work out our competency standards?

the site is

http://www.anmc.org.au

There are phone numbers listed under the 'contacts' section

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hi there! good on you for wanting to do your clinical in a developing country!

im also a 3rd year nursing student and last year myself and 2 nursing buddies went to kenya and volunteered at the local hospital. Thats unfortunate that your facilitator RN has to be Australian. i have a few names of African RN's that would be happy to help you out, but unfortunately no australians. An Australian RN friend of mine is currently working in South Africa, but she won't still be there in august.

i'll keep my ear to the ground. when do you need to know by??

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Hi gertrudeous

Unfortunately my uni has now told me that it isn't possible to work in a developing country for our last prac. Something I'm a bit peeved off with since every year until now they have offered placements in Malaysia and Indonesia. Since this is the case, instead of going for my final prac, I hope to arrange something next year as an RN instead. I'm always looking out for other rn's who might be interested in doing this also, or who are already working in the field. I figure its better to go with or meet someone there rather than go it alone. If you know of anyone that might be interested in the near future, I would love to hear back from you.

THanks again for your post!

Vanessa

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hi Vanessa!

Yes that sucks...i too wanted to do my final clinical overseas, but we can only do in Australia. I'm heading out west to Bourke for 3 weeks, which should be good, but still not the same as a 3rd world country!

if you're interested, in 2010 i'm moving over to Kenya indefinitely and starting up a clinic as well as doing community nursing (visiting all the remote villages in a 4WD). i'll be going soon after i finish midwifery, which will probably be April 2010.

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Hi Again,

What an exciting venture you have ahead of you! I would definitely be interested in being involved somehow with your Kenya project. My ultimate career goal is to work in that kind of environment in some sort of capacity. I plan to start my Masters in Public Health next year to give me some theoretcial base into this kind of work.

I'm sure your trip to Bourke will be very rewarding too! It looks like my final placement will be outback Australia, possiblity Papunya (spelling??) or somewhere similiar. I've been told it will give me a bit of insight into working with indigenous populations with very limited resources whick will hopefully give me a tiny taste of what it might be like to work in Africa.

Do you have an email address that we could possiblity use to keep in touch with. I get very motivated and excited when I meet like-minded future RNs. There don't seem to be alot that are interested in third world nursing

Vanessa :)

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Please share e-mail addesses via pm, do not post them here.

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hey vanessa! im still new to this whole forum thing so i have no idea how to send you my email address! lol. i have no idea how to send a Personal Message like the moderator said!!

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