Volunteering in Third-World Countries

[Breanna., BSN, RN]

What are the best organizations for nurses who want to volunteer in third-world countries besides the American Red Cross & Doctors W/O Borders? I see some on Google of course but I would like to hear of some from people who have actually worked with the organizations or know someone who has. Thank you!

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

"Third world country" is an outdated and offensive term in global health. The current nomenclature is 'high income', middle income' and 'low income' country. 

That said, I have a good friend who both volunteered and served as paid staff with MSF (Doctors without Borders) and it contributed much to her learning and eventual career here in the states. 

The American Red Cross does not have an overseas department- each country has its own Red Cross or Red Crescent organization. 

Twitter is an excellent source of information on global health concerns and the role of short term volunteers and missions. You'll likely be surprised how reviled this concept of voluntourism is among global health leaders.