Third-World Nursing - Seizing The Opportunity Of A Lifetime
What is a third-world country?In general, third-world countries are economically underdeveloped countries, mostly situated in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The term "third-world" may actually be deemed politically incorrect and the term "developing countries" is preferred. In these countries, there is a significantly high level of poverty. Healthcare, educational, and other basic services are grossly insufficient. Other common characteristics include high birthrates, over-population, and economic dependence on advanced countries, and a very low GNP. Because of these, foreign aid and volunteers are usually needed.
Making a difference
As you can suppose, conditions in a third-world country may be austere and even dangerous. However, it offers a great opportunity to help other people, promote health, spread advocacy, prevent diseases, experience diverse cultures, and even a chance to make a difference.
Providing free healthcare
The most common type of nursing opportunities abroad is short term volunteer assignments similar to the Peace Corps, usually lasting for three weeks at a time. These "missions" are often sponsored and organized by religious organizations, corporate foundations, international organizations, or individual groups. Transportation as well as allowance for food and lodging is usually covered by the sponsoring organization and equipment and pharmaceuticals are usually brought to the site. Volunteers are organized into teams and have to make the daily travel to makeshift clinics located in remote villages or in the outskirts of the city. Residents of the village assemble at the designated site and volunteers provide various medical services such as adult, gynecologic, and pediatric care; they also dispense basic medicines.
Challenging encounters
A lot of times, you will need to adapt and improvise depending on the available facilities and environment. Also, you will encounter a lot of diseases that you only read about in medical books but do not encounter back home such as Malaria, elephantitis, neonatal tetanus, and various epidemics. A lot of these countries may also be undergoing political turmoil, armed struggle, revolutions, and civil war where armed civilians roam the villages. You will also have to adjust to the living and transport conditions-traveling on foot, riding a mule, horseback or in a four-wheel drive up mountains and across rivers, and sleeping on mats, on the ground, or on the floor. Indeed, it is not for the faint of heart. So before you decide on embarking on this kind of adventure, make sure you know what you"re getting into.