Volunteering abroad can be an excellent way for people in all professions to add some experience to their resume and gain some vital insights into what working life could be like for them. If you are hoping to pursue a career in nursing, volunteering in healthcare abroad can be an excellent way for you to gain vital on-the-job experience, get a feel of what working in nursing is like and even devote your time to helping a variety of great causes. Whether you work in a hospital abroad or volunteer your time and skills to helping people who are victims of disasters in other countries, for example, there are many great reasons for nursing students to consider overseas voluntary work as a method of gaining experience.

Work Whilst You Study

Thanks to online and distance learning degree courses which are offered by a range of universities, colleges and nursing schools, it’s never been easier for student nurses to undertake voluntary work abroad whilst they study. For example, you can study for a masters in nursing online from wherever in the world you may be providing that you have a laptop and a working Wi-Fi connection. Because of this, you’re not just limited to overseas voluntary positions which fit around your course; you can tailor your course to fit around them instead.

Gaining Experience

There are many different opportunities for nurses to volunteer abroad, and doing so as a student nurse can help you to gain valuable experience which will look great on your resume and help you out when it comes to landing the graduate nursing job of your dreams. Even though qualified nurses are currently in higher demand than ever before, it’s still important for recently graduated nurses to have plenty of related work experience.

Learn a New Language

For student nurses, volunteering abroad isn’t just about gaining vital medical and healthcare work experience. Volunteering abroad also provides student nurses with a range of other benefits, such as the opportunity to learn a new language – something that can be a hugely beneficial skill in a wide range of different fields. For student nurses, learning another language can be an excellent way to open up further future doors of opportunity when it comes to finding graduate jobs or career progression. Along with a qualification such as RN to MSN programs, having the ability to speak another language can definitely further your prospects.

Networking

When volunteering abroad in the medical and healthcare sector, there will be plenty of opportunities for student nurses to network with professionals in the field and get to know people who can significantly help them when it comes to successfully graduating and going on to pursue a nursing career. When volunteering abroad, student nurses will be working with a range of health professionals, with doctors, nurses, fellow students and more on hand for asking questions and learning new things.

If you’re a student nurse, volunteering abroad can be a great way to get hands-on medical experience and travel at the same time. Volunteering abroad can be hugely beneficial for student nurses, as not only do you gain great experience, you can also learn a new language and meet some awesome people, too.

Photo credit / College of Nursing, The University of Arizona