One of the best experiences that I have had in my training as a Nursing student in the United Kingdom was my opportunity to serve an elective placement, spending 5-6 weeks working in any area of personal interest, resulting in personal and professional self-development while providing direction on my future career. I decided to serve this placement in Nepal, working in the Emergency Department, Surgery Department and in a health post at Nalma Village in Lamjung through Work the World.

Overseas exposure highlights foreign health issues

Standard wound dressing materials: Gauze, Betadine and saline. A lot of us became experts in the fine art of improvising with gauze over the 6 weeks

One clear benefit of an overseas exposure in a developing country is that it highlights foreign health issues which might not be prevalent in the students’ home country. This issue has been highlighted by the British Nursing and Midwifery Council, as nurses risk being too narrow in their understanding of global health issues if they remain focused on working in traditional English-speaking destinations such as Canada and Australia.  Exposure to the developing world also allows students to understand how the local health professionals work towards tackling issues such as poverty and poor sanitation. This opportunity was offered during my overseas placement through the work in the village health post, delivering care to individuals regarded as ‘undesirables’ in the caste system and left to live in poor sanitary conditions. While it is arguable that similar projects are available for the destitute and homeless in the United Kingdom, the experience I gained allowed an alternative insight as to how such issues are tackled, with a greater emphasis on non-governmental organisations to provide social support services such as skills training and rehabilitation so the government can focus its limited budget on healthcare delivery.

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