Nursing elective placements in Arusha, Tanzania
Arusha's hospitals are typical of the care available in most Tanzanian cities. Unlike Mwanza and Dar es Salaam, there is no tertiary referral hospital, so it's a great option if you want to see what healthcare is like for the majority of the country.
Government regional hospital - Our placements are based in the largest government run institution in the area, offering big, busy wards. The nurses role in Tanzania includes more menial tasks so students must be prepared to pitch in with all levels of work. For those that show willing, there are excellent opportunities in Infectious Diseases, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, General Medicine, Surgery, Casualty and Outpatients Department Units.
Government district hospital - The smaller district hospitals offer more basic care with limited facilities. Similar specialist areas are available but your role will cover a wider variety of areas, and working alongside one supervisor throughout will give you opportunity to get more patient interaction during treatment, as well as get involved in the whole patient journey.
Rural healthcare - Government district hospital - The smaller district hospitals offer a more basic version of the care available at the regional hospital. Based in a rural location this option allows students a great alternative to the city based hospital. The placement offers the opportunity to work in a range of areas during your placement including general wards, paediatrics and maternity.
Primary healthcare clinic - These are run by the council and are much smaller in size. There are good opportunities in paediatrics and maternity as well as treating infectious disease, malaria and running vaccination clinics.
Don't forget - if your preferred speciality is not listed, give us a call as we can usually accommodate most requests. You could also think about other opportunities to make more of your elective:
Split placements - If you are in Tanzania for more than four weeks, it's a brilliant place to do a split placement. We will give you time in both the regional or district hospital, or in the primary healthcare clinic. If you wish to travel further afield we can also arrange half your placement at our Dar es Salaam or Lake Victoria programmes.
Village healthcare experience - Tanzania is famous as the home of the Maasai tribe. To complement your city placement, we offer a fantastic opportunity to travel to a rural village where you will spend a week working in a local dispensary delivering primary healthcare to the community. Living with a local family and spending afternoons with a guide learning about Maasai culture, visiting sacred sites and getting involved in beading, dancing and drumming, is a unique cultural experience. Read more on our Arusha Village Healthcare Experience page.