Boost your career with a nursing placement abroad.

Go on a once-in-a-lifetime nursing elective abroad with Work the World, and you’ll get career-boosting clinical experience in an overseas hospital. Then, you’ll have life-changing travel experiences with new friends in your free time.

These are not ‘off the shelf’ overseas nursing placements — you can tailor your experience to your interests.
You choose everything from the destination to the individual departments you want to get experience in.

You’ll find the experience to be life-changing. And that’s true whether you want to undertake your placement as a nursing student or a graduate.

Why go on an overseas nursing placement?

  • Unique experience that puts you ahead of your peers
  • Stand out to employers
  • Strengthen your academic profile
  • Build a network to tap into during your career
  • Gain perspective that reframes your view of the NHS
  • Build confidence by stepping out of your comfort zone
  • Get inspiration around where you might specialise

"Step outside your comfort zone. I was hesitant at first, but I’m so glad I took the plunge." - Becky, University of Surrey 
Read more overseas student nursing reviews here

Eye-opening Clinical Placement

This is your chance to hone your clinical skills as a nursing student or graduate alongside English-speaking clinical supervisors in a low-resource hospital in Africa and Asia.

Our nursing elective placements abroad are designed to help you develop yourself and gain a different perspective on healthcare back at home. You’ll come to realise that being able to practise the 6Cs is a luxury of a wealthier healthcare system.

Some things you will observe on your nursing elective placement include:

  • Different cultural attitudes towards care
  • Religious beliefs affecting practice
  • Extremely late presentations and advanced conditions

On your nursing placement abroad, you'll also see significant differences in the fundamentals of nursing practice. For example, in many of Work the World's destinations, families take responsibility for many tasks that would (in the UK) fall to a nurse, like personal care.

Branches for nursing electives abroad

Looking for nursing experience abroad? Choose a branch for your nursing placement below and see what you can expect from an overseas elective. Or you can stay on the page for more general information about a nursing placement abroad as a student or recent graduate.

Remember — you can customise your overseas placement. So if you want to combine branches for your elective placement, or try a branch different from the one you're studying, you're welcome to do so.

Once-in-a-lifetime travel

As a nursing student or graduate, your clinical placement is the focus of your trip. But your free time in the afternoons and weekends will be packed full of experiences like:

  • Relaxing on palm-lined, white-sand beaches
  • Getting close to elephants, lions and giraffes on safari
  • Swimming with curious sea turtles on warm tropical reefs
  • Hiking (or paragliding!) through the Himalayas
  • Spending a weekend hopping between paradise islands

Explore your destination options below to get a real sense of opportunity for adventure.

Browse destinations

Stay in an exclusive private property

While you’re with us, you’ll stay in one of our private, catered houses, reserved exclusively for healthcare students and graduates on a Work the World programme. You’ll share the experience with like-minded peers, creating a supportive home-from-home throughout your overseas placement.

  • Fun, social atmosphere
  • Chill-out areas
  • Make friends for life
  • 24/7 in-country support team based in the house
  • Security team for peace of mind

Think BBQ nights, karaoke, swimming pools, and a home-from-home to return to after a day on placement.

Explore accommodation

What's included?

The service you get with us is end-to-end. That means we will support you before, during and even after your trip.

You'll get:

  • Pre-departure preparation with our UK team
  • Structured, supervised nursing elective placement
  • Private, catered accommodation
  • 24/7 in-country team
  • Airport pick up and drop off
  • + more

Arrivals are every Sunday, 52 weeks of the year — travel when it suits you. Nursing elective placement durations start from one week. Speak with one of our consultants today to explore your options and check availability.

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Nursing elective placement destinations

Ghana - Takoradi
Nursing Electives in Ghana
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Consider Takoradi if you’re looking for nursing placements in Africa. You’ve got the option to undertake your placement in a number of our partner hospitals and clinics. One of our partner hospitals is the biggest and best-equipped in the city. While nursing abroad, you'll see there's a big difference in the meaning of ‘best-equipped’ when it comes to Ghana and the UK. Make no mistake, this is an eye-opening placement in Ghana, and on it, you’ll get a snapshot of the challenges that local healthcare professionals face. This programme suits adult, child, mental health and learning disability nursing electives abroad.

Discover student stories from those who’ve already travelled with Work the World to Takoradi.

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Nursing Electives in Ghana

Sri Lanka - Kandy
Nursing Electives in Sri Lanka
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Healthcare is free for patients in Sri Lanka, but the local culture, religion, and a lack of resources still impact local nursing practices. The lack of resources will be the most prominent difference, and you’ll see how local staff have found ways to make the most of what little they have. One example of this is the sterilising and reusing of equipment that would be single-use in the UK. For instance, fabric bandages are sent away to be thoroughly sterilised and used again. Our partner hospital is connected to a large nursing college, so you’ll also have the opportunity to interact with local students. This programme is suitable for adult, child and mental health nursing branches.

Discover student stories from those who’ve already travelled with us to Takoradi.

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Nursing Electives in Sri Lanka

Philippines - Iloilo
Nursing Electives in The Philippines
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Nurses run the wards in Iloilo, leaving patients’ families responsible for each patient’s bedside care. That means you won’t be expected to help wash and feed patients, but instead get involved in the more clinical side of nursing. On your nursing elective placement abroad here, you’ll see that patients do have access to government subsidised healthcare through ‘PhilHealth’ insurance, but policies are limited. The healthcare system may be progressive, but you’ll still see how the most economically disadvantaged patients struggle to afford certain treatments. Our partner hospital also hosts some students from local universities, so you can tap into their knowledge too. This programme is suitable for adult, child and mental health nursing branches. Read stories from those who've already travelled with us to Iloilo. 

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Nursing Electives in The Philippines

Vietnam - Hue
Nursing Electives in Vietnam
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On a nursing elective placement in Vietnam, you’ll see how local culture can affect clinical practices. For example, patients’ families normally provide bedside care for patients, which frees up local nurses’ time to focus on clinical aspects of nursing. You’ll also see how a lack of primary care options (and patients coming from rural farming areas) leads to patients presenting cases that are further advanced than you’re used to. You can even see how traditional medicine is used in Vietnam alongside more modern nursing practices. Work the World offers adult, child, and mental health nursing electives abroad in Hue.

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Nursing Electives in Vietnam

Tanzania - Dar es Salaam
Nursing Electives in Tanzania
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Our partner hospitals in Dar es Salaam are under-resourced. Of course, this is the norm for local nurses, so they’ve come up with clever ways to get around the limitations — you’ll learn these techniques firsthand. Healthcare is not free in Tanzania. Patients have the option of private healthcare, but few can afford it. You may even see patients turned away if they cannot afford to pay. Combine this with a lack of primary healthcare options in Tanzania, and you get very busy hospitals and clinics full of patients with advanced conditions. You should seriously consider Dar es Salaam if you’re looking for nursing electives in Africa. This programme is suitable for adults, children and mental health nursing branches. Read stories from those who’ve already travelled with Work the World to Dar es Salaam.

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Nursing Electives in Tanzania

Nepal - Kathmandu
Nursing Electives in Nepal
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Our elective placements for student nurses in Kathmandu allow you to get clinical experience in a range of specialised institutions. These include a major teaching hospital, a specialist maternity and women’s hospital, or a specialist children’s hospital. The teaching hospital has 22 departments — the greatest number of specialties of any institution in Nepal. 45% of Nepal’s population are under 15, so as the children’s hospital is the only one of its kind in the country, you can expect a busy placement here. Offering family planning and reproductive services to the city’s women, the women’s and maternity hospital is progressive, especially considering its cultural context. This programme is suitable for adult, child and mental health nursing electives abroad. Read stories from those who’ve already travelled with Work the World to Kathmandu.

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Nursing Electives in Nepal

"Living in the Work the World house felt like having a community away from home"

Gloria Fernando, University of Technology Sydney 2026

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"This placement gave me the chance to see who I really am, and what I am capable of"

Arianna Kana Katersa, King’s College London 2026

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It pushes you out of your comfort zone in the best way and helps you grow not just as a nurse, but as a person.

Millie Palfree, University of Birmingham 2025

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"My confidence has grown, and I managed to see and accomplish so many new things while I was in Nepal."

Georgia Langdown, University of Winchester 2025

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Nursing elective students abroad exploring outdoors during free time, sharing a review of their overseas placement experience.

"The experience is truly life-changing – both personally and professionally."

Lovepreet Kaur, University of Bradford 2025

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What do our nursing electives offer?

A Work the World nursing elective gives you the chance to undertake a clinical placement in the developing world. You will spend time in a low-resource hospital and see unfamiliar practices and advanced conditions. You can even choose the departments you want to rotate through. We offer nursing opportunities overseas for all nursing branches, including: Adult NursingChild NursingMental Health Nursing and Learning Disability Nursing

What are the benefits of a Work the World nursing elective?

The benefits of our nursing elective placements abroad include:

  • Getting invaluable clinical experience in the field
  • Making yourself more attractive to employers
  • Building your professional network
  • Doing some proper travelling

How long is a Work the World nursing elective?

A nursing elective is as long as you want it to be. Our minimum placement duration is one week, but students typically travel on their nursing electives abroad for 4-6 weeks. There is no upper limit to how long you can travel for.

What is a nursing elective placement?

A nursing elective placement is your opportunity to get some real-world experience in a clinical setting. Undertaking your nursing elective placement overseas massively expands the scope of what you'll be able to achieve. It also looks great to employers as it shows your passion for your vocation. If you want to undertake your nursing elective abroad, get in touch with Work the World today.

What can student nurses do on placement?

The activities that student nurses can undertake in their chosen hospitals vary depending on which hospital and nursing speciality they choose. A typical nursing placement abroad includes witnessing uncommon conditions and hospital practices in the UK. They can also gain insight into how social and cultural issues impact care provision and explore the destination in which they’re undertaking their elective.

Can you choose your nursing placements?

Nursing students and recent graduates can choose where they go for their nursing placement. You can choose between various nursing specialities and elective destinations. Work the World’s dedicated placement consultant will also contact you to discuss your clinical interests and help you decide which departments to rotate through to meet your goals. Each nursing placement is tailored to help you make the most of your time abroad.

How can I be a good student nurse on placement?

A nursing placement abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime travel and learning opportunity. Work the World have strong bonds with hospital staff, so you can genuinely learn local practices. To make the most of your nursing elective abroad, ensure you show up on time, take notes, and do not be afraid to ask questions! Evenings and weekends are yours so that you can also explore the rich culture outside of the hospital.

Which departments are good for nursing electives?

Work the World offers nursing electives in several different departments. These include adult nursing, child nursing, mental health nursing, and learning disability nursing. We can help you tailor your nursing placement to your liking, meaning you are free to combine different branches or try a department that is different from the one you're studying.

Is there an application process?

If you’re wondering how to apply for a nursing elective, we’ve got you covered. If you are studying for or have recently completed a healthcare degree, you automatically qualify for one of Work the World's tailored healthcare elective placements abroad. Contact the Work the World team, and we will handle all the logistics to secure your spot at a trusted partner hospital in one of our fascinating nursing elective destinations abroad. We will help you navigate the pre-departure logistics of your nursing placement and provide local expert support once you have arrived in your chosen destination.