I am a student nurse in my final year of training, travelling to the Philippines for seven weeks to volunteer in a hospital and discover how nursing works over there and gain a new appreciation of the free healthcare service we receive over here in the UK.
Why do this?
- I feel we often take for granted how lucky we really are regarding our health and healthcare.
- There are areas of the Philippines who are deprived of money and healthcare privileges. There are shortages in money and resources which can have a massive effect on the healthcare being given.
- Differing and strong religious beliefs and values can have an effect on healthcare being received in the Philippines.
- My main aim is to gain a greater knowledge and appreciation for how people in countries less well off than the UK cope with the stress and struggles of poor health and how they adapt to work so well in these healthcare settings despite their circumstances.
I want to have a space where my friends and family can come and keep up to date with my journey and see how I am getting on. I also think it is a brilliant way for them to get an insight to how different a life they are leading in comparison and what life in the Philippines, specifically regarding healthcare, is like. Finally, I would love to have a place I can visit in the future to look back and reflect on this journey once it is all over.
Nursing Experience Abroad 