Do You Want To Work Abroad As A Nurse?

Many Filipinos would say “yes” as various nursing schools have been setup throughout the country to meet the nursing job shortages in developed countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Developing countries are also looking for specialist nurses to boost their level of care. Right now, nurses make up nearly fifty percent of the health workforce worldwide.

Growing Demand

With many hospitals, nursing homes, medical centers, and aged-care facilities everywhere reporting nurse shortages, many healthcare organizations have tried to recruit more nurses and specialist nursing professionals through nursing websites and overseas job advertisements in nursing journals and publications.

International health crises like the Haitian earthquake and the Pakistan flood have further strained the nursing shortage. Overseas job for nurses who want to work for the UNICEF, Red Cross, and various international health groups are posted in their websites.

The demographic situation also dictates the nursing need of many countries. Most developed countries require specialists in geriatric nursing because of low population growth rates brought about by high elderly population while third world countries need pediatric nurses because of high population growth rates boosted by high birth rates.

The Salary

Filipino nurses really want to work abroad because of higher salaries and better career opportunities. The fact that nurses in the Philippines earn less than half to what they own in a New York hospital or a London nursing home. Oil-rich Arab countries offer the most lucrative salary packages because simply of their lack of nursing specialists working for their hospitals and medical centers. The healthcare industry in the UK offers seven weeks annual leave benefits to nurses.

Getting the Overseas Job

Make sure that you have made your research since different countries have different regulations for the medical profession. When you work abroad, it is very important to communicate well with the patient not just their language but also to understand their needs. Make sure you have filed all the necessary paper works and met every requirement for the job.

Though it is quite convenient to let health recruiters to find the nursing jobs for you, just be careful on overseas job recruiters that offer jobs that don’t even exist. For further assistance, there are many nursing websites that assists nurses as to how to find a place to stay, how to get to work, and other important issues before they make the move. Getting your work visa may take time since different countries have their own procedures to follow.

At the end of the day, working abroad as a nurse would mean that you need to have a sense of adventure, the desire to help people, and the open-minded attitude to meet every challenge. Having the patience and will power comes in handy when you want to achieve a very successful nursing career.