Nursing Mission Trips
We love our nurses! Global Health Reach (GHR) understands that nurses often provide front-line care in clinical settings in the United States. This isn’t different in the field! They fill a variety of crucial roles during GHR medical mission trip clinics. This post outlines just a few of the many possibilities.
Returning to the same area gives the unique opportunity to witness the health of an entire community
improve over the course of years. We get to bring the primary care office to a community and the patients will develop a deeper trust with volunteers and providers that consistently show up for them. Continuity of care is so important to achieving long term health goals for people and GHR makes it a point to hone-in, and pour everything they have into a few communities instead of sprinkling a little over a large number. It is through that persistent focus and dedication that you see powerful impacts being made on the lives of the people you are serving.
–Valerie, RN
Nursing Mission Trips – Triage and Intake
Nurses see a wide spectrum of conditions on a day-to-day basis. And, let’s be honest — they often have a good idea as to the plan of action for each patient prior to a doctor arriving! This makes them incredibly well-suited to triage patients in the field. Does the patient require immediate attention? Let’s get them directly to a doctor now! Having such a breadth of experience enables a nurse to be a MVP in the front-line of the field. Triage and intake roles include:
- Assessment of patient priority (is the patient exhibiting a condition that needs to be addressed immediately?)
- Patient education and distribution of supplies
- Review of past medical history
- Review of systems
- Assist doctors with patient diagnoses
- Provide advice and emotional support to patients
Nursing Mission Trips – Clinic Supervisor
Want a change of pace? Our team leaders are in constant need of assistance in the field! Nurses are often able to see the “big picture” since they are accustomed to filling broad roles in a clinical setting. They can keep our clinics running smoothly by:
- Controlling patient flow (are we running behind in triage? let’s temporarily halt patient intake and jump in to assist!)
- Anticipating and remediating clinic bottlenecks
- Run diagnostic tests as needed by the providers
- Assist with clinic logistics (do we need to order supplies? do we need to set up new stations?)
- Assess and make adjustments to clinic scheduling
Nursing Mission Trips – Conclusion
This post only begins to describe the many roles that nurses fulfill in the field! Many of the skills and roles are intangible. GHR understands that and wants to let you do the job you’re best at! Interested in learning more about nursing opportunities? Check out our upcoming trips and don’t hesitate to contact us via the form below.
