For many, humanitarian nursing brings to mind rushing into disaster zones to triage casualties during times of crisis or emergency. However, humanitarian nursing practice encompasses much more than emergency disaster relief. Nurses can be humanitarian healthcare workers assisting communities affected by disease outbreaks, natural disasters, resource deficiencies and gaps, or instability causing displacement and limited access to care.
Nurses interested in working outside of typical hospital environments will need to be flexible when working with unfamiliar populations. Humanitarian nurses should be able to thrive in cross-cultural settings, communicate effectively, think critically, and care for patients facing adverse situations.
Humanitarian nursing workers serve communities and global organisations to help improve care for those who need it most. If you have ever wanted to branch out in your nursing career and make an impact on a global scale, there are many ways to move into humanitarian nursing.
Here are some steps you can take as a Registered Nurse (RN) to pursue opportunities in humanitarian nursing.
Build Advanced Nursing Skills Through Further Study
Humanitarian healthcare is an area where registered nurses with a Master of Nursing can gain the skills and knowledge to work. While gaining experience in clinical settings is invaluable, further study can allow nurses to learn about complicated healthcare issues, leadership strategies and best practices for evidence-based care that can be applied when working with underserved populations or in emergency settings.
Nurses can also complete further study in specialties that correlate with humanitarian nursing. By gaining qualifications and furthering their education in emergency nursing, public health nursing, global health, disaster relief, mental health or community nursing, nurses can prepare for working in any situation they may face when providing care to communities in need.
Advanced education can also help nurses to learn about working closely with your critical decision-making skills, assessment expertise, care coordination and team management. These skills can be applied when working with international agencies, NGOs and disaster relief teams during humanitarian efforts. Nurses can find themselves in situations where they need to provide care with little to no resources or reference materials.
Combine the experience you gain working as a nurse with a postgraduate qualification, and you can make a difference in humanitarian efforts worldwide. Not only will you further your career, but you can help give back and provide care to those who need it.
Gain Experience in High-Need Healthcare Environments
Humanitarian organisations often seek nurses with significant clinical experience before they’ll consider you for a role. This is because you need to be able to demonstrate that you can care for others effectively, even in unpredictable environments or situations where resources are limited and needs are high. Nurses should feel comfortable with their critical thinking skills and be able to quickly assess patients, prioritise treatment and make decisions autonomously.
Experience working in high-acuity healthcare environments can help you build the skills required for humanitarian nurse roles. Positions in emergency departments and intensive care can help you gain experience caring for the critically ill and helping patients who have urgent health needs or rapidly changing medical conditions. Experience in rural and remote healthcare, community health or aged care can also help you learn how to care for and support populations with varying needs.
Due to the nature of humanitarian work, you may find yourself in a position where medical equipment, specialist services or resources are not available. Experience working in rural and remote locations can help you become more adaptable and comfortable providing care in settings where you need to think outside the box to help find solutions. Humanitarian nursing requires you to work well in healthcare teams, understand the needs of different communities and learn how to deliver safe care despite any barriers.
Clinical experience can also help you build your critical thinking skills and ability to think on your feet. As a nurse in humanitarian roles, you will likely find yourself supporting people at some of the hardest times of their lives. These positions require you to be comfortable making decisions independently while building the confidence to know that you can handle whatever comes your way.
Develop Skills for Working Across Cultures
Humanitarian nursing may include working with people from cultures different to your own. This can include language barriers and different traditions, beliefs and understanding of healthcare. You will still need to have a strong clinical background but being able to adapt to the community you work with will enable you to provide the best care possible.
Cultural awareness allows us to see how socioeconomic factors and someone’s background can affect their health and ability to receive healthcare. Healthcare inequalities must be considered when providing nursing in humanitarian settings. These communities have vulnerabilities such as lack of access to healthcare, displacement, poverty or lack of basic amenities.
Communicating effectively with patients is vital. This can also include overcoming language barriers and working sensitively between cultures. When providing care you need to gain the trust of those you work with; this includes patients, their families and the community. Nursing may include taking into account the local views and beliefs when providing healthcare. Remaining patient-centred and inclusive can allow you to adapt how you provide healthcare support.
You will also work alongside local healthcare professionals and internationally. Teamwork allows us to provide better healthcare by understanding what the community needs and finding ways to help. When providing nursing in humanitarian programs, pairing clinical skills with cultural awareness and communication skills can help you provide quality patient care.
Understand Global Health and Humanitarian Response
Humanitarian nursing relies heavily on population-focused global issues. Familiarity with situations involving conflict, natural disasters, refugee and displacement, disease outbreaks, and extreme poverty can help nurses better respond to emergencies worldwide.
Populations affected by these issues often have barriers that limit access to safe and effective healthcare. By understanding what creates these barriers, humanitarian nurses can help treat current conditions afflicting patients and prevent further health inequalities.
Promotion of public health knowledge is also extremely important. Whether working with a community to prevent the spread of disease or responding to large-scale disasters or disease outbreaks, nurses can use their background in public health to promote safety.
Education on infection control, disease prevention and community-based care are wonderful examples of how nurses can help limit risk and promote positive outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Humanitarian nurses should also familiarise themselves with emergency response initiatives and healthcare systems of other countries. Spending time abroad in a clinical setting can be extremely beneficial, as healthcare resources, policies and practice may vary. Learning about how other countries deliver healthcare can allow nurses to easily transition between domestic and international healthcare settings.
Build Experience Through Volunteering and International Opportunities
Registered nurses can also volunteer or gain experience outside of a traditional hospital setting to prepare for a career in humanitarian nursing. Volunteering in community health clinics, participating in medical mission trips and working in rural communities are all options to experience what it may be like to work with underserved populations and learn about global healthcare.
Working in settings outside of a hospital can allow nurses to experience how care is delivered outside of their own community. It can also allow you to experience health care delivery in underserved communities, where there may be limited access to medical care. Nurses can develop skills in flexibility, communication, problem-solving and delivering care at a community level. All of these skills can transfer to a career in humanitarian nursing.
Volunteering or working internationally can also allow you to network with others in the humanitarian field. You can connect with nonprofit organisations, other healthcare workers and nurses who have experience working in global health. Exposure to various healthcare settings can help you build on your skills and learn more about the population you want to serve.
Explore Careers With Humanitarian Organisations
You are not limited to just one organisation or role if you gain the clinical skills and experience necessary to become a humanitarian nurse. Nurses could work for non-government organisations, or NGOs; international health agencies; disaster relief groups; or with governments who run aid programs.
There are many career options available when you become a humanitarian nurse. You could become an emergency response nurse who focuses on critical care during a humanitarian crisis. You could become a public health nurse and specialise in preventative care, community health and education. There are also humanitarian careers in community health nursing, nurse coordination, and as a clinical nurse advisor.
Prepare for the Challenges of Humanitarian Nursing
Humanitarian nursing can be rewarding work, but it can also be demanding. Many of those who venture into humanitarian and crisis response work are faced with scenarios that test their expectations. Working abroad in resource-constrained locations often means coping with unpredictable circumstances, whilst providing care and support to people at what could be the worst times of their lives.
Being ready for anything is crucial, as you might not have the usual medications or specialist support when resources are scarce. Humanitarian nurses will learn to make quick decisions, adapt to ever-changing scenarios and provide impactful care regardless of their surroundings. All of these experiences build confidence in clinical decision-making and problem-solving in the most extreme cases.
But there’s more to working in healthcare crisis response than clinical knowledge. Providing care for communities affected by trauma, displacement and disease of all kinds can be emotional. Preparing for and processing these emotions is just as important, so finding emotional resilience and support is key. Long periods of time away from home, living and working in unfamiliar places and coping with demanding work are all parts of humanitarian nursing.
Preparing for these realities starts early, which is why education and professional development play such an important role for today’s nursing students to succeed tomorrow. Continuing your education and developing clinical skills, resilience, and adaptability are what will allow you to thrive in your humanitarian career.
Turn Your Nursing Skills Into Global Impact
Humanitarian nursing allows registered nurses to use their clinical skills, coupled with empathy, cultural sensitivity and a desire to see the world’s underserved populations live healthier lives. Although it can be difficult work, humanitarian nursing is a way to help others while providing care to those who need it most.
Anyone can become involved in humanitarian nursing. Some humanitarian nurses have backgrounds in emergency room nursing or public health nursing. Others go back to school to learn more, pick up certain skills, or gain international experience by volunteering.
If you’re ready to use your skills to help others outside of a hospital setting, start by learning all you can. Seek out opportunities that pique your interest and use those experiences to turn your passion into your career.
