Would you like to build your professional and personal skills? Live and work in a place you’ll tell your grandchildren about? Do you want to help people while greeting sunrises on the beach and enjoying the sounds of the ocean? Join our team to experience all this and more!
Key Benefits of the Program:
- gain new professional knowledge and skills
- learn from experts hailing from different countries
- work with a diverse, international team
- improve your language skills
- access to a large network of volunteers and professionals
- vacation in the most beautiful spots of Central America
- immerse yourself in local culture
- surf, trail-run, and enjoy other outdoor activities
- make new friends
We Provide:
- help with preparing for the trip
- language lessons with a tutor
- free accommodation in the clinic
- vegetarian meals
- a vacation every two months
- a certificate of participation in the volunteer program
- letters of recommendation and gratitude to outstanding participants
Working conditions and responsibilities:
- Adhere strictly to all program rules;
- Work at the clinic (consulting patients, distributing medicine) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays, with a 1 hour lunch break, as well as being on duty in the evenings and on weekends according to schedule. Be prepared to respond to emergencies on a 24/7 basis;
- Nursing responsibilities:
- Assist the clinic doctor / assistant doctor;
- Carry out nursing procedures (injections, IV, measuring blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.);
- Assist with medical consultations (therapy, gynecology and midwifery, pediatrics, endocrinology, otorhinolaryngology, dermatovenerology, infectious diseases);
- Assist with minor surgical operations (draining abscesses, placing and removing stitches, removing lipomas and ingrown nails);
- Sterilize medical instruments. Maintain asepsis and sterility;
- Carry out medical tests available at the clinic, (glucose, pregnancy, hemoglobin, infectious diseases – syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis A and B);
- Perform medical examinations available at the clinic, (electrocardiography, Doppler ultrasounds, spirometry);
- Escort patients to the nearest hospital in case of an emergency or special case which cannot be treated at the clinic;
- Perform home visits for patients who have checked out of the Health & Help clinic or another hospital, and cannot visit the clinic due to the condition of their health;
- Regulate the intake of patients depending on their condition (triage);
- Give first aid when necessary;
- Keep track of medical documents, reports, and statistics;
- Provide education to the local population on proper health practices;
- Help clean the clinic, shared spaces, and rooms;
- Help Cook meals and shop for groceries, basic household items, and medication.
Requirements:
- Must be 21 years of age;
- Education: secondary level medical degree in nursing;
- Language skills: Spanish B1 level or higher (we provide Spanish tutoring in advance!), English A2 minimum;
- Willingness to speak Spanish even within the team;
- Be willing to support the project through fundraising;
- Being able to drive a stick-shift is a plus;
- Be willing to live and work far from large cities, with bad internet connectivity, at a small rural clinic with a diverse, international team;
- Support the core values and mission of Health & Help.