Provide Essential Care on a Nursing Internship
Coordinator | Frank
Coordinator | Frank
Book with Flex Option!
Choose new departure dates or change to a different volunteer program at no extra costs.
Highlights
Travel to Africa and get valuable work experience by joining our Nursing Internship in Ghana. You will learn from qualified nurses and doctors. Expand your knowledge and make your resume stand out.
Gain practical experience doing basic health checks in local communities. This is impactful work, as we provide healthcare services in disadvantaged areas.
You will be based in one of our locations in Ghana and live with a host family. We encourage you to make the most of your free time to explore the country.
Acquire broad experiences while spending time in a variety of departments, including pediatrics and maternity.
Live with a Ghanaian host family and gain an insight into their daily way of life.
Learn from nurses in different hospital departments and do health checks during medical outreaches
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+
Our Nursing Internship in Ghana is ideal for students looking for work experience before or during university.
This is a great accompaniment to your studies and will give you a clearer idea of the work you do on a daily basis. If your goal is a career in nursing, the skills you learn during your internship will be a valuable addition to your CV.
No problem, if you have no experience! The goal of this internship is for you to learn, and you’ll gain a lot from shadowing local nurses and doctors. We recommend taking advantage of any opportunity to ask questions and take notes.
Your medical coordinator will teach you what you need to know before you work at any outreaches, and will be there to supervise you throughout.
Our Nursing Internship in Ghana runs throughout the year, and you can join at any time.
You'll work at a hospital, where you'll shadow and learn from nurses
and other medical staff. During your internship, you will:
Your work will focus on the following areas:
- Shadow nurses as they work with patients in the hospital
A big part of your placement will see you observing and following nurses as they do their rounds. This will give you an idea of what nurses do on a daily basis. At your nursing placement in Ghana, you will see for yourself how important nurses are in the smooth functioning of a hospital. They care for patients, monitor them, and administer medication.
- Experience work in different hospital departments
Hospitals in Ghana have different departments to meet the needs of the growing population. We recommend using this opportunity to intern several, spending at least a week in which one. You'll see different illnesses and injuries across different departments. This will also give you a better idea on which departments you wish to work in in the future.
- Provide free health checks and run educational campaigns at medical outreaches
You’ll take part in medical outreach work once or twice a week. Here, you’ll assist the nurses with basic healthcare checks... Here are a few of the tasks you'll do:
- Clean wounds
- Treat ringworm
- Check blood sugar levels
- Check blood pressure levels
- Conduct malaria and Hepetitis B tests
- Help nurses refer patients with positive test results
- Help distribute medication
Another
part of our outreach work is focused on education. Education is a huge
part of empowering local communities and an important prevention method.
Our goal is to improve standards of health in the community. We do this
by creating awareness around various diseases and share knowledge about
prevention and treatment. You will help with setting up and running
these campaigns. These activities will give you invaluable nursing work
experience in Ghana.
There are many different departments available including:
- General medicine
- General surgery
- Paediatrics
- Accident and emergency
- Gynaecology/Obstetics
- Labs
- Opthamology
- Dentistry
- Physiotherapy and more
When you first arrive at the hospital you will discuss your work schedule with the OGVO coordinator and the placement supervisor who will be a member of the hospital staff. If you are specializing in a specific area of nursing, you will discuss this with us and we will ensure that you are able to develop a program of study to support this. Many students choose to spend time in a variety of different departments within the hospital, including accident and emergency, pediatrics, maternity, pharmacy, physical therapy, and surgery.
Students on Nursing Internship are also encouraged to take part in regular medical outreach work, which involves treating children with minor wounds or illnesses from small villages or paying a visit to an orphanage. Those on a Nursing Internship wanting to specialize in the outreach work can join a full time Public Health.
Nursing Student Internship in Ghana are available for shorter periods than 4 weeks. While you will be able to gain valuable medical experience on a short-term trip, we recommend staying for a longer period to allow yourself more time to get to know the local medical system, see more of a variety of conditions and procedures, and develop stronger relationships with local medical staff.
Can I use this program as part of a college or university placement?
It is certainly possible to use one of OGVO’s programs as part of your university or college placement. Project staff can sign off any paperwork required by your course tutors. OGVO regularly receives medical, childcare, psychology and nursing placement students at our projects across Ghana and we have ties with some of the leading universities.
If you’re a course tutor and would like further information about how one of OGVO’s programs could meet the placement requirements for your degree course then please contact us directly.
Location
Ghana is a peaceful and welcoming country; Ghana satisfies one's appetite for both modern and traditional life. Its wide valleys, low-lying coastal plains, and thick rainforests resound with the beat of traditional rituals, while her cities glow and vibrate with all the bustle of the modern world. The Ghanaians are the friendliest people in West Africa: warm, proud yet humble with a contagious and calming sense of funniness.
Ghana is hot. It is always hot. What’s more, it's always humid. Humidity usually lingers between 95 and 100 percent. The rainy season lasts from mid-June to mid-November - sometimes. The rain provides a little respite from the intense heat, but temperatures will still be in the mid-80s Fahrenheit. The south of the country experiences the heaviest rainfall during September.
Intern abroad
Nursing Internship
Physical Therapy Internship
Midwifery Internship
Pediatrics Internship
Typical day
Start your day after a good night's sleep in your host family’s home. Get dressed, eat breakfast and grab a tro tro or shared taxi to get to the hospital. Don’t forget your scrub!
Your day starts at about 8am, Monday to Friday. This will, however, depend on the department you are working in . Finish up around 2pm or opt to stay longer and continue your observations. Just be sure to check with your supervisor and the local staff beforehand.
Each day, you will find yourself assisting the nurses as they go around the hospital cleaning their ward, bathing and grooming patients and remaking beds. You’ll often spend the next hour shadowing the doctor in the ward as he visits each of his patients. Under the supervision of the local nurses, you can help check vital signs and administer medication according to doctor’s instructions.
If you’d like to head home for the day, head back to your host family's house. You can then depend time getting to know your host family and playing games or watching movies in the evening.
In your free time, you can explore more of Ghana by renting a tro-tro/taxi for the day. We encourage you to learn more about Ghana’s history by visiting the Cape Coast castle. There are also a lot of hikes in the national parks. If you’d like recommendations, you can speak to our staff. They will be able to give you the best advice and tips on what to see and do while you are there.
Free-time activities
During weekends Volunteers/Interns have the opportunity to visit all
that Ghana has to offer. Weekend trips available include visits to Mole
National Park in the Northern Region of Ghana. This National Park offers
a great Safari-like experience and is one of the biggest Elephant
Sanctuaries in Africa with the chance to spot Lions, Leopards &
Antelopes in their natural habitat.
Volunteers can also take a trip to
Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana to relax in the beautiful
beaches and see the famous Cape Coast castle, the Kakum Canopy walkway
and Elmina castle, where slave trade begun.
NOTE: We do provide tours, so you can add a tour before or
after your volunteer program for an additional cost. We can perform
quality tours and can offer discounts to volunteers.
Swimming
Safari/
Zoo
Zoo
Museum/
Opera
Opera
Sports
Requirements
In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.
You need to speak English (basic level)
Medicine at High School / University /College etc. level
CV
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
No previous experience is required
Your helping hand will be required on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
from
08:00
- 14:00
What's Included
- airport meeting and transfer to project site
- comprehensive pre-departure information
- introduction to host family and program orientation
- accommodation and meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
- supervision and visa support letter
- Application review and processing
- support and guidance as well as 24 / 7 hour emergency back-up from staff
- all information before and during your time with us in Ghana
- regular culture activities (personal spending not included)
The price does not include visa, flight, vaccinations/immunizations, personal insurance (required), personal spending and in-country travel.
You should arrive into Kotoka International Airport in Accra (ACC). You will be met at the airport by one of our local staff or an appointed driver who will be holding a named sign. They will take you to your accommodation where you will spend the rest of your day at leisure.
Volunteers on this program will be accommodated with a local host family, and will gain the opportunity to become immersed in the local culture and custom, improving their knowledge of the people, culture and language. Ghanaian families are renowned for their kindness and hospitality and they love to learn about different cultures. Living with a local family truly is the best way to throw oneself into the local culture and to meet people who will often become lifelong friends!
All families have been fully vetted by our team and have extensive experience hosting international volunteers. Bedrooms are private but generally shared with volunteers of the same gender. Volunteers will be provided access to a shared bathroom. Generally, your host brother, sister or mother assist you with your laundry but it is not an obligation, learn to wash your clothing’s with your hands in several buckets, enjoy the sun drying your clothes and odor the African fragrance in your clothes.
It is important to remember that the living conditions in Ghana are different from home. Most families have running water, but hot water is still uncommon in some areas. Although the accommodation is basic, this is part of the challenge and experience of volunteering in a developing country. With a little patience, and a flexible attitude, you will quickly get used to your new surroundings.
Three meals a day are provided by the home-stay families and consist
mainly of traditional Ghanaian meals with some flexibility for home
comforts when available.
Breakfast is usually ready by around 7am; however you can eat later if you prefer to get up late. Lunch is usually packed by your host family in a lunch box so that you can eat at your project if you wish. Dinner is usually served around 6pm.
If you have special eating needs, you can indicate that while applying. Even though special eating needs are not something we can guarantee, we will do our best to meet your needs.
Good access at the project site
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
The nearest airport is Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in Accra. We assist you to find cheap flights to Ghana.
Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Ghana provides security and is a plus to have.
If you are intending to volunteer in Ghana you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Ghana.
Dates & Fees
NO CREDIT CARD FEES
Details on arrival
This program is available all year round, so volunteers or interns can arrive any day of the week or any month of the year with advance notice!
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2 - 24 weeks
Program fees
2 weeks
(min. stay)
$570
3 weeks
$670
4 weeks
$770
5 weeks
$870
7 weeks
$1,070
9 weeks
$1,270
24 weeks
(max. stay)
$2,770
Average fees
$200
/week
Please note that the above shown program fees are estimated.
Our Generation Voluntary Organization
will let you know about the final price during your application process.
The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.
Your final payment will be agreed with Our Generation Voluntary Organization during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.
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Provide Essential Care on a Nursing Internship
Learn from nurses in different hospital departments and do health checks during medical outreaches
$200/week
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