Nursing Internship in Peru

Our Nursing internship in Peru is open to all ages and is ideal if you are pursuing a career in nursing.

You can use this nursing work experience in Peru to boost your CV, and it will give you a lot to talk about in interviews. Talk about what you saw and learnt at the hospital, and how you overcame any challenges you faced. You will also have a deeper insight into the healthcare challenges people face in developing countries.

Whether you’re planning to study nursing, or already enrolled in university, this internship will add value to your future career.

To do this internship, you must speak an intermediate level of Spanish. This is because many nurses and patients in Peru do not speak English, and you need to communicate with them.

You can explore a number of departments or focus on those you want to gain experience in. The departments where you can work include:

• General medicine
• Obstetrics
• Gynaecology
• Paediatrics

If you’re interested in a specific department, please feel free to contact us, and we can help advise you.

On any given day, you will work shifts alongside your professional supervisors.

Your first shift of the day will be from around 8:00am to 1:00pm. Most patients are treated in the mornings, so be prepared for a busy start to the day. You will spend your afternoons shadowing nurses while they provide bedside care, and help with administrative tasks. If available, you could spend your afternoons working in the emergency unit.

If you work at the children’s rehabilitation centre, you will have less contact with doctors in the mornings. During your afternoons you can help with child care activities that focus on education and development.

In the evenings, you will return to your host families to get a taste of living like a Peruvian. Share stories from your day with your host family and fellow volunteers, and chat about life in your home countries.

Your weekends will be free for you to explore the amazing city of Cusco. Walk along streets lined with exquisite architecture and taste delicious lunches like hearty soups. You can also be adventurous and take a trip into the breathtaking mountainous landscapes of the Andes, where llamas roam freely.

The main aim of this project is to give you the opportunity to expand your medical knowledge, specifically in the field of nursing, and give you insight into healthcare practices in a developing country.

Peru currently suffers from a double burden of disease: infectious disease remains rife in poorer communities, with respiratory diseases still being one of the leading causes of death in Peru. That being said, non-communicable diseases are also on the rise and malnutrition amongst babies and children remains a serious issue.

Through our outreach programme, we aim to provide basic healthcare to some of these vulnerable groups as well as raise awareness about some of the more pressing health issues facing the country.

We have committed to four goals, as outlined in our Medical Management Plan:

• Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge
• Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
• Improve access to basic healthcare to disadvantaged groups
• Improve hygiene standards

Help us achieve these goals while you gain invaluable nursing work experience in Peru.

On this internship you will observe nurses as they go about their day. You can choose between a public hospital, healthcare centre, children’s rehabilitation centre, or private health clinic. During your observation, you will see fascinating procedures as they happen and learn about different diseases and conditions. These are some of the activities you can do:

• Shadow doctors and nurses doing their daily rounds
• Spend time observing in a variety of hospital departments for a diverse learning experience
• Sit in during consulations between doctors and patients
• Assist in outreaches that provide basic healthcare services