Medical Mission Trips with Nursing Beyond Borders

Get an In-Depth Look at Nursing Beyond Borders and the Medical Volunteer Opportunities They Provide Around the World

Medical mission trips are a fantastic way for nurses to build their resumes by volunteering their time to provide healthcare to those in need. This unique opportunity to gain hands-on nursing experience will open your eyes to how medicine is practiced all over the world.

The organizations that arrange medical mission trips range from large, multi-national operations to more modest but equally rewarding efforts coordinated by local charities and organizations. Nursing Beyond Borders may not be the largest organization, but its work has had an enormous positive impact in several countries around the world.

(Click here to see our full list of the best medical volunteer opportunities and medical mission trips)

What is Nursing Beyond Borders?

Founded in 1999, Nursing Beyond Borders is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that works with local doctors, dentists, and optometrists to provide free care to orphans and poor children around the globe. Nursing Beyond Borders conducts focused healthcare initiatives in every community they visit, including workshops that raise awareness for daily hygiene practices designed to improve life expectancy and prevent disease outbreaks.

Nursing Beyond Borders offers two different types of medical mission trips: Team and Individual. Team missions will send 8-12 nurses to serve within an established network of partnered orphanages, shelters, underserved schools, and local clinics to provide a variety of acute medical, vision, and dental services. Individual missions are generally ongoing missions that send 2-4 nurses (depending on the need) to facilitate patient follow-up treatment visits and provide day-to-day nursing duties with partnered facilities.

Nursing Beyond Borders Mission Statement

Nursing Beyond Borders provides healthcare and education to children and their communities on a global scale. We focus on preventing disease before it starts by sending nurses to serve in our network of partnered orphanages, shelters, underserved schools, and clinics. Through our focused healthcare initiatives, workshops, and partnerships with local providers, we provide a sustainable model of care which empowers children to improve not only their own lives, but to impact the lives of future generations.

Where Does Nursing Beyond Borders Serve?

Nurses Beyond Borders provides medical, dental, and optometry care in poor and underserved regions in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, and Oceana.

Current Individual mission trips include:

• Tijuana, Mexico (2-16 weeks)
• Siem Reap, Cambodia (3-12 weeks)
• Cape Coast, Ghana (4-8 weeks)
• Gbawe, Ghana (2-8 weeks)
• Manila, Philippines (1-4 months)
• Bucerías, Mexico (2-8 weeks)
• Luang Prabang, Laos (1-6 months)

What Kinds of Medical Professionals Does Nursing Beyond Borders Need?

Nursing Beyond Borders needs licensed nurses in the following disciplines:

• Registered Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Licensed Vocational Nurses

Nursing Beyond Borders Volunteer Requirements

Nursing Beyond Borders has a thorough application process that requires applicants to provide their CV/resume, copies of their identification, and nursing licenses. To be considered for any trip, all nurses must have at least one year of nursing experience.

An extensive background check is conducted on all applicants and licenses are checked to make sure they are in good standing. Applicants that advance to the next stage of the application process will meet with at least one of the directors via video interview.

Volunteers must make sure their vaccinations are up to date before embarking on their trip. Depending on the country of service, certain immunizations are required or strongly recommended. Nursing Beyond Borders can provide you with a list of required immunizations specific to your destination.

What Benefits Does Nursing Beyond Borders Provide?

The trip benefits provided by Nursing Beyond Borders vary and depend on the nature of the mission you choose. For more detailed information about which trip benefits are included with your fee, please visit the trip information pages on their website. However, we can provide you with a general idea of what’s included with your fee:

• Lodging (hotels, local family homes, or Airbnb)
• In-country transportation to and from the airport
• Food (depending on the mission, can be breakfast and lunch, or a stipend)
• Interpreter

Lodging can vary a great deal depending on the trip. Options can range from luxurious hotel accommodations to stays with local families. All accommodations will offer a comfortable and safe living space during your stay.

When you’re not on duty, all mission destinations are reasonably safe locations where pairs and groups of nurses can move around safely during the day. These destinations offer places to dine and local markets if preparing your own meals is an option.

What Expenses Am I Required To Cover?

In addition to the trip fee, there are many expenses that are the volunteer’s responsibility to cover during your mission trip. These expenses include:

• Airfares
• Inoculations
• Passport, visa, and transit fees
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses
• Toiletries
• Entertainment
• Certain meals or meals when out on the town

Please refer to Nursing Beyond Borders trip information web pages for more detailed information about which expenses are the volunteer’s responsibility.

How to Get Started

Like all medical mission trips, the application process begins long before the trip does. Before you apply at Nursing Beyond Borders, you should first visit their website and familiarize yourself with the organization, the type of work they do in-country, and their list of upcoming medical mission trips. To apply for an upcoming trip, you can either click the application link found in each trip description or access the application form under the ‘Volunteer’ navigation tab.

Click here to learn more about Nursing Beyond Borders.

Start Your Career in Healthcare by Earning Your Degree or Diploma

Advancing your healthcare career is a great way to earn a more competitive salary*, but the rewards go far beyond the money and increased responsibility. By becoming a medical assistant, registered nurse, or earning a BSN degree, you’ll play a key role in restoring health to the patients you serve. If this sounds like the kind of challenge you’re looking for, then the perfect place for you to begin your journey could be at Provo College or its sister school, Eagle Gate College.

The Medical Assistant Program at Eagle Gate College can be completed in as little as 9 months and provides the necessary training for entry-level positions as a medical assistant in a healthcare facility such as a clinic, physician’s office, or urgent care facility.

Or, if you’re ready to take the next step towards becoming a registered nurse, you can start by enrolling in our BSN program. If you already hold an ADN, then you can earn your BSN degree online in as few as 20 months through the Eagle Gate RN-to-BSN program.

Finally, if you’re interested in helping injured or disabled people restore their strength and mobility, we encourage you to explore our Physical Therapist Assistant program.