Nursing Jobs Abroad

Treating patients whose background, life experiences, and culture are different than your own will expose you to different types of medical treatments and procedures, teach you a new way of approaching problems, and help you communicate better with patients from all walks of life.

Jobs abroad are a great experience for people who want a little adventure in their lives, and like to travel independently. International nursing jobs provide personal and professional growth to every nurse, through providing care, administering medicine and treatments, working on language skills, and supplying education to patients in a foreign country.

Due to high demand and low supply, international nursing jobs are available in just about any country you can think of!

New Zealand has a shortage of registered nurses that is projected to increase over the next two decades as nearly half of its current nursing workforce is approaching retirement age. The country is small (about 4.4 million people) and employers may recruit workers for nursing jobs in New Zealand under the country’s skilled migrant immigration policy.

Australia, though much larger, more diverse, and more populated than New Zealand, has a similar nursing shortage. They have a medical recruitment process with a fast-track visa certification process for available nursing jobs abroad.

China has a shortage in nurses due to its rapidly expanding economy, and its failure to keep its brightest nursing minds at home. There are about 500,000 nursing students in China, but many switch occupations or emigrate for work because of the lack of competitive nursing opportunities at home. As a result, China has only about one nurse per 1,000 people. Still, salaries for nursing jobs in China can be low and working conditions often challenging.

To fulfill an international nursing job, you will probably have to pass a licensing exam in order to practice locally in whatever country you have chosen. Once you have the appropriate licensing figured out, nursing jobs abroad are plentiful and varied.

What makes these jobs valuable abroad versus in your home country. Treating patients whose background, life experiences, and culture are different than your own will expose you to different types of medical treatments and procedures, teach you a new way of approaching problems, and help you communicate better with patients from all walks of life. Nursing jobs abroad are a great experience for people who want a little adventure in their lives, and like to travel independently. 

Professional benefits you can gain. International nursing jobs provide personal and professional growth to every nurse through providing care, administering medicine and treatments, working on language skills, and supplying education to patients in a foreign country.

A day on the job. Day-to-day duties at nursing jobs abroad can vary widely, especially depending on your role, experience, and location. Of course, every nurse can expect to be interacting with patients and performing common procedures on a daily basis.

The best and most lucrative nursing jobs abroad go to those with the most education and experience (particularly previous international experience, professional or volunteer), and those who are fluent in the local language. In many cases, perks and benefits greatly enhance the value of your salary package for an international nursing job.

Except in a few highly specialized fields, working in nursing abroad is not an exceptionally high-paid profession. Salaries vary widely depending on the country, location (rural, major city, mid-sized city), and need, but in most places, the starting salary for a nursing job will range from $27,000 to $32,000 a year. In some places, such as in Europe, a liberal and generous vacation policy sweetens most nursing job opportunities. In the Middle East, starting salaries for nursing jobs are more in the $36,000 to $42,000 range.

The best and most lucrative nursing jobs abroad go to those with the most education and experience (particularly previous international experience, professional, or volunteer), and those who are fluent in the local language. In many cases, perks and benefits greatly enhance the value of your salary package for an international nursing job. Except in a few highly-specialized fields, working in nursing abroad is not an exceptionally high-paid profession. Salaries vary widely depending on the country, location (rural, major city, mid-sized city), and need, but in most places the starting salary for a nursing job will range from $27,000 to $32,000 a year.

A skilled nurse is always in demand, and working abroad in nursing can increase your competitiveness and desirability in almost any field of nursing. International nursing jobs give nurses experience working in locations where techniques, medical challenges, diseases, and methods of treatment are different than what they learned in school. Sometimes international nurses will even have the chance to work with medical treatments still in the experimental stage. Working in nursing abroad will teach you new ways of communicating cross-culturally, as well as alternative cultural approaches to the treatment of health issues.