Hey everyone!
Welcome to our informative guide on Missionary Nurses.
If you might be considering becoming a Missionary Nurse or just want to know about the type of Nurse, this guide is here to answer your questions concerning the profession.
We’ll look into what Missionary Nurses do before discussing the different aspects surrounding where they work and how to become a Missionary Nurse.
This guide will cover:
- What do Missionary Nurses do?
- Where do Missionary Nurses work?
- How to Become a Missionary Nurse?
- Missionary Nurse Employment Projections and Salary
- What are the rewards of being a Missionary Nurse?
After reading this guide, you’ll better understand who a Missionary Nurse is and their scope of work.
So, let’s dive straight in!
What do Missionary Nurses do?
Across the globe, several communities can not access medical care due to the cost and inaccessibility of healthcare facilities.
Many of these communities are in underdeveloped regions, which receive a low health budget that disables them from prioritizing access to healthcare services.
To help fill the void of a flawed healthcare system, Missionary Nurses are sent to deprived communities to assist existing medical teams with patient care, educate communities about health-related issues, and participate in projects that help uplift the community.
Furthermore, Missionary Nurses promote disease prevention by giving vaccinations to communities.
Missionary nurses work for religious, specifically Christian non-profit organizations.
Hence, in addition to helping communities receive better healthcare services, Missionary Nurses provide spiritual guidance and upliftment to the medical care patients.
When Missionary Nurses are away from their hands-on work in deprived communities, they dedicate their time to raising awareness about deprived communities and raising money for the communities they have worked in.
Depending on where a Missionary might work, they might raise money for school supplies, and medical supplies, to mention a few.
Where do Missionary Nurses work?
As mentioned earlier, Missionary Nurses typically work with non-profit organizations with close ties with churches.
Due to the nature of their responsibilities, which is to provide patient care to deprived communities with limited resources, Missionary Nurses get to work all across the globe.
Missionary Nurses may be asked to work at hospitals and clinics, churches, community centers, or even schools when assigned to a community.
How to Become a Missionary Nurse?
Becoming a Missionary Nurse is relatively straightforward.
You might encounter some slight difficulty when it comes to obtaining additional licenses in the communities you work in, but not to worry, we’ll walk you through all the aspects of becoming a Missionary Nurse below.
Obtain a Nursing degree
Becoming a Missionary Nurse requires joining a Nursing program and obtaining an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
If you are familiar with how to become a Registered Nurse, then you might already know that the prerequisites to obtaining an Associate or Bachelor’s degree include a GED or high school diploma with a GPA of 2.5 to 3.0 and higher.
Take and pass the Nurse licensure examination.
Once you have successfully obtained a degree, the next step is to take the NCLEX-RN exam administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).
Many candidates who have taken the NCLEX-RN exam describe the examination as being difficult.
Furthermore, in 2017 NCSBN reported only 87% of candidates passed the test in their first attempt – hence, ensure you are prepared sufficiently before attempting the exam.
Once you have passed the exam, you will receive a Registered Nurse License, which permits you to practice a Missionary Nursing career.
Hold a Travel visa
To travel to the destination where Missionary Nurses will be required to work, a Missionary Nurse must obtain an unrestricted travel visa.
Without one, you will not be eligible to work in the country that your Missionary Nurse organization will allocate you to.
Additional requirements
In addition to obtaining a Nursing qualification, taking and passing the licensing examination, and obtaining an appropriate Travel visa, there are further requirements you will have to fulfill before you can start practicing as a Missionary Nurse.
Additional Certification
Many Missionary Nurses hold a Basic Life Support Certification, which certifies their knowledge in performing CPR, and proves that they’ve obtained skills in other life support procedures.
While this is not a mandatory requirement, it proves helpful in validating your ability to get the job done.
Additional Licensure
In many cases, you will need a license that will allow you to work as a nurse in the country where you will be working.
With this seemingly a tedious process, this might be a good time to mention that your Missionary Nurse organization will usually take care of the processes associated with obtaining a license in a different country.
Religious Knowledge
To become a Missionary Nurse, you’ll need a strong sense of faith and a deep understanding of religion.
This is because Missionary Nurses also need to promote their patients’ spiritual well-being.
Fluent in a foreign language
When obtaining work as a Missionary Nurse, you will probably have exposure to different cultures where English may not be the language of communication.
For this reason, it may be beneficial to learn a few foreign languages, especially the spoken language in the community you will work in.
By communicating to patients in a language that they will understand, you’ll be able to administer better patient care and spiritual upliftment.
Once you’ve met all the requirements, all that is left is to join a Missionary Nurse Organization or Humanitarian group that will assist you in getting work.
After that, you’ll spend time helping deprived communities with medical services and experience the perks.
Speaking of perks, the following section looks at the Missionary Nurse job outlook and the rewards of the job.
Missionary Nurse Employment Projections and Salary
Despite there not being enough data on the Missionary Nurse Employment Projection, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a 9% growth in jobs between 2020 and 2030 for Registered Nurses.
While this can not be a clear indicator of just how many jobs there will be available to Missionary Nurses, at least you know there are good chances of getting employment as a Registered Nurse, should you face a bit of difficulty finding work as a Missionary Nurse?
On the other hand, there is plenty of data regarding Missionary Nurses’ salaries.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual Missionary Nurse salary is $73 024, which works out to $35 per hour.
While the wages of a Missionary Nurse are well above the median U.S salary of $67 521, many Missionary Nurses work on a Volunteer basis.
Hence, some Missionary Nurses may earn significantly lower than $73 024 in a year.
What are the rewards of being a Missionary Nurse?
While a Missionary Nurse’s salary may be substantial, and while you may receive other benefits like the provision of food and housing, many Missionary Nurses argue that the job brings many more substantial rewards apart from monetary benefits.
For example, Missionary Nurses get to travel to various places across the globe, something they may not have ventured into if they were not a Missionary Nurse.
Additionally, Missionary Nurses get to learn more about cultures that aren’t their own.
Furthermore, Missionary Nurses often see their job as a spiritual journey where they can impart their spiritual beliefs to other people.
There are many aspects to the job that reward nurses who enter the field motivated by a spiritual calling.
Conclusion
People who desire to help people in impoverished areas while obtaining the opportunity to be adventurous and independent often make for suitable candidates to become Missionary Nurses.
While working with communities that lack when it comes to medical care may be sometimes strenuous or even emotional, the reward comes from being able to provide patient care to the masses and provide spiritual upliftment.
So, whether you want to become a Missionary Nurse or have just been in the dark about who Missionary Nurses are and what they do, we hope this guide has helped you increase your knowledge of the profession.
Good luck!
FAQs
How much does a Missionary Nurse make?
According to ZipRecruiter, a Missionary Nurse makes a median annual salary of $73 024 or $35 per hour. However, Missionary Nurses may not earn as much in many cases, as many choose to work on a volunteer basis.
What does a Missionary Nurse do?
A Missionary Nurse is sent to deprived communities to assist existing medical teams with patient care, educate communities about health issues, and participate in projects that help uplift the community. In addition, Missionary Nurses provide vaccinations to communities to prevent diseases.
What is a Missionary Nurse?
Missionary Nurses are medical professionals sent by non-profit and religious organizations for medical missions associated with providing patient care and spiritual upliftment to deprived communities. Some of their responsibilities include administering medical assessments, providing dental care, or dressing wounds.
What is it like to be a Missionary Nurse?
According to Nurse Journal, being a Missionary Nurse provides several rewards and challenges. While you get to share the gospel and travel to remote regions, you also have to work in environments with little to no resources. You may also encounter having to adapt to different cultures and unknown surroundings.
What degree does a Missionary Nurse need?
Firstly, you will have to become a Registered Nurse. Becoming a Registered Nurse requires you to obtain a GED or high school diploma with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Then, you need to get an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
What nursing mission opportunities are there?
To find out what Nursing Missions opportunities are available to you, you should connect with organizations that provide Nursing mission trips. According to Provo College, some of the top medical missionary organizations include Medico, Samaritan’s Purse, Foundations for Peace, and Medical Missions Outreach.
What can Nurses do in third-world countries?
Nurses can volunteer or become Missionary Nurses in deprived communities that lack medical services. Some of their work may include educating community members about disease prevention and providing medical care and rehabilitative care to patients.