Guest Blog by Sue Averill, ONAAT

Around the world there are so many people in so many places in need of medical services and healthcare education that it’s difficult to know where to you start if you want to help make a difference. One Nurse At A Time (ONAAT) was founded by nurses who recognized the need for an organization dedicated to nurses who wish to volunteer in underserved destinations, in the U.S. and internationally. Before ONAAT, most nurses stumbled upon volunteer and humanitarian nursing in their own unique ways. ONAT responded to this need by providing an online resource for organizations and nurses to find each other, along with:
–Training modules designed to help nurses understand disease processes that are uncommon in our work practices at home
–A comprehensive list of nonprofits/NGOs that provide healthcare to women, men and children and that seek volunteers
–Scholarship opportunities to help underwrite travel to developing regions/countries
Born from the passion of a handful of nurses, ONAAT has facilitated the education and travel of dozens of nurses to 20+ countries over the past six years to participate in life-changing missions in remote areas where basic medical care is severely lacking.
ONAAT also organizes its own direct volunteer nursing programs, like Jo’s Nurses. “Dream One, Do One, Lead One,” our inaugural Jo’s Nurses trip in 2013 was a grand success. Four “first mission” nurses traveled with Guatemala Village Health to provide primary care to villages often only accessible by small boat, or cargo truck through the mountains. Each nurse was mentored so that over the course of their mission, they began to work confidently and independently, and left with a commitment to continue volunteering in the future. Our second Jo’s Nurse mission was staffing a clinic in remote Guatemala and another four nurses launched their volunteer passion.
In 2013, we partnered with Barco’s Nightingales Foundation to provide six mission scholarships as well as funding for Nurses for Edna. This was a unique networking opportunity to bring together four women’s healthcare nurses from across the U.S and Canada, all interested in travelling to Somaliland to volunteer with Edna Adan Hospital.  The nurses spent six weeks training nursing and midwifery students, and providing hands on care in this maternity facility.

Since One Nurse At A Time began, hundreds of nurses have received guidance about volunteering and tools to enable their desire to provide medical care and services in some of the most remote corners of the world.  Nurses are eager to give of themselves, and One Nurse is proud to be able to offer direction and networking. For more information about volunteering and supporting ONAAT (a 501c3 nonprofit organization), please visit www.onenurseatatime.org.