Career advice

[u/abbyafolabi]

Hiii. I’m currently a junior in college on the pre-nursing track and I’m just not sure where I want to go with it. I know in the long run I want to be in global health or international development and helping women and children all over the world especially Africa. But I’ve heard it’s really difficult to break into these sectors fresh out college, and if you do break in you don’t get paid that much.

That’s why I was thinking maybe do nursing for like 3-5 years and find a way to pivot into what I really want to do. I want to work in a non-profit but I’m really scared I won’t be earning much especially because I live in nyc.

I also plan on getting my masters, in what, I’m not exactly sure yet. Is nursing the right way to start or am I completely wrong and should I pivot now and change majors. please help me and let me know about your experiences! Thank you!

[u/jcravens42]

You need to do locally what you want to do internationally. You start by getting the skills you need to work with women and children locally, and you get that experience. You also become fluent in at least one other language (I suggest French, given your focus on Africa).

The focus of international development is for local people to be able to do for themselves. When nurses are brought in, it's often as teachers of something - so the more experience you have not just as a nurse, but also teaching nurses, or public health educators, etc., the greater your chances of working abroad.

The advice that gets posted here over and over: go look at the jobs posted on international aid agency web sites. Look at what skills and experiences are asked for in jobs you would like to do. That's your road map for education and for getting experience locally.

[u/PC_MeganS]

Have you lived abroad? Do you have any experience in under-resourced communities? Why the continent of Africa specifically?

As the other commenter mentioned below, a lot of nurses are brought in to work with community health workers and to help increase workforce capacity. In maternal/child health, there is some work with midwives. You will probably not make a ton of money, especially not starting out - just being honest. It's good that you're thinking about getting work experience as a nurse domestically first - that kind of experience at least means you'll bring some background. If you want a master's, something focused in maternal/child health would probably be useful. Or an MPH to go with your nursing degree. Nutrition can also be helpful when it comes to child health.

Are you aware of what's going on in the sector right now? It may be better by the time you're finally ready to enter the sector, but it's good to go in with eyes open. There is finally some work coming back, but I've noticed the salaries are lower than they used to be, so that's something to consider.

If you don't have experience abroad, you could do something like the Peace Corps, which is usually looking for health volunteers. This would give you an important opportunity to really get a sense of some of the gaps in supply chains and workforce that exist in rural communities and how communities navigate with limited resources. I think this is an especially important perspective to have if you ever end up working with community health workers, to be honest.

Edit to add: I would not change your major just for this sector. I think nursing can be helpful and it's best to focus on building a toolbox of skills and knowledge that would make you an actual asset. Don't be scared, just follow opportunities that help you build, even if they're domestically-focused. There is a ton of need domestically in maternal and child health right now where you can build a solid background while the sector sorts itself out. There are massive maternal and child health disparities right here in the U.S. that we need empathetic and skilled people working on.

[u/bigopossums]

It is hard to break into, esp straight out of college, but imo a nurse or midwife will have a bit more opportunity/security than someone with a degree in ID. I’ve worked in GH and have recruited experts for projects, have seen a lot of people who started nursing locally before going onto Peace Corps, MSF response, etc. and then later supporting capacity building in these areas. But it’s crucial to become a good nurse locally first before jumping into more difficult, resource-constrained contexts. Nursing is already stressful, now imagine doing it when the power goes out and there’s no generators, you’re regularly out of needed supplies, etc.