Volunteers from the Youth With a Mission Medical Ship in Papua New Guinea. Photo supplied by Jasmine Dilley
Many nurses and midwives think about volunteering overseas at some point. Not all actually go through with it. Here, four ANMF (Vic Branch) members who have volunteered overseas share their experiences.
Jasmine Dilley
Jasmine Dilley in PNG. Photo: YWAM/supplied
In February 2025, registered nurse and midwife Jasmine Dilley joined the Youth With a Mission medical ship for a three-week tour to Papua New Guinea (PNG). She loved the experience so much, she went back again in June.
‘The Youth With a Mission medical ship attends remote villages of PNG to take teams of volunteer nurses, midwives, doctors and dentists to people who otherwise have no access to medical care,’ Jasmine told ANMF, prior to her second trip.
During her first tour, she was the only midwife onboard. As PNG has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world, Jasmine says she found it rewarding to be able to provide education around safe sex as well as consent and empowering women to make informed decisions about contraception.
‘It was really special to encourage these women and remind them of their value and worth,’ she says. ‘I also did some education sessions with teenage girls about their menstrual cycles and gave out reusable period kits. Some of the male volunteers were able to talk with the local boys too about consent and healthy relationships.’
Despite the challenges – limited supplies; language and culture differences; working in small, dark huts or outside ‘where weather, insects, snakes and crocodiles had to be considered!’ – what made it worthwhile for Jasmine were the friends she made onboard, and in PNG. She also valued ‘learning how things are done in other countries and being encouraged by their passion for accessible healthcare and willingness to serve others’.
Emma Turner
Emma Turner in PNG. Photo: YWAM/supplied
Registered nurse Emma Turner has also volunteered on the YWAM medical ship in PNG, first in 2017 as a new nurse, then again in February this year.
‘I was working in the primary healthcare team, providing childhood immunisations, doing general health check-ups, wound care and education, and helping the doctors with basic tests like blood pressure checks, urine samples, malaria tests and TB sample collection,’ she told ANMF.
‘We always made sure the community was happy for us to be there, and we very much worked on the ground level, supporting the local healthcare workers to provide access to health care and education in their communities.’
Working alongside the locals was key for Emma. ‘I was there for such a short period of time, but I was inspired by the local health workers who desire to make a difference in their own communities. I felt honoured to work alongside them, hear their stories and learn from them.’
A typical day, Emma explained, saw the team ‘walking through water, mud and over log bridges to set up an on-site health clinic. This could be under a tree, in a church, in someone’s house or in a shelter.’
Emma noted the challenges of working in PNG – including the remoteness of the villages – has made her grateful for the access to medical care we have in Australia. ‘Having been on this experience, I now stop and think before I complain about our healthcare system, as I know we are so fortunate to have what we have.’
Shi Wei Tan
Shi Wei Tan volunteering in Zimbabwe. Photo: supplied
In 2015 and 2017, registered nurse and midwife Shi Wei Tan volunteered in Zimbabwe, through Perth organisation Cosmos Alliance. Last year she joined the YWAM medical ship in PNG for the first time.
In Zimbabwe, with a team of nurses, doctors and local healthcare workers she visited different remote villages daily to do assessments and provide education, treatments and medication. More severe cases would be sent to hospital for further testing and treatment, ‘all fully funded by generous donors,’ she told ANMF.
‘One particular man walked in with a walking stick. He told me he fell off the roof and couldn’t walk for three months. It had been six months since the incident when I saw him. We got him a hip x-ray, and he had a fractured neck of femur! For six months! We liaised with an orthopaedic surgeon and got him the treatment he needed.’
In PNG, Shi Wei primarily provided antenatal care. ‘It’s very different to antenatal care in Australia,’ she explained. ‘We did routine malaria, syphilis and HIV testing using rapid diagnostics tests and a small drop of blood. Tetanus shots were given during pregnancy as some women would birth in the “garden/bush” and use unclean scissors. There were no ultrasounds. Due dates were estimated based on LNMP or fundal measurements.’
For Shi Wei, the highlights of volunteering include learning from and sharing knowledge with local nurses and midwives. ‘Their scope of practice and knowledge were incredible, as they serve their people with few resources, technology and equipment. One PNG nurse I worked with debrided a diabetic foot ulcer in the village with a suture cutter, some sterile gauze and saline.’
Christine Murphy
Christine Murphy and colleagues in Tanzania. Photo: supplied
Along with three colleagues, midwife Christine Murphy recently went to Tanzania with the help of an ANMF / HESTA volunteer grant.
Christine first travelled to Tanzania for four weeks of volunteering in 2023. Once home, she ‘immediately started planning a return trip with clearer intent.’
On the first trip, she worked in a regional referral hospital that accepted women who were at times very unwell or had complex pregnancies and births. ‘Many of the babies were being born in poor condition and requiring resuscitation at birth,’ she told ANMF, ‘but unfortunately the hospital lacked the resources and staff lacked the skills to save many of these babies.’
The goal for the return trip was therefore to provide education and equipment to support neonatal resuscitation. Christine and her colleagues worked with five local hospitals, demonstrating equipment and working with staff on their skills. ‘Often when it was busy we would also assist with deliveries and labour care.’
One of Christine’s highlights was ‘returning to a hospital after a weekend off, and the staff excitedly announcing that they had done a successful resuscitation the day before’.
Each hospital was ‘left with a new neonatal resus doll and a number of bags and masks, new oxygen tubing, nasal prongs and suction devices,’ Chrstine said. ‘We also knitted hundreds of beanies for babies at risk.’
In addition to support from ANMF and their employer, the group fundraised and personally purchased and resourced equipment from many places. Medical Pantry also donated some bag and mask resuscitators.
Thinking of volunteering?
Jasmine, Emma, Christine and Shi Wei all agree that volunteering overseas is a valuable experience.
‘I couldn’t recommend it highly enough,’ Jasmine said. ‘I not only learned many new practical skills, but I’ve gained a new appreciation for our facilities and services here. It really renewed my passion and sense of purpose in my work as a nurse and midwife.’
Emma agreed: ‘Do it! It doesn’t have be this big, long-term adventure; it can just be a few weeks. Your small part can make a big difference!’
Christine added: ‘It is an extremely rewarding experience. It gives life perspective.’
Shi Wei had some great advice. ‘Go with a humble heart. Don’t judge the way people live or their traditions and cultures. Expect to learn from others and don’t think you know everything – the local nurses and midwives are absolutely amazing.’
