Australian nurses improving the health of women and babies in Mongolia

For over 20 years a team of specialist doctors from Melbourne has visited a number of hospitals across various regions of Mongolia. They have trained Mongolian doctors in practices related to laparoscopic-gynaecology surgery and anaesthesia to help improve the health of Mongolian women.

In 2015 a team of two Perioperative Clinical Nurse Specialists, Shanez and Kate, accompanied the Australian medical contingent for the first time, and their impact was huge!

Within two years the nurses helped initiate practices that improve safety during surgery and reduce the perioperative transmission of infection. They also trained Mongolian doctors and nurses across three hospitals, in basic life support skills such as CPR. Prior to this, not one nurse they encountered in Mongolia had ever been shown how to perform basic life support.

In addition, the presence of Australian nurses among the medical contingent has helped empower the Mongolian theatre nurses they've worked with, and dismantle barriers in communication between the teams, that previously existed.

But there's a problem...

The long-term sustainability and success of this project relies on an ongoing commitment from the Australian nursing team. However, this is challenging due to the associated costs for nurses.

For Australian Doctors working in a public hospital the costs of travelling to and working in Mongolia can be recovered through medical funding. However, for any nursing staff wishing to volunteer their time and expertise no funding is available.

For the last two years nurses Shanez and Kate have volunteered their time and paid for their own flights and accommodation.

Shanez and Kate are eager to increase awareness of the valuable contribution Australian nurses have made to improving the health of women and babies in Mongolia. They are hopeful the public will embrace this cause and financially support nurses so they can continue to work alongside the medical team in the future.

Continued professional development of nursing and medical staff is the key to success, and the presence of Australian nurses in Mongolian hospitals truly makes a difference.

Revisting Mongolia annually will enable nurses to reinforce a framework for further education, facilitate progress, and consolidate ongoing training. This will be possible due to the strong inroads already established by Shanez and Kate since 2015.

The cost of flights, accommodation and visas for one nurse to travel to and work in Mongolia is $2,500. Funds raised will be used to expand the Australian nursing team for the future.

Please help support the future of Australian nurses in Mongolia!