Nursing Elective in Sri Lanka

The Nursing Elective in Sri Lanka caters to interns who are currently enrolled in, or have recently completed, a nursing degree from a recognized university in their home country. A prior background and/or experience in the nursing field is mandatory to participate in this internship. 

This is the main criteria to qualify for the nursing elective program. Participants who have work experience in the nursing field but are not enrolled in a nursing university will not qualify for the nursing elective and will have to join the pre-medical program instead.

Nursing interns have the option to rotate between a range of wards and units at the public hospital as per their interest (based on availability).They also get to understand how the nursing system of a developing country like Sri Lanka works and learn first-hand from local doctors and nurses, as well as contribute in the day-to-day running of the facilities. 

Sri Lanka is the only country in South Asia which offers free healthcare to all its citizens, which is remarkable for the region. As such, the public sector here is vast and constitutes the vast majority of the medical system. 

Nursing Interns have access to a larger and wider network of professionals, volume of patients and exposure to a comprehensive set of wards and special units.There is also a greater need for participants to assist in the public sector as the sheer volume of patients they get is overwhelming and from lower socio-economic classes.

Sample Placement Profile 

• National Hospital Galle – this is the largest public hospital in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and the 3rd largest hospital in all of Sri Lanka. Capacity of ~2,000 beds. It has a total of 54 wards and several other specialized units. It was previously known as “Teaching Hospital Karapitiya” and “Teaching Hospital Mahamodara” but has now been all grouped under “National Hospital Galle” as the Sri Lankan government has recently elevated its status from a regional hospital to a national one.

• Sri Lanka Friendship Hospital For Women – this is the largest maternity hospital in South Asia that specializes in maternity care, offering a wide range of maternity exposure for nursing interns.

• Government Ayurveda Institute – this hospital specializes in the traditional medicinal practice of Ayurveda

Nursing Elective Placements

Med Trips provides a variety of elective placements tailored to the specific needs of students training in the nursing field. 

These electives are specifically designed to meet the learning objectives of students in the medical field. Whether you are still in training or a recent graduate looking to broaden your skills, this placement offers a valuable learning experience.

Med Trips team in the UK as well as the in-country team in Sri Lanka can help complete any paperwork required, provide risk assessments and sign off on hours to ensure the placement complies with your university requirements.

Intern Roles & Responsibilities

Nursing Students have the opportunity to get rotational exposure across various wards, units and institutions, including: 

Maternity Care – possibility to work in all 3 wards that makeup the maternity care division as follows:

• Antenatal ward (typical activities include recording and monitoring of cardiotocography (CTG), checking vitals of pregnant mothers, routine monitoring of fetal movements and growth, performing urine ward test, etc.)

• Labour Room (typical tasks include assisting normal vaginal deliveries, assisting episiotomy and suturing of episiotomy, assisting the newborn care of the neonates, etc.)

• Obstetrics Theater (assisting/observing c-sections)

Note: Only female nursing electives have access to the Maternity care units (hospital rules).

Emergency Trauma Care (ETC) / Surgical Casualty Ward – tasks include bedside teaching regarding the management of patients, ward class with ward rounds, observing how local staff check vital signs and perform wound dressing.

Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Unit – tasks include supporting patients to carry out their daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy exercises, carrying out group activities to support the patient’s mental well-being and other similar activities. Students will get to closely shadow a physiotherapist and occupational therapist on a regular basis.

General Pediatric Ward – typical tasks include studying the history of the patients with the support of medical/ nursing staff, joining the ward rounds, performing activities to socialize with children (with parental consent), etc.

General Medical Ward – typical tasks include bedside teaching regarding the management of patients, ward rounds with the consultant and the medical staff, attending lectures with the local medical students, etc.

General Surgical Wards – tasks include joining the ward rounds with the consultant and medical staff, observing how local staff monitor vital signs and perform wound dressings of patients and observing pre operative and post operative care of the patients who go through surgeries such as Cholecystectomy, Appendectomy, Hernia repair, Thyroidectomy, etc.

Oncology Surgical Ward – typical tasks include studying the history of the patients with the support of nursing staff, joining the ward rounds, observing how local staff monitor vital signs and perform wound dressings of patients and observing pre operative and post operative care of the patients.

Special units like Psychiatry, Rheumatology, Orthopaedic and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are also available on request – please check with us and mention the choice in the elective information sheet.

Ayurvedic Medicine – A special introductory session on the traditional eastern medicinal practice of Ayurveda, which is based on a natural and holistic approach to physical and mental health. Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world’s oldest medical systems and remains one of Sri Lanka’s most popular and respected traditional health care systems.

Community Based Activities – this involves working at local schools, villages and community groups.

• Disability Care: Nursing interns are encouraged to engage with differently-abled people that need extra affection and care. They are able to help them with activities that enhance their motor and cognitive skills.

• Children: Educate and train the local children on first aid and basic hygiene practices in schools, kindergartens and community groups under the guidance of the coordinators.

• Elderly Care: Support and cheer up elderly people at elderly homes while improving their gross motor skills and cognitive skills engaging in crafting, mobility exercises and other fun activities.

• General Public: attend medical campaigns and health awareness programs under the guidance of medical professionals where they can assist with health checkups and educate people on different health conditions and issues.

In addition to the wards/ units described above, nursing interns also have the option to choose Community Weeks as part of their program which provides a more hands on experience dealing with various members of the local public (as described above) through community-based activities. This also includes a special one-day session on Ayurvedic medicine so a typical community week will comprise of Ayurvedic medicine and community based activities. Community week allocation is dependent on ground availability and will be excluded from the hospital certification process.

The experience in the hospital tends to be more observation-based, where participants will get exposure to a wide range of cases and patient types. Some participants who show more advanced knowledge or capability may get the opportunity to get more hands-on experience where they are allowed to interact directly with the local patients, but that is entirely at the discretion of the hospital staff based on their comfort level with the particular student. Additionally, all interns are supported by our experienced project coordinator who provides regular guidance and support to further enhance their learning and knowledge development.

Requirements & eligibility

• Current CV or Resume

• Motivation statement or intent letter describing personal background and rationale for pursuing this internship

• Reference letter issued by the university to confirm the nursing studies of the elective

• Duly completed elective information sheet provided by the hospital

• Passport sized photo

• Police background check

• Copy of passport

• Clinical or university documents that need to be attested by the hospital to certify the programme completion.

All the nursing interns should submit all their documents six (6) weeks prior to their start date.

Additionally, participants must understand the special circumstances when working in a country like Sri Lanka where the medical standards differs greatly from what they might have experienced in their home country. Our experience has shown that the electives who get the most out of this experience tend to be open-minded, flexible, respectful to local staff and eager to learn.

Interns must adhere to a professional attire while at the hospital. Clothing should be smart and professional with medical scrubs with long trousers (preferably white) being mandatory. Electives are responsible for bringing their own clothing and crocs ensuring these guidelines are met every day they are on the project.

As per the code of conduct of the hospital and the Healthcare project, accessories such as large earrings, piercings, rings and necklaces should not be worn during the project hours when they are in the hospitals.