I am in my second year studying as a Children's Nurse and for my elective placement I am volunteering to go to Arusha in Tanzania to help out in a Children's Hospital.

This is an ideal opportunity to gain nursing experience abroad and will potentially change the way I see healthcare forever. This experience will enable me to be better prepared for a career in Children's Nursing. I will learn how nurses in the developing world adapt to deal with under-resourced wards, treat conditions I have never even seen, learn new clinical skills and more.

One of the most crucial takeaways from such an experience is discovering what the title of ‘nurse’ means in a global context. After all, the methods, practises, beliefs, and values of nurses differ depending on where in the world you happen to be.

Nursing abroad will give me the opportunity to share the skills and knowledge from our country and culture with equally dedicated people abroad.

In week three of this placement I am travelling to rural area of Arusha and spending one week with a host family of the Maasai tribe. I will experience how healthcare can be adapted and delivered effectively within under-resourced and under-staffed environments without access to equipment we so readily use here in the UK.

It is my intention that this experience will develop my future career as a Children's Nurse but more importantly my enthusiasm and dedication will make a positive difference to the lives of the children and families I meet.

To help me reach my fundraising goal I will be abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower on Sunday 30th April at 10.30am (anyone that knows me well will know I have a real fear of heights). Any donations will be greatly appreciated as without your support none of this will be possible.

I will also be taking part in various other fundraising events, information of which I shall post on my fundraising page.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.