[Washington, DC - May 11, 2012]  Health Volunteers Overseas is delighted to announce the launch of its new nursing education program in Nebbi, Uganda at the Showers Foundation Health Center (SFHC).

The SFHC consists of two primary buildings. The main clinic operates with an outpatient department, 20 inpatient beds, a lab, a pharmacy, a procedure room and support services. The second building is a new maternity wing which houses pre- and post-natal mothers and children and provides basic labor and delivery services.

The goals of the program are to work with the nursing staff at SFHC to provide training in patient assessment, basic inpatient care and women's health (with an emphasis in maternity), and to promote evidence based practice. SFHC also plans to incorporate community based health care through training in preventive medicine and community education on basic health care concerns such as malaria control, immunization, nutrition, maternal health, family planning, communicable disease control, and HIV/AIDS.

Training opportunities for HVO volunteers will primarily be one on one or small group sessions through bedside consultation with the nurses and admitted patients. There will also be opportunities for more structured discussions to debrief staff on the training topics covered in the clinic each day.

Volunteers must be licensed active or retired nurses. Nurses with a master's degree or higher are preferred. However, bachelor's-prepared nurses with sufficient experience will also be considered. A limited number of assignments are available for 2012 and more frequent opportunities are available in 2013. Assignments are 2-4 weeks in length.

A private, non-profit organization, HVO was founded in 1986 to improve global health through education. HVO designs and implements clinical and didactic education programs in child health, primary care, trauma and rehabilitation, essential surgical care, oral health, blood disorders and cancer, infectious disease, nursing education and wound management. In more than 25 resource-poor countries, HVO volunteers train, mentor and provide critical professional support to health care providers who care for the neediest populations in the most difficult of circumstances. Visit the HVO website to learn more.

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