travel nurse jobs ukraine

All of Your Questions About International Travel Nursing Jobs Answered Here

by Trusted Nurse Staffing | Mar 1, 2021 | News | 0 comments

Note: Trusted Nurse Staffing does not offer international travel nursing contracts

Is it possible to see the world while doing the job you love?  

For those who love nursing and love travel, the answer is a resounding “yes” .

Travel nurse positions are not only available domestically but also internationally.

But before you jump on a plane to your desired destination and nursing assignment, you’ve got questions about:

• Where you can go
• How much you can make
• How to prepare

We’ll fill you in on all these details and more as you consider a travel nurse position abroad.

Table of Contents

Can travel nurses work internationally, where are international travel nurses needed the most, how much do international travel nurses make, what are the educational and licensing requirements for travel nursing jobs abroad, 10 questions to ask the agency before applying for international travel nursing agencies online, 5 tips for international travel nurses, not quite ready for international travel nursing find amazing domestic travel nurse positions with trusted nurse staffing.

Yes, international travel nursing opportunities are numerous and varied. Not only are there nursing shortages in the United States, but many countries across the world experience these same shortages. 

These medical personnel shortages are especially common in countries with disease outbreaks or natural disasters.

RN international travel jobs not only allow you to experience other countries and cultures, but you’ll also be able to expand your nursing skills, learn new medical techniques, and further develop language and communication skills.

How Do I Become an International Travel Nurse?

Becoming a travel nurse internationally is much like becoming a travel nurse domestically. In addition to being a licensed nurse in the U.S., you may need special certifications to meet other requirements of the country you want to work in.

Each country is different in its specifications, so if international RN travel jobs intrigue you, spending some time researching the options and requirements will help you know what’s needed or what you may need to acquire before you apply for a position.

If you are new to travel nursing, we recommend taking at least one or two domestic assignments first before you commit to nursing overseas.  

Getting some experience working in different facilities across the country will help you get your feet wet before you step into jobs in other countries that may come with extra stressors like:

• A new culture
• A new climat
• A new language
• Different techniques and facilities

Trusted Nurse Staffing has qualified and experienced recruiters with the know-how to connect you to your desired domestic assignment.

Not only that, Trusted Nurse Staffing will help you look for exciting assignments with job security and benefits while giving you the personal attention you’re looking for.

Click here to find out how to get started.

Since travel nurses are needed almost everywhere, international travel nursing jobs are available in countries across the world. 

Some of the countries with the greatest need for travel nurses include:

• New Zealand
• The Middle East

This is just the tip of the iceberg, however. Many other countries are also in need.

The World Health Organization published a report entitled The State of the World’s Nursing 2020 which reported a “ global (nurse) shortfall of 5.9 trillion .” 

This report listed areas with immense need like:

• South East Asia
• Latin America

No matter the location, working as a travel nurse internationally is certain to provide experience:

• With patients of different ages.
• In a variety of conditions.
• With a variety of diseases.
• In different types of hospitals — from low-income to state-of-the-art medical facilities.

What Nursing Specialties Are Needed Abroad?

Nursing specialties of all kinds are needed abroad, but the most sought after specialties include:

• Emergency room
• Operating room
• Medical/surgical
• Intensive care
• Pediatric care
• Cardiac care
• Labor and delivery

How Long Are International Travel Nurse Assignments?

Travel nurse assignments differ depending on location and assignment, but most international travel nurse assignments last for one to two years .

Some international travel nurse assignments may also come with time off between assignments. In places like the Middle East, it’s not uncommon to get an assignment where the facility covers the cost of the nurse’s travel home between the first and second year.

If you’re not quite ready to jump into a long-term assignment overseas, maybe a short-term volunteer assignment will help you get your feet wet.  

Volunteer nursing positions are available through many non-profit organizations, and the duration of the assignments is much shorter — usually 3-6 weeks .

Of course, there is no payment for volunteer positions, but it may be a great way to experience an international assignment before you sign a longer-term contract.

Most international travel nurses make an hourly wage, but how much an international travel nurse makes may be dependent on several factors like:

• The location of the assignment
• The type of assignment
• The nurse’s qualifications or specialty certifications

Many overseas assignments pay less than the same job in the United States, but they may come with other benefits that offset the lower salary.  

Some of these benefits may include things like:

• Housing and food stipends
• Paid time off

Another thing to remember is that the cost of living is lower in many other countries. When you consider the lower cost of living, the lower salary may be comparable to a nursing position in the States. 

Taxes also can play a large role when considering the bottom line. Whether you will need to pay taxes or not depends on the country and the assignment. In places like the Middle East, it’s common to have tax-free assignments.

Along with many other details, international travel nurses will need to verify pay deduction and tax requirements with the agency they work with.

Which Countries Pay the Most for International Travel Nurses?

In general, the highest paying international travel nurse jobs are found in European countries.  

The following European countries pay the highest travel nurse salaries:

• The Netherlands

Europe offers the highest paying jobs because of the way compensation packages may be structured, but other high paying jobs can be found in other places like:

• The Virgin Islands

The pay in many of these locations ranges from $22,000 to $125,000 per year. In addition, some of the jobs in these locations offer exemplary benefits in top-notch facilities.

Do International Travel Nursing Jobs Have the Same Benefits, Stipends, and Travel Allowances as Domestic Travel Nurse Jobs?

Of course, all of the specifics will vary depending on the agency, country, and assignment, but most international travel nurse assignments come with some sort of benefits package. 

Going over all of the details with travel nursing abroad agencies is the only way to know the full extent of the benefits.

Many international travel nurse jobs come with similar benefits as those found in the U.S. like:

• Health insurance
• Paid licensing fees
• Travel to the assignment location

Time off between assignments may also be an attractive incentive, but it’s important to check the details. Caps may be set on time off, and these benefits can be lost if the time off is extended beyond the allotted time.

It’s extremely important for international travel nurses to understand exactly what is being offered in terms of benefits, stipends, and allowances. Getting everything in writing is a must.

If you want to compare international pay and benefits to those of domestic assignments, it would be worthwhile to take a look at Trusted Nurse Staffing. 

Trusted Nurse Staffing offers top pay and benefits for domestic assignments.

Many travel nurse jobs are available abroad for LPNs, RNs, and APRNs .

Regardless of your level of training, international travel nurses may need to  

• Have a degree from an accredited school. 
• Be in good standing. 
• Meet any of the country’s specific licensing requirements.
• Pass the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination).
• Pass any exams necessary for a specialty.
• Have one year of experience in a specialty area.

In addition to these educational and licensing requirements, there are several other travel specifications and documents that might be necessary, including:

• Work permit
• Sponsorship letters
• Birth certificate
• Immunization certificate

Lastly, language tests may be a requirement — even if you are traveling to an English-speaking country like Britain, Canada, or Australia.

Without a doubt, a travel nurse agency will give you a vast amount of information about international travel nursing on their website or in an initial interview. Thorough knowledge is key, so here are some important questions to ask the agency before you apply:

• Is travel health insurance part of the compensation package?
• Do you get paid vacation time and when?
• How often and in what currency will you be paid?
• Can you terminate your contract early if you’re not happy with the location?
• What locations do you serve?
• How is your pay package structured?
• Do you provide free housing or a housing stipend?
• Are there any signing incentives or end-of-assignment bonuses?
• How much time can I take off between assignments?
• Do you cover travel expenses to the travel location?

An assignment as an overseas travel nurse can be both rewarding and challenging . Stepping into a new culture, experiencing new food, missing family and friends, and starting a new job can all be formidable.

If you have never experienced travel nursing abroad, consider these tips as you prepare for your overseas assignment.

 #1 The Buddy System

Traveling alone to a new country and culture can bring about loneliness and homesickness. Bringing a spouse or partner or asking a nursing friend to apply with you are great ways to combat these difficult emotions. 

Bringing a pet may also be a possibilit y. 

You will need to keep in mind that each country has its own regulations for bringing in animals . Permits and health evaluations may be necessary, and sometimes pets need to be quarantined for a period of time once they arrive in the country. All of this can be quite costly.

#2 Give Yourself Time to Settle In

Arrive a few weeks early so you can get accustomed to your new city. 

You’ll want to use this time to:

• Get settled into your home
• Organize your transportation
• Figure out your route to your work location
• Get familiar with the city (find the grocery store, pharmacy, parks, etc.)

#3 Learn the Language

If you are considering a country where the first language is not English, it may be necessary to learn the native tongue.  

Even if you find an assignment in one of these countries, and they don’t require you to speak the language, it would still be incredibly beneficial to be able to speak the language conversationally for everyday interactions.

#4 Pack Light

You don’t need to bring the kitchen sink.

When packing to head to your overseas assignment, bring as little as possible .

Big items like furniture and household items will most likely be provided for you, so all you’ll need to bring is clothing and personal belongings and maybe a special item to remind you of home.

#5 Request an Orientation of the Medical Facility

A final item to consider when planning on how to travel nurse abroad is to visit the medical facility where you’ll be working. 

Rather than jumping in cold, request to have a tour of the facility/ward before your first day. Ask as many questions as you can about the expectations and daily responsibilities . 

Maybe you aren’t quite ready to take the plunge and jump into an overseas assignment.

There are plenty of domestic travel nurse assignments available, and these types of assignments can be a fabulous way to prepare you for a longer assignment farther away.

And you’ll still have the opportunity to visit some areas of your own country that are new to you while you get the chance to use and develop your nursing skills.

Trusted Nurse Staffing offers:

• Choice of assignment
• Outstanding pay 
• Excellent benefits
• Flexible contracts that range from 8 to 52 weeks.

With the personal attention of one of our recruiters, Trusted Nurse Staffing can help you find your dream job in your desired location.

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How Nurses Can Help in the Crisis in Ukraine

Disclaimer: As the crisis in Ukraine develops, it’s important to ensure your own safety, especially if traveling to affected countries. Also, avoid potential scammers by reviewing all official documents or restrictions before volunteering for an organization.

As the crisis in Ukraine continues to unfold, nurses across the U.S. are asking how they can help. Fortunately, there are several ways nurses can offer assistance, whether it’s volunteering as a nurse in Ukraine, donating, or spreading awareness on social media.

Millions of people worldwide are looking for ways to help Ukraine and Ukrainians. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in an escalation of hostilities that began in 2014. This ongoing invasion has drawn almost universal global condemnation and deep concern for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

As healthcare professionals and one of the most trusted professions, nurses can draw attention to humanitarian needs and call for an end to the violence by signing a joint statement condemning the Ukraine invasion and using the hashtag #NursesforPeace on social media.

This page describes options to offer nursing help in Ukraine by donating, volunteering, or providing assistance in other ways.

Nurses Can Volunteer in Ukraine and Neighboring Countries

This is a partial list of current opportunities. Because the situation is changing rapidly, there may be additional opportunities to volunteer as more organizations mobilize.

As a volunteer, conditions may be physically stressful and emotionally overwhelming. Expect long working days, the strain of working with people who are traumatized, and insufficient supplies. Make sure you are taking care of your emotional and physical health too.

Remember that if you aren’t physically or emotionally ready to volunteer, you can still help. Volunteer needs will likely continue even after hostilities end, as Ukraine and Ukrainians recover.

Be sure to verify any organization, especially ones you aren’t already familiar with. Unfortunately, while human suffering like the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine can elicit profound compassion and the desire to help, it also attracts scammers who prey on the human desire to help.

Volunteer as a Nurse in Ukraine and Neighboring Countries

International Medical Corps is recruiting registered nurses (RNs) with:

• At least six years of experience
• Two years of experience in low-resource settings or developing nations

It’s a plus if you:

• Speak Ukrainian, Russian, or other related languages
• Have a master of public health
• Are experienced in nongovernmental organizational settings
• Have lived and worked under very austere conditions

These RN volunteers will provide healthcare in Ukraine and neighboring countries taking in refugees. The work involves triaging and providing care, maintaining patient records, teaching staff, testing, and offering patient education.

Maintaining vigilance for signs of potential human exploitation and trafficking is crucial. You must make sound decisions under high stress and with limited resources.

Volunteer as a Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner in Western Ukraine or Poland

Team Rubicon is recruiting:

• Nurses and nurse practitioners to provide care to refugees

You must have current ACLS, BLS, and PALS certification; have experience in the military, a conflict zone or similar low-resource environment within the last five years; hold a U.S. or Canadian passport valid for the next six months; and be available for a minimum 2-week deployment.

Team Rubicon is a disaster relief organization based in the United States. It provides medical and other disaster relief services in crisis areas, including Ukraine, Haiti, and the United States. Many of its volunteers are military veterans, but they recruit volunteers from all backgrounds.

Volunteer as a Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner in Poland

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario is recruiting:

• Nurses to provide care to refugees
• Nurse practitioners to provide healthcare in Poland

Poland is receiving potentially millions of refugees from the Ukraine invasion, especially women and children. Nurses can help Ukraine by providing primary care, pediatric primary and emergency care, and mental healthcare.

While Poland is safe from conflict and likely to remain so, working conditions will be stressful. Expect to work with limited resources and people experiencing trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Volunteer as a Nurse With Children of War Teams

Children of War is mobilizing teams to help the children of Ukraine. Because they are still mobilizing, the details aren’t yet established. However, they will likely need nurses with pediatric primary, acute, and mental healthcare experience.

You can email their international team for details or send donations through their website.

12 Places Nurses Can Donate to Support Victims of War in Ukraine

The following are 12 places nurses and nursing allies can donate to support nursing colleagues in Ukraine, fund medical supplies, and address the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

You can find additional charities on Charity Navigator , which lists charities active in Ukraine that have received 3- or 4-star ratings for efficiency and effectiveness. The list is not comprehensive, but it includes easy access to information about each organization’s mission and operations, such as how much it spends on fundraising and administration and how much the CEO makes.

The ICN Humanitarian Fund

The International Council of Nurses is a global organization founded in 2010. They provide support to nurses serving survivors of natural or human-caused disasters and disaster training.

To help Ukraine, they have launched the #NursesforPeace campaign to condemn attacks on healthcare workers and facilities and offer other support for nurses in Ukraine. You can also donate to the ICN Humanitarian Fund.

Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders is one of the largest and best-known medical relief organizations. Before the invasion, they had a presence in Ukraine. Now they are giving emergency relief and supplies to hospitals and healthcare providers, including nurses in Ukraine.

You can support their work in Ukraine by donating.

Canadian Medical Assistance Teams

Canadian Medical Assistance Teams is accepting donations to help provide healthcare and supplies to refugees from Ukraine. They note that the first wave of refugees from disasters like the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine often have resources, but the following waves often have even greater needs.

The Children of War Foundation

The Children of War Foundation works to reduce the impact of war on children with physical and mental healthcare. They are currently sending supplies and mobilizing teams to respond to the Ukraine invasion.

The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross was already in Ukraine before the Ukraine invasion, providing humanitarian relief. They are offering healthcare, trauma care, first aid training, and food and shelter.

At present, they do not need volunteers but encourage volunteering at your local Red Cross.

International Medical Corps

International Medical Corps supports physicians and nurses in Ukraine and provides both physical and mental healthcare. They emphasize protecting refugees from exploitation and trafficking. They also have resources for women who have experienced or are at risk of gender-based violence.

The GlobalGiving Crisis Relief Fund

GlobalGiving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund works with local partners to provide food, shelter, and healthcare to refugees fleeing Ukraine and those still living in Ukraine. You can give to its general Ukraine fund or to specific organizations.

Urgent Action Fund

Urgent Action Fund provides resources to organizations and individuals supporting women and children in Ukraine. They make a particular effort to address the needs of transgender women and people who are nonbinary, who are at an even higher risk of gender-based violence.

The World Food Programme

The World Food Programme, part of the United Nations, is one of the largest food relief organizations in the world. It is shipping and distributing tons of food to help around 3.15 million people in Ukraine and hundreds of thousands of refugees in surrounding countries.

The United Ukrainian American Relief Committee

The United Ukrainian American Relief Committee is an established 501(c)3 nonprofit using GoFundMe as its donation platform. It is collecting donations to send medical supplies to physicians and nurses in Ukraine.

The World Central Kitchen

The World Central Kitchen gives hot, nutritious meals to refugees from the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and those remaining in the country. They serve refugees in Poland, Romania, and other countries receiving refugees.

International Relief Teams

International Relief Teams provides food, water, shelter, and other necessities to refugees fleeing Ukraine in partnership with local organizations.

How to Manage Stress During the Ukraine Crisis

As a nurse, you may already experience burnout from COVID-19 and the demands a two-year-long pandemic has placed on you, your family, and your colleagues. It’s tempting to “doomscroll” through bad news or feel guilty about working in relative comfort while nursing colleagues and civilians in Ukraine are suffering.

Instead, focus on what you can do. If you’re not in a position to volunteer now, during the COVID-19 crisis, remember that needs in Ukraine will be ongoing. There will be continuous opportunities to help nurse, teach, or provide other types of support for nurses in Ukraine.

Remember that you can help spread the word and encourage others to donate time or money in support of Ukraine. Above all, take care of yourself so that you can continue taking care of others.

You might be interested in

How Nurses Can Recognize and Report Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a public health emergency. Nurses can take these steps to identify and help people caught in human trafficking.

Volunteer Opportunities for Former Nurses

Retired nurses can put their valuable skills to work by volunteering. Check out our list of volunteer opportunities ideal for people with nursing experience.

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Ukraine 2022 © MSF

• Where We Work

As the war in Ukraine escalates, our teams are responding to a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Emotional support for health workers on Ukraine's front lines

April 23, 2024 —  The constant bombardment of frontline areas in the east, south, and northeastern parts of Ukraine has taken a toll on the mental health of not only patients but health workers. Psychologists with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are holding sessions for staff at Trostianets Hospital in the Sumy region to help them cope with the horrors of the war. 

Our work in Ukraine

As full-scale war erupted in Ukraine, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) scaled up activities to meet the many health needs—supporting health facilities, running mobile clinics, and operating a specially designed medical train. 

What's happening in Ukraine?

After eight years of low-intensity conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russian forces launched an all-out military assault in 2022, causing thousands of civilian casualties and extensive damage to energy and other key infrastructure, particularly in the country’s eastern regions. Many homes were destroyed and public services were severely disrupted, including health care, water and power supplies. 

By the end of 2022, 6.5 million people were internally displaced within Ukraine, and about eight million had fled the country.

How we're helping in Ukraine

Before the war escalated, MSF’s regular programs in Ukraine included providing health care and mental health services to people affected by hostilities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Based in Bakhmut and Mariupol, our teams ran mobile clinics and supplied facilities with drugs and equipment. We also offered lifesaving care for tuberculosis (TB) patients and supported the implementation of an innovative TB treatment regimen in Zhytomyr. OnFebruary 24, 2022, these regular programs were suspended and/or reoriented to meet emerging needs in Ukraine and nearby countries.

In the early days following the escalation of the war, hospitals were in crucial need of medical supplies. We established supply lines to health facilities and displaced people in Severodonetsk, Luhansk region, Mariupol, Donetsk region, Dnipro, and the capital city of Kyiv for the delivery of drugs, medical materials and other essential items. 

Care amid crisis

One year since conflict escalated in Ukraine, MSF staff are providing lifesaving medical care to patients as attacks on civilians continue. 

As of November 15, 2022, there are approximately 116 international MSF staff and 685 Ukrainian staff working across Ukraine, with more joining the team every day. They work as medical staff (surgeons, doctors, nurses); psychologists; logistics and administration; and management. We currently have teams based in Apostolove, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lyman, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Pokrovsk, Kochubeivka, Kostiantynivka, Kryvyi Rih, Uzhhorod, Kropyvnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr.

Since February 24, 2022, MSF has brought more than 800 metric tons of medical and relief supplies into Ukraine to support hospitals, health centers, and displaced people.

Medical evacuation trains

On April 1, 2022, MSF completed its first medical train referral , taking nine patients who had been wounded in or near the besieged city of Mariupol from hospitals in Zaporizhzhia to hospitals in Lviv. They were transported on a two-carriage train equipped as a basic hospital ward, accompanied by a team of nine MSF medical staff.

February 22 02:58 PM

Ukraine: "No one is spared from the impact of this war."

MSF-USA Executive Director Avril Benoît on the growing medical and mental health needs in the country

We are now using a larger and more highly medicalized train . We have made over 80 referral trips, mostly taking patients from overburdened Ukrainian hospitals close to active war zones to Ukrainian hospitals with more capacity that are further from active war zones. Among the people we've evacuated are seriously wounded patients from Kharkiv and babies and children from an orphanage in Zaporizhzhia. Over 2,500 hospital patients have been medically evacuated, along with their family members, in addition to 78 orphans. About 28 percent of the patients have been violence-related trauma cases. Further medical referrals are planned as urgent requests from hospitals in the east continue.

Ukraine: MSF medical trains move patients with psychiatric and neurological conditions to better care

How we are helping in kyiv.

In Hostomel, on the outskirts of Kyiv, MSF runs a project to treat survivors of torture. The project has mental health and physiotherapy rehabilitation components, as well as a general medical practitioner. Our teams also provide mental health care in 10 different locations outside Kyiv. In 2022, these teams provided almost 1,000 individual mental health consultations, and 184 group therapy sessions.

In Kyiv city, we provide physiotherapy and psychological counseling services for war-wounded people in a hospital managed by the Ministry of Interior. We also treat patients and train local health staff to respond to major needs, including rehabilitation and mental health care, which are major gaps in the Ukrainian health care system. Since the escalation of the war there are a huge number of people with major injuries and the need for post-operative care is enormous. The trauma patients we see are at risk of developing long-term issues without proper care.

We also provide self-care and psychological first aid training for railway staff, who often end up acting as psychological first responders, as they serve people who are evacuating areas heavily affected by the war.

Rehabilitation, mobile clinics, and mental health care in Vinnytsia

Our rehabilitation project at the Ministry of Health hospital in Vinnytsia continues. MSF teams provide physiotherapy and psychological counseling to war-wounded people, following a similar approach to the project we operate in Kyiv. This approach focuses on providing hands-on treatment to patients and capacity-building through training for local staff.

In Vinnytsia, we run mobile clinics, particularly in the southern part of the oblast and rural areas where IDPs have settled without access to primary health care. Other mobile teams focus on mental health and health promotion.

Donations and training in Kirovohrad

MSF has made donations of medical supplies to 23 health facilities Kirovohrad oblast, where the city of Kropyvnytskyi is located, and the northern part of neighboring Mykolaiv oblast. From April to December we provided 146 training sessions for health professionals, psychologists, and first responders on things like managing influxes of war wounded people, decontamination, trauma, and mental health. A total of 2,301 people participated in these training sessions. Since April, our mental health team has seen 299 patients in individual sessions and 9,463 patients in group psychoeducation sessions. MSF is also distributing relief items (bedding kits, hygiene kits, food, firewood, electrical materials, and more) and doing rehabilitation work in IDP shelters, particularly in the area of water and sanitation.

Support for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Dnipro

In and around Dnipro, MSF supports vulnerable people in more than 40 shelters who fled parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, where the conflict is particularly intense. In Zaporizhzhia we provide support to thousands of people who were displaced from Mariupol.

Mobile clinics

Our mobile clinics provide medical consultations and medications for people with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and epilepsy. We also refer severely ill patients to hospitals, provide psychological first aid and mental health consultations, and distribute basic relief items. These mobile clinics are being scaled down as many people can once again access these services through Ukraine’s national health system.

Russia: MSF partners with local organizations to support people displaced by conflict in Ukraine

According to the UN Refugee Agency , more than 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began. MSF is responding to the needs of Ukrainian refugees in neighboring countries. Within Ukraine, over 6.5 million people remain displaced by the war, according to the International Organization for Migration.

As of January 24, 2023, UNHCR had recorded 19,673 Ukrainian refugees in Belarus . According to public reporting by the Belarus State Border Guards, 5,655 Ukrainians entered the country between January 1, 2023, and February 3.

In Belarus, MSF continues to respond to the medical needs of people on the move stranded between Belarus and the European Union. While the winter conditions in Belarus seem to have caused a drop in the number of crossing attempts into Europe, the MSF team is still caring for people suffering from frostbite, injuries— including violence-related injuries—and chronic diseases.

Since November 2021, we have assisted more than 1,200 patients from various countries of origin, few of them from Ukraine. MSF has not provided any direct support to patients from Ukraine since early December 2022. According to a government decree from mid-September 2022, Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons from Ukraine, regardless of their status in Belarus, have the right to affordable medical care on an equal basis with citizens of the Republic of Belarus.

In Belarus, we continue to support the delivery of person-centered care and treatment for people with drug-resistant tuberculosis via the National Tuberculosis Program and provide care and treatment for incarcerated people living with TB,  HIV , and hepatitis C.

More than 9.4 million people have crossed from Ukraine into Poland since February 24, 2022, according to  UNHCR . More than 1.5 million people have registered for temporary protection. MSF is actively working to support the Ministry of Health to ensure that patients are able to access treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis, including displaced patients previously supported by MSF in Ukraine.

More than 2,800,000 people have crossed to Russia from Ukraine as of October 3, 2022, according to UNHCR.

MSF has been present in Russia for 30 years. Currently, our teams in Russia work with health authorities in Arkhangelsk and Vladimir regions to support lifesaving treatment for patients with drug-resistant TB. In the last few months, MSF scaled up its assistance to partner organizations in St.Petersburg and Moscow to ensure the continuation of HIV treatment for people from Ukraine and other people in need. We have seen an increase in the number of people from Ukraine living with HIV and hepatitis C in need of refills for their antiretroviral medicines.

An emergency department in Kostiantynivka

MSF has supported the emergency department and surgical and intensive care units at the Kostiantynivka hospital since late July. In 2022, MSF teams treated 752 patients in the emergency room (ER) with 168 surgical interventions performed in the operating theater. These teams work alongside and in partnership with staff from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. Most of the patients they see are trauma cases.

Supply donations and a mobile clinic in Lyman

The Lyman area was retaken by Ukrainian forces in late 2022. In the last quarter of the year, MSF teams conducted 3,152 primary health care consultations in Lyman and the surrounding areas and donated medical supplies. We will continue to work in this area and will further explore how MSF can best respond to the evolving needs.

Supporting hospitals in Donetsk oblast

MSF sends donations to primary, secondary, and tertiary health care services and supports training for specialized emergency response. After months of disruption and decreased activities, the health care system is slowly recovering. Meanwhile, medical needs are increasing as some people who fled the fighting return to their homes. In response, MSF has launched an agile emergency response, running an ambulance in Sloviansk and Pokrovsk.

Ambulance referrals

MSF ambulances refer patients between health care facilities, serving 16 different facilities in the Donetsk region. Many of these patients require transport from facilities close to the front line to hospitals further away from the fighting where they can continue their care. Of the 1,180 people transferred by this service, most suffered severe trauma. Some ambulances are also equipped for intensive care unit (ICU) support. In 2022, 41 patients who were intubated or needed specific medical monitoring were transported.

Care for Carers Program

MSF teams continue to support local health care professionals experiencing burnout and stress. Activities include psychological group support and stress management trainings focused on providing coping mechanisms.

Uzhhorod and Ivano-Frankivsk

Supporting an outpatient department and mobile clinic.

In Ivano-FrankivskMSF supports a fixed outpatient department point and a mobile clinic focusing on care for IDP patients run by doctors who are themselves displaced by the war. At least 3,017 medical consultations have been carried out, mainly for hypertension, cardiovascular issues, chronic diabetes, and upper respiratory tract infections. In Uzhhorod and other peripheral areas we run mobile clinics at public IDP shelters. From July to December, MSF carried out 3,925 medical consultations through mobile clinics, visiting various locations in Zakarpattia oblast, including Uzhhorod, Mukachevo, and Perechyn, among others. The main medical conditions seen were hypertension, cardiovascular issues, and respiratory infections. In Uzhhorod, we also support a fixed interfamily volunteer clinic, where 663 medical consultations were done between November and December.

We have carried out training sessions on decontamination, mass casualties, sexual and gender-based violence, and mental health with local health professionals, psychologists, and first responders. From March to December 2022, we provided 41 training sessions attended by 764 people in Zakarpattia oblast and 69 sessions in Ivano-Frankivskoblast, with the participation of 1,146 people.

MSF continues to donate medical supplies on a regular basis. We have made 84 donations of kits in about 20 facilities in these two oblasts. We also distribute relief items (bedding kits, hygiene kits, food, and more)for displaced people, particularly in nearby rural areas. We also offer rehabilitation work at IDP shelters. In 2022 our mental health teams in both locations saw 797 patients in individual sessions and 4,593 patients in group psycho-education sessions.

Support to boarding houses

We have started working with boarding houses that care for vulnerable people including the elderly, people with disabilities, and unaccompanied children. We provide nursing care training to the staff, especially on infection prevention and control, logistics, and regular patient care.

Emergency mobile medical team

MSF has developed an agile emergency response capacity in coordination with authorities that aims to provide access to comprehensive health care for civilians when the front line of the conflict moves. Services include a medical mobile team that will visit areas close to the fighting to provide urgent medical services based on the needs, including evacuation of patients and primary health care in both Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia.

Support to hospitals

In Zaporizhzhia, MSF continues to support hospitals near the front line through supply donations. Mental health activities are also being scaled up to include workers close to the front line as the burden of mental health trauma related to the continuing conflict grows.

Sexual and reproductive health care

MSF also runs a clinic providing sexual and reproductive health services, including contraceptives and care for people who have experienced sexual violence. The team also provides health promotion and information and connects people to health services via social media. In 2022, MSF teams provided 372 consultations for sexual and reproductive health in Dnipro.

Supporting psychiatric patients

MSF teams also provide medical and psychiatric care in two “care houses” that host people with severe psychiatric and neuropsychologic conditions. Most of these patients hadn’t received proper psychiatric or medical care since February 2022. We also provided group and individual psychological sessions for the staff of these facilities. In January 2023 we briefly supported three more such facilities in the region.

Social support in Zhytomyr

MSF teams continue to provide social support (including food parcels and hygiene kits) and psychological support to tuberculosis (TB) patients to help them keep taking their medication and complete treatment. In collaboration with health authorities, we recently began contact-tracing for children who have been in close contact with TB patients. MSF also transports samples to the TB hospital for testing to monitor treatment progress. At the same time, we continue to support the regional TB hospital with drugs, laboratory consumables, and food for patients.

Ukraine: "Some people are too scared to surface at all"

MSF doctor Lisa Searle writes about her experience caring for displaced people in Kharkiv’s metro stations.

Mobile clinics and mental health care in Kharkiv

We run mobile clinics in rural villages and towns in the Kharkiv region, providing primary health care, including sexual and reproductive health, and mental health support. Most of MSF’s patients are women over the age of 60. The major medical needs are chronic illnesses, such as hypertension and diabetes. For some time, MSF also ran mobile clinics in the Kharkiv metro stations.

We also provide non-food items such as hygiene kits and medical supplies to health facilities. Many health facilities in the region have been damaged or destroyed, and communities have been living without electricity and heating for months. The weather and lack of public transportation makes it difficult for people to reach health care. We are seeing an increase in acute diseases, including upper respiratory tract infections and exacerbation of asthma.

Emergency support in Apostolove and Kryvyi Rih

In Apostolove hospital, MSF provides emergency room and direct, hands-on surgical support. This includes assisting with, and working on, triage and surgical interventions. In the hospital, our teams provided 972 consultations in 2022 and admitted 403 patients suffering from violent trauma injuries.

From a base in Kryvyi Rih, MSF has been running mobile clinics predominantly in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts. In 2022, these teams visited 144 towns and villages in the region, providing a total of 8,307 medical consultations. Services offered include primary health care consultations, sexual and reproductive health services, and mental health care, in addition to health promotion. Medical teams in these areas have provided 1,848 primary health care consultations.

Three MSF ambulances transfer patients to hospitals and between medical facilities around Kryvyi Rih and areas in Kherson oblast. In 2022, 973 patients were referred through this service.

How we are helping in Kherson

In Mykolaiv oblast and in parts of Kherson oblast recently retaken by Ukrainian forces, MSF mobile clinics provide primary health care services and psychological counseling and social services. We also support the rehabilitation of health care facilities damaged during the fighting. After months of control by Russian forces and extremely limited access to health care, the main health issues we see are chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Important mental health needs are also emerging as people come forward to seek the help of MSF counselors in the villages we visit.

Noncommunicable diseases and evacuation of psychiatric patients

MSF is one of the only nongovernmental organizations working in Kherson city. Our teams provide medical consultations, mainly for patients living with noncommunicable diseases. When strikes on energy infrastructure caused Kherson city’s psychiatric hospital to lose power, MSF  evacuated the facility’s 400 patients  to other medical structures further from the front lines via buses and trains.

Stabilization points

In Kochubeivka and Svobodny, we run stabilization points where patients are treated before being referred to hospitals.

To respond to the needs resulting from the conflict in Ukraine, MSF has started to support displaced people in the Voronezh, Belgorod, and Rostov-on-Don regions. Through regional nongovernmental organizations, MSF has organized a team of local social workers, medical doctors, psychologists, and legal counselors that are working to ensure that people from Ukraine—mostly newly arrived ones—receive all the necessary qualified medical services in licensed medical clinics and have access to other state social services. When necessary, we have been covering any medical care gaps and paying for the necessary medications and medical consultations. We also regularly support organizations working in these regions with essential supplies like food, hygiene items, and more.

So far, we have provided medical support to around 4,800 migrants, which also included nearly 1,020 mental health support sessions.

As in any country, our work in Russia is focused on providing medical care where we can, based on medical needs alone.

MSF first worked in Ukraine in 1999, supporting the Ministry of Health to treat HIV. From 2011 to 2014, MSF ran a drug-resistant TB program within the regional penitentiary system in Donetsk. We have been responding to the war in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and have continued to run specialized programs to treat infectious diseases like hepatitis C. When the conflict escalated in February 2022, MSF was running a drug-resistant tuberculosis project in Zhytomyr and an HIV project in Sievierodonetsk and was working to improve access to primary health care for people affected by years of fighting in the east. These projects were suspended as were oriented our activities to respond to the urgent needs stemming from the escalation of the war.

How we're helping

outpatient consultations

individual mental health consultations

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Learn about MSF’s journalistic roots and our commitment to bear witness and speak out about the experiences of the people we treat.

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Ukraine: MSF condemns missile attack on its office in Pokrovsk

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Lessons learned on TB treatment from a pilot project in Ukraine

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‘Let’s hear it for the midwives and everything they do’

STEVE FORD, EDITOR

• You are here: Global nursing

Nursing community expresses solidarity with nurses in Ukraine

25 February, 2022 By Emma Baines

Source:  Shutterstock

Nurses from the UK and around the world are sending messages of solidarity and support to their colleagues in Ukraine, as shocking news and images show nurses struggling to keep working while under Russian attack.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) issued a statement saying the protection and safety of nurses and all health workers is paramount and that any attack or targeting of health workers or health facilities goes against the protection of health workers enshrined in international regulations and the Geneva Convention and is an affront against humanity.

"The people of Ukraine are in all of our thoughts – not least the country's nursing and other health and care staff" Denise Chaffer

This comes following the publication of video footage by the New York Times showing nurses working in a makeshift bomb shelter in the basement of a hospital in Dnipro, in Eastern Ukraine on Thursday 24 February.

The nurses provide emergency ventilation with hand pumps for babies from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) evacuated to the shelter when the city was targeted by Russian missile strikes.

“This is the NICU. In a bomb shelter. Can you imagine?” Dr Denis Surkov, chief of the neonatal unit, at Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Children’s Clinical Hospital, told the New York Times in a WhatsApp message. “This is our reality.”

Amnesty International has warned that Russia has been targeting hospitals, with six healthcare workers reported to have been among the injured when a Russian missile struck near a hospital building in Vuhledar, in the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine at 10.30am on Thursday morning.

Many more casualties are expected as Russian attacks have continued throughout the day, and fighting has reached the capital city of Kyiv.

President of the Royal College of Nursing, Dr Denise Chaffer, said: "What we have all witnessed in recent days gives us all great cause for concern. The updates coming from Ukraine are deeply distressing and the international community must continue to come together in response. This is a dark moment in history.

“The people of Ukraine are in all of our thoughts – not least the country's nursing and other health and care staff. As president of the Royal College of Nursing, I extend a message of solidarity – on behalf of members from across the UK – to them and nursing staff working in all countries facing conflict.”

ICN president Pamela Cipriano said: “We are extremely concerned about the situation in Ukraine and our hearts go out to all the people caught up in the conflict, including our nurses and all health workers who once again find themselves on the frontlines of another humanitarian crisis.

“The protection and safety of our nurses and health systems are paramount and enshrined in international law. We call on all parties involved in the conflict and the international community to do everything in their power to protect the safety of our nurses who often put themselves in mortal danger to care for others.

“Access to healthcare and the delivery of humanitarian assistance must remain a priority for all concerned as we see cities under attack and tens of thousands of people being displaced.”

“The protection and safety of our nurses and health systems are paramount and enshrined in international law" Pamela Cipriano

ICN chief executive Howard Catton added: “Nurses and healthcare workers are a force for healing and reconciliation.

“The principals of the impartiality of healthcare and medical and nursing neutrality are far stronger than any of the differences between people. Any attack on a hospital or healthcare facility not only goes against international law it is an affront against humanity.”

Among the national nursing associations expressing support for their colleagues in Ukraine is the Russian Nurses Association.

In a message to the ICN, president of the Russian Nurses Association, Valentina Sarkisova, said: “Together with the whole world, we hope for a rapid resolution of all conflicts and a return to a normal and peaceful life.

“We do believe that no political confrontation can affect the mission of nursing. With all the passion we wish no more lives be lost, and all nurses be back to their peaceful duties in safe and secure environment.”

Chief executive of the Queen’s Nursing Institute, Dr Crystal Oldman, expressed concern for the many Ukrainian nurses working in the UK, worried about their family and friends back home.

“The QNI want to let them know that we are here for any nurse who needs some time and space to reflect on how they feel and to talk to another nurse for support in a safe and confidential environment,” she said.

Support from the QNI can be reached at www.qni.org.uk/talktous .

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Young nurse in Kyiv: 'It is my duty to stay and keep helping'

By Francesca Merlo

Nowadays, in Ukraine, the skills Katia has to offer are more important than ever. As a final year medical student in paediatric intensive care units, and with three years of experience in anaesthesiology, she feels it is her duty to stay in Kyiv, even as Russian bombs continue to fall around her. 

For others and each other

"Every hour can change" in Kyiv hospitals, as staff continue to take injured men, women and children in for treatment.

"That's the main reason I decided to stay," says Katia, speaking to Vatican News' Svitlana Dukhovych. Another reason is her work as a volunteer with the Youth for Peace movement of the Community of Sant'Egidio.

Even before the war broke out, Katia tells of how she helped the elderly of her city by delivering food and water to them.

"Now, many of these don’t want to leave Kyiv," she says, and although they are all brave, they are also all afraid. She explains that many live on the high floors of skyscrapers, and that with bomb sirens going off even ten times a day, they are not even able to make it down to the bomb shelters.

"They give me incredible support in my decision to stay," she says, adding "I'm here for them just as they are for me."

Katia is lucky because her family also show her support, so much so that they have also decided to stay in Kyiv, in order for them to stay together.

"The situation is getting worse," says Katia, and the main threats are the bombs and rockets which have already destroyed 70 civilian buildings including kindergartens and hospitals. "We are afraid but we feel protected, by our God and by our army," says Katia. 

How things change

So much has changed since the start of the war, and amongst these is the definition of some, usually, very clear words.

"The word 'peace' has changed a lot for me," says Katia. She explains that "it is only once you've known war, that you start to understand peace."

But 'peace' is not the only word that has completely changed meaning for Katia. So has the word 'refugee'.

Katia talks about one of the most recent initiatives to be introduced with her work with the Youth for Peace movement, explaining that "this year we began inviting refugee children, mainly from Afghanistan, into our schools."

There they have been learning Ukrainian, and making friends with the local children.

"A few months before the war, we were already so frightened about it being a possibility," says Katia, describing "the tension in the air and the threat of war."

That's when the meaning of the word "refugee" began to change... because that's when you develop empathy for the refugees, says Katia: "when you understand that you could be one yourself."

Finally, Katia expresses her gratitude for the "precious" international support being delivered.

"Since the first days of the war, my greatest fear was to be abandoned, and that we would be alone," but through both words and deeds, Katia says, "we know that we are not, and for that, thank you.. so much."

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“we risk dying when going to work” - ukrainian nurse shares her message on international nurses day [en/ru], attachments.

“When the explosions first went off on 24 February, I turned up the volume of my children’s TV cartoons, so that they wouldn’t hear the noise. I was very much in doubt whether to stay or leave, but as a medical surgical nurse, I quickly realized that my skills were needed here. So, I stayed.”

Tetiana Freishyn has been a nurse for 17 years, with most of these spent in surgery. Since the war in Ukraine started, she has been working in the trauma and orthopedics department at the city hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk, in the west of the country.

On 12 May, WHO/Europe marks International Nurses Day with a call to secure the safety of nurses like Tetiana and her colleagues – everywhere. As of 8 May, WHO has confirmed 200 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the war’s outbreak, which have led to 75 deaths and 54 injuries. Attacks on health care include attacks on health facilities, transport, personnel, patients, supplies and warehouses. When people are prevented from seeking health care, either because the facilities have been destroyed or out of fear that they may become a target, they lose hope. The mental health toll wreaked by the war cannot be underestimated, affecting civilians and health workers alike.

Tetiana says that, although her ward in Ivano-Frankivsk has so far been spared, the working conditions have been challenging.

“The psychological burden is huge because the workload is heavier, and at the same time I am concerned for the safety of my children and my husband,” she explains.

A message of peace on International Nurses Day

When faced with the choice of staying or leaving in the midst of conflict, maintaining motivation can be difficult. But being a nurse with highly needed skills is what keeps Tetiana going.

“My nursing profession is my life; it’s what gets me out of bed every day; it’s the state of my soul,” she says, adding that her message to all nurses on International Nurses Day is one of peace.

“No one should have to be a nurse during a conflict, and I wish for all nurses to be able to go to work with joy. The health care profession is a peaceful one, and I hope that we can all go to work peacefully. As it is now, we risk dying when going to work.”

Tetiana says the attacks have gone beyond hospitals.

“We’ve seen attacks on ambulances, and quite a number of health care professionals have died in the line of duty,” she shares. “Nurses shouldn’t die while performing their medical duties.”

“We quickly need to upgrade our skills”

The realities of the war have led to a series of new professional challenges for Tetiana and her colleagues.

“The recurrent air alarms mean that you never know when your work is interrupted. We get a lot of open wound fractures caused by the ongoing violence. These are quite different compared to regular leg fractures, so we quickly need to upgrade our skills.”

Of course, another consequence of the conflict has been the high number of internally displaced people.

“Some of them are skilled health care professionals who come to work with us. We highly appreciate their help, and taking on new colleagues and functioning as a team adds to the number of things we need to adjust to,” Tetiana explains.

Like millions of nurses all over the globe, Tetiana continues to provide lifesaving care to people in need. Nurses’ ability to practice and apply their skills is not only an opportunity to safeguard access to decent work; around the world the vast majority of nurses are female, so investment in nursing is also an investment in women and their role in global public health.

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Nursing Organizations Worldwide Release Statements in Support of Nurses in Ukraine

The world is hurting right now. 

In the midst of the ongoing attack on Ukraine, nursing associations, unions, and organizations around the world have issued statements condemning the ongoing violence by Russian forces on the Ukrainian people.

Bombs could be heard throughout the night in various parts of the country as Vladimir Putin calls on the military to overthrow the government and fight for new land borders that have been in contention since the Cold War. As the fighting rages on - hospitals have been forced to move patients to bomb shelters, subways, and others have no feasible options and are sheltering in place. Nurses and doctors are staying to care for the sick and dying as hundreds have been injured as a direct result of the fighting. 

More than 50,000 Ukrainians have fled the country so far, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said on Friday, and the agency believes as many as 100,000 have been displaced. More than 26,000 have fled Ukraine into Moldova, 29,000 have traveled by land to Poland, and a further 10,000 into Romania. 

Profound Images

On Thursday, February 24th the New York Times published the dramatic footage of a make-shift Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in a lower level bomb shelter at the children’s hospital in Dnipro. Nurses can be seen sitting on the ground hand bagging intubated patients and micro-preemies wrapped in blankets to maintain body temperature. While the one nurse can be seen smiling, the determination and dedication is unwavering to the world's tiniest patients. 

“This is the NICU. In a bomb shelter. Can you imagine?” Dr. Denis Surkov, chief of the neonatal unit, at Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Children’s Clinical Hospital, told the New York Times in a WhatsApp message. “This is our reality.”

Image: New York Times Instagram

In Dnipro, #Ukraine , nurses with newborns hid in a bomb shelter. The video shows several nurses holding babies or sitting on beds next to them, holding oxygen tanks in their hands so that the babies from the intensive care unit can breathe. pic.twitter.com/Hbgr96bXEU — Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) February 25, 2022

Official Statements

As the conflict in Ukraine rages on, nursing organizations around the world have spoken out in support of their colleagues on the frontlines in Ukraine. 

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) and its more than 130 members across the world stand in solidarity with the people, nurses and all healthcare workers caught up in the conflict in Ukraine. The ICN goes on to say, “ ICN says the protection and safety of nurses and all health workers is paramount. Any attack or targeting of health workers or health facilities goes against the protection of health workers enshrined in international regulations and the Geneva Convention and is an affront against humanity.”

ICN President Pamela Cipriano said, “We are extremely concerned about the situation in Ukraine and our hearts go out to all the people caught up in the conflict, including our nurses and all health workers who once again find themselves on the frontlines of another humanitarian crisis.”

ICN CEO Howard Catton added, “We are deeply concerned about the situation on the ground in Ukraine and have reached out to our nursing colleagues in the country in what are hugely chaotic and frightening circumstances. We will continue to try to connect with them and get their messages out to the world.”

The National Nurses Union, the largest nursing union in the United States issues the following statement:  “Any invasion of another sovereign nation is a crime against humanity that always threatens to lead to an incalculable loss of lives and other long-term health consequences for the people of that nation,” said National Nurses Union (NNU) President Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, RN. “As nurses, we know that war and all the suffering it produces are human calamities that are not justifiable and must end.”

“The danger of even greater escalation – which potentially involves the two largest nuclear-armed nations in the world – is particularly chilling,” Triunfo-Cortez said. “That threat should further impel all parties involved to seek a peaceful, diplomatic solution to this crisis immediately.”

The President of the Russian Nurses Association, Valentina Sarkisova has shared this message with ICN:

“Russian Nurses Association with all nurses of the World are extremely concerned for their neighboring closest colleagues. Politics is far from nursing, and armed conflicts are opposite to the main designation of our profession. There are no other professions that cherish life and health as much as nurses. Together with the whole world, we hope for a rapid resolution of all conflicts and a return to a normal and peaceful life. We do believe that no political confrontation can affect the mission of nursing. With all the passion we wish no more lives be lost, and all nurses be back to their peaceful duties in safe and secure environment.”

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I'm an American spending Thanksgiving as a combat nurse under fire on the frontline in Ukraine

• Rebekah Maciorowski, 28, traveled to Ukraine in March 2022 to volunteer as a combat nurse.
• She will spend Thanksgiving on the frontline and plans on staying in Ukraine until the war is won.
• She said the soldiers she works with are like "her family."

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rebekah Maciorowski, 28, about her decision to move from Denver, Colorado, to Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion last year. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm a registered travel nurse and I came over to Ukraine in March 2022.

When I saw what was happening during Russia's invasion of Ukraine , I felt like I didn't want to be a bystander who stood by and said, "Oh, my gosh, someone should help," but didn't do anything. 

So I wrote to the Ukrainian Minister of Health, saying, " Hey, listen, do you need nurses?" They said, "Yes, please come." And so I popped on over, and I ended up spending the majority of my time in Donbas, which is the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast. 

I started with the Marines and now work with three different brigades. These guys are like my family. Unfortunately, in the last couple of weeks, a lot of our soldiers have been injured. Some have been killed. And that has been very difficult. But we stick together. On Thanksgiving, we will all be here together, on the front. 

I started with just doing evacuations, and then I noticed that the soldiers didn't have first aid kits. They weren't receiving a lot of medical training. So then I started to do both. 

I saw some of our soldiers pass away after receiving Chinese replica tourniquets. Tourniquets are devices used to apply pressure to a limb or extremity in order to stop the flow of blood , and I am heavily reliant on them. If you have arterial bleeding, you can die in three minutes, and if that tourniquet breaks, there's no chance for you. Statistically, three out of four wounded soldiers in this conflict can die from hemorrhagic blood loss. So, high-quality tourniquets became a really important topic for me.

They're incredibly sweet people

I would help one unit, and then they'd spread the word: "There's a girl here who has first aid kits and real tourniquets, and she can teach you how to put a tourniquet on and give yourself some first aid." The soldiers would come off the position and come to me for a few hours of training and then go back to the front. Oftentimes, I would evacuate them, too.

I think my background in working overseas in low-resource environments with a language barrier prepared me well. The added component of ongoing war has its own complexities, but there's nothing you can't navigate, particularly when you're with a bunch of really resilient people.

In the beginning, there were a lot of foreigners who volunteered , and there are almost none left. I think people are burnt out now. But I've been cared for and supported by the Ukrainians. If there's no food, they share with you. If you need a place to sleep, they'll find a spare corner. And they're incredibly sweet people. They don't have a lot, and I don't have a lot, but I'll give them a tourniquet, and they'll bring me back a pair of warm socks that their aunt knitted. And that's the spirit of the people. They're really incredible.

Before coming here, I'd worked in Guyana, Mexico, and Ecuador, and I think the biggest thing I learned was to be flexible and cognizant of the cultural differences. Improvisation is the name of the game here in wartime, and it was one of those things that I started to enjoy and almost be comfortable with. Normally, in the medical field, everything needs to be very structured. Here, you do everything that you can with what you have, which is not much.

My supplies are being eaten by mice

There are a lot of incoming mortars by me, but I have to keep working. And then I go to help with evacuations. This is very routine. At the same time, soldiers come to me with shrapnel wounds that aren't healing, or I get a call from another unit that one of their soldiers needs help. Rockets hit the power lines, the electricity goes out, and I have to find a flashlight and hope there are batteries. There's no running water, so I have to find the hand sanitizer.

The house is rodent-infested, so some of my supplies are being eaten and damaged by mice, which is frustrating. And then the village babushka comes by, and she's really scared by the artillery; could she have something for her heart? In the midst of all this, my puppy got hit. A driver ran him over. It's nonstop.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say, "You should really take a break and just, like, decompress," because you can't take a break from armed conflict. There is always someone who needs help. Any risk I face, my soldiers are also facing, and they're standing strong— so why can't I?

Because of the faulty tourniquets and poor equipment I encountered when I arrived, I started a little website through the crowdfunding company Buy Me a Coffee , but you're not buying me a coffee — your money goes toward trauma gear, generators, and medical supplies for front-line medical stabilization points.

I've evacuated over 1,000 soldiers. Not all of them lived.

There is no standardized testing when it comes to supplies, which has been a huge problem for me. If you're waiting on the physician because there's too much artillery, you need to have equipment like a strong bandage that will hold the needed pressure for 12 hours. And these knockoff bandages were breaking during practice.

I became pretty suspicious and very cautious and said I was not going to give any injured soldiers these supplies until I had tested them myself. 

I've evacuated over 1,000 soldiers. Not all of them lived. Reliable supplies are crucial. Sadly, people don't understand this. And there's like this big push where people say, "Oh, I want to bring you some supplies," but they don't want to buy the quality material.

My personality has changed a lot

There was an anonymous gentleman who wrote a check for $2,000 for tactical medical supplies. And because I'm not a 501(c) organization, he gave it to this other organization and wrote them a handwritten letter explaining these are for medical supplies for Rebekah Maciorowski. I said, "Awesome. Here is where you can use this money directly and buy the necessary equipment."

And they said, "Oh, no, we're actually going to get all of this in the US. We're gonna wait a month and a half. We're gonna fly it over. We're gonna caravan it to you, and we're gonna make a big social media post."

Combat injuries can't wait that long. There are new casualties every day. I told them we needed those supplies yesterday and that we were in the middle of an assault. They refused to buy the equipment I requested from my trusted suppliers, which would have ensured the arrival of adequate supplies in a timely manner.

And then they did a whole "Donbas Safari" trying to take some of my soldiers for photo ops, and then asked for an official thank you letter for bringing this all to me. This happens all the time.

My personality has changed a lot, so it will be interesting to see how that adjustment plays out in the civilian world.  I changed from a massive people pleaser who had poor boundaries into someone assertive. That can be a good thing, but I also want to make sure that when I come back to civilization, I can find a balance there. And that does worry me because I've forgotten social niceties because everyone here is in survival mode. I hope I can remember my etiquette and feel like myself again when things calm down.

In the meantime, I'll be here. 

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US nurse on why she travelled to Ukraine’s front line: ‘Everyone deserves peace’

Exclusive: sonam christopher, a 39-year-old nurse from oregon, speaks to the independent from an undisclosed location in kyiv where she is providing medical aid to ukrainians, article bookmarked.

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An American nurse who is volunteering on the Ukrainian frontline has said that it shouldn’t take rising gas prices for her fellow Americans to care about Russia ’s invasion of its neighbour.

Sonam Christopher, a 39-year-old nurse from Oregon, told The Independent that the war may seem “distant” to some people in America but they should care about the human rights of the Ukrainian people.

“The way it seems to be affecting Americans now is their gas prices,” she said.

“And unfortunately it shouldn’t take increasing gas prices to be concerned about this conflict.

“We should be concerned about it because it’s a basic human right that is being taken away and peace is something that we should want everywhere, not just on our homeland but for others also.”

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She added: “Everyone deserves peace.”

Gas prices soared to record levels this week as the Biden administration banned imports of Russian oil and gas to hurt Moscow’s main revenue source.

Speaking from an undisclosed location in the Kyiv region where they are coming under constant shelling, Ms Christopher said Americans can sometimes be “complacent” about war when it is not on their home soil.

“From my experience, Americans tend to be a little complacent,” she said.

“War is something very distant for many Americans as they haven’t had a war on their soil for a long time – they have sent people overseas so war is something that is overseas for them.

“But this is 2022 and you have another country invading another country, taking away people’s freedom and a tyrannical leader who we have no idea what his mental status is.”

Ms Christopher said she traveled to Ukraine as a volunteer to provide medical aid on the frontline of the war because she couldn’t just “sit around and watch other people suffer”.

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“That’s why I became a nurse – to help people, people in need in under resourced areas,” she said.

“I saw what was happening and I wanted to come and help and use my nursing skills and services in some way to help the Ukrainian people.”

She added: “It wasn’t necessarily as an American but as a human and a person who does not like to sit around and watch other people suffer and watch injustice happen.

“I like to act and do something. There have been other times where I have seen things unfold in the news and wanted to help and was unable to but I was able to this time.”

She recalled how she told her family, now based in Texas, about her plans and they were “concerned” but “know I’m here doing what I’ve always wanted to do”.

She then flew from the US to Poland on 1 March and crossed the border into Ukraine the next day, where she has been volunteering with the Georgian National Legion ever since.

Having been a nurse for the last nine years, Ms Christopher has experience working in challenging environments.

She worked in an underprivileged area in Chad as well as working as a travel nurse in the US during some of the pandemic. She has also worked overseas in New Zealand.

However, this is her first combat experience and she has no military training.

“It was a different type of war [in Chad] – a war against poverty and disease and malnutrition,” she said.

“But we’re all human and we just use services in different areas as needed and have to adapt to the situation.”

Since getting to Ukraine, she has been using her medical training to administer aid to troops in need, train other volunteers to deal with combat wounds, and create a makeshift hospital that will be able to take casualties.

Most of the medical care she has provided so far has been related to exposure to the harsh winter weather, she said.

Ms Christopher urged other Americans thinking of coming to Ukraine to help in the country’s fight to “assess your own abilities” and “make the right decision for yourself”.

“We all have different thresholds, we all deal with trauma differently so you need to figure that out as there is no point coming out here and becoming one of the casualties right away as then you won’t be able to help,” she said.

She also warned that people need to have the right motivations.

“You have to figure out what your reasons are for coming here. It’s not for glory, it’s for peace. It’s not so you can use a new gun you just bought,” she said.

“It’s for the people of Ukraine to be able to live in peace and obviously for the world so that any country that feels like ‘this property is ours so we can go and invade them’ we need to send a message to that it is not appropriate.

“Assess all those and if you’re coming for the right reasons then absolutely do.”

That said, she said that there is plenty that Americans can do to support Ukraine from back in the US.

“You are not helpless just because you can’t come,” she said.

“There are lots of things you can do. You can write to your local representative to send aid and pressure them to set up a no-fly zone, you can donate things, donate money if possible.

“There is always something someone can do regardless of your physical capabilities.”

There is also a lot more the US government can do, she added, as she called on Western nations to set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly asked Nato to set up a no-fly zone. But Western leaders – including in the US – have rebuffed him, saying it would escalate tensions with Russia.

“They say they don’t want a no-fly zone because they don’t want to start a war,” said Ms Christopher.

“But you see what’s happening in cities like Mariupol where they’re targeting hospitals, maternity and children’s hospitals.

“Obviously it’s a war and we need to do something more about that and if creating a no-fly zone will help then you have to do that.”

Ms Christopher is one of around 50 American volunteers who have travelled to Ukraine and joined the Georgian National Legion since the start of the war, Commander Mamuka Mamulashvili told The Independent .

The Legion is a group of volunteer fighters first set up in 2014 to defend Ukraine in the War in Donbas . The group is now defending Ukraine in its attack from Vladimir Putin ’s forces.

Mr Mamulashvili said that the Americans joining include both ex-military members coming as volunteer fighters and medical professionals like Ms Christopher.

He called on the West to “stop crying” over the war and instead take action and “stand up” against Mr Putin.

“It’s time for everyone to start acting and stop crying at their TV screens, saying they are sorry for Ukraine,” he said.

“Kids and women are getting killed in the streets.

“Freedom-loving people need to unite against terrorism and the biggest terrorist Putin and stand together because Putin is threatening the whole world.

“The whole civilised world is under huge threat right now.”

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