[curliegirl80]

I came across this article today and I have mixed feelings about it. I was just wondering what everyone else's opinion was on this??

http://rapidcityjournal.com/articles...cal/news01.txt

[leosrain]

Volunteer nurse? I'm not a fan of this position. There should be no issue with the hospital setting up the same flexible work situation while still reward her financially for her efforts.

[leosrain]

Volunteer nurse? I'm not a fan of this position. There should be no issue with the hospital setting up the same flexible work situation while still reward her financially for her efforts.

[Hopefull2009]

I agree...I think this is something nursing advocates might want to jump on. There are professional licenses in other fields that won't give you credit for work unless it's paid....paid generally means you can "prove it".

Travel nurses...need to be extremely concerned.

I am not a nurse, but I'm also worried to what standard will a hospital volunteer (as a nurse) set for these folks? With anything good, there are always a few bad apples...and how many volunteers can they use before it equals replacing a position?

[iceyspots]

I can understand volunteers in other areas, just not this one! wow!

[iceyspots]

I can understand volunteers in other areas, just not this one! wow!

[iceyspots]

I can understand volunteers in other areas, just not this one! wow!

[RunnerRN]

We have volunteer RNs in our hospital. They are generally retired nurses or nurses who left the field for 10-15 yrs to raise kids, and want to come back slowly. They do not do any nursing care, however. When we are holding pts in the ED, they will do some of the admission paperwork (more of the general paperwork than the assessment....they do med hx, meds, personal belongings, etc). They also walk ppl back from triage to rooms. On the floors, they do a lot of patient support....getting water, helping people eat, etc. Sounds incredibly boring to me, but I can understand that many of them are probably looking for a way to still care for people without the hours, backbreaking work, and liability.

[azhiker96]

It looks like an option that serves the nurses, hospital, and patients. I don't have a need for this program but I do like having options.

[ocankhe]

Have read the article and follow up comments. I have reservations about this program. It doesn't seem to me that the volunteer nurses in this program are doing what typical hospital volunteers (i.e. "candy strippers") do. But rather direct patient care and responsibilities. I beleive the hospital is actively trying to expand this program. How much will it expand? Till all nurses are volunteers because nursing is a calling and vocation? NO on further thought my reservation have gone to entirely against.