Volunteering at a hospital worth it? - Page 4

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  1. Jun 19, '12 by
    Quote from itzcuzimindian
    I showed them that I was trustworthy and dependable to do the small tasks, built a relationship with most of the staff and they were one of the first few people to guide me in my endeavor in the medical field.
    This is exactly what I came here to write. While as a volunteer you are excited to offer help and care for patients, the staff has no idea of your training or skills. Don't forget that the staff will be responsible for your work, be it desk work or patient care. Doing the mundane tasks shows that you are willing to put in the hard work to get to the "fun stuff".

    I was a volunteer in 2009. Sometimes I was given fun tasks like feeding patients or walking with them, or sometimes I was given the task of thinning charts. Was I disappointed and bored with desk work? HECK YES, but doing those boring jobs made a huge impact on my career. I had my "foot in the door" and I talked to everyone, I mean everyone, about my goals and aspirations. I networked like there was no tomorrow. I showed I was a hard worker.

    Yesterday was my first day on the floor as a nurse in that same hospital. My volunteer experience came up in my interview because HR kept it as part of my personal file. I had a huge advantage over the rest of my nursing class because in the sea of applications, I was a familiar face. We still have volunteers at my hospital; I saw them yesterday in a patient room applying pressure to a gushing wound. The rest of the day they were restocking supplies.

    I would definitely give it another chance.
  2. Jun 19, '12 by
    I feel awful about quitting, but at the same time, it wasn't anything like I expected. I'm really not sure how this affects me if I were to consider getting a job at that particular hospital later on. I know some of you have mentioned it looking good on a resume since it's hard to get a job nowadays, but in my particular area, this is not a problem when it comes to nursing. The area is not that great though - we are in a desert and temperatures stay in the 100's during the summer. It's not awful, but it's really boring here. A lot of people end up moving to bigger cities after about a year or so.

    From what I have seen, the people who volunteer do it for college or to try to get a job at the hospital. I don't really fit into any of those categories and I seem to be the only person who is volunteering to get exposure for the RN program. I'm not one to refuse a job if one was offered to me though (I have hinted it in my department), but nothing was said about it. The RN students I have spoken to aren't concerned about volunteering (let alone paid work) and everyone is telling me that I will get exposure when I do clinicals this semester. I have told the coordinator for the RN-BSN program that I was volunteering and she didn't seem very interested. When I told the volunteer services coordinator that I was attending nursing school this semester, she couldn't care less and she just wanted to know how I was going to do my volunteer hours. Point is, I'm getting a big vibe that volunteering isn't a big deal here when it comes to nursing.

    Guess I should also mention that I have told someone in the nurse department of another hospital if volunteering helped me with a career there and all she said is that it only really helps me get familiar with the area; nothing else. I have told HR at the hospital I'm currently helping out at if volunteering would help me get a job and they just said it could help.
    Last edit by samrusrn on Jun 19, '12
  3. Jun 19, '12 by
    I personally wouldn't have quit. I worked as an ED volunteer for 1.5 years and I cleaned rooms, made paper charts, did copies, run stuff to the labs. A lot of times there was not much for me to do however I worked hard and always asked if anyone needed help. That's what got me hired. My hard work ethic. Not being a volunteer.

    The thing about following a nurse and watching patient care as a volunteer is HIPPA. Unless you are directly involved in the patients care volunteers really have no business being in the room. Nurses also do not have time to teach and stuff. Put yourself in the patients shoes. I would not want a volunteer in the room watching me or my nurse. Its uncomfortable and weird. I felt the same way as you at first but quickly learned its about the patient's privacy not about learning.

    It was my hard work ethic doing work I did not want to that got me a job as an ED tech. I had no tech experience and would not have gotten the job without volunteering. I have worked at that hospital for a little over 3 years and the experience I got as a volunteer and especially as an ED tech I could not match with school or anything. I learned SO MUCH, got confidence, felt comfortable working with critically ill patients and codes and strengthened my skills and thinking.

    Had I not been a volunteer I wouldn't be orientation this week for a level 1 surgical - trauma ICU nursing internship. I got a lot of bs as a volunteer and tech sometimes but it made me stronger. Everyone expects volunteers to be valued and cherished and nurses wanting to teach you. Doesn't work that way. Sometimes you have to work your way up the poll because the prize is at the end and I have my prize now doing what I love in my dream job.

    There are always opportunities to get into volunteering in the future but do not expect a job offer to come because of it. Ive seen many volunteers and nursing students asking the charge nurse about getting hired as a tech. None of them did get hired because they were lazy when they were there and did not leave an impression on the staff. I had 3 references from the staff that got me hired as a tech. I wish you the best.