New grad volunteer in South Africa

World General World

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Hello, all! I've been a follower for some time now, and I thought I would post my first thread to ask for some advice/opinions.

I graduated last year with my ADN, got my RN license in July 2009, and went straight into a RN-to-BSN program. I will be done in December of this year. As we all know, the job market for new grads is not ideal right now. I've been applying to places (hospitals, LTC, etc) for almost 6 months now, and I've had only one interview.

I've always wanted to volunteer in a third world country, but the opportunity never came up. Either that, or I was afraid to go by myself =] THe chance finally came up as my sister and her friend (both who are RNs) are traveling to South Africa to volunteer at a mobile clinic/orphanage. After consulting with my parents and my sister, I decided I would tag along with them. They are going for 3 weeks, but I'll be extending my stay to 3 months. 89 days to be exact. We leave in January, so from now until then, I've put my job hunt on a pause.

I'm hoping that when I get back from this 3 month trip, my resume will look much more marketable to recruiters and managers. What are your opinions? Granted, I don't expect my phone to be ringing off the hook when I get back. But I'm wondering if this will give me a leg up when applying to those programs with 1,000 other applicants. Thanks so much!

By the way, that is not the only reason why I decided to go. This is a trip of a lifetime, and I will definitely regret it if I don't go.

Thank you so much for the prompt reply! In Nicuragua and Ecuador, did you do these trips with a particular organization? Half of the trouble I'm running into is just finding a place to volunteer that wont cost me three grand on my part. Did you feel like your experiences helped your resume? That would be a bonus, because my main objective is just go travel and feel like I am getting to do something that is against the flow of "normal" American nursing. I just feel like we are gifted with our knowledge and skills and we should be out in the community helping those who may not have seen medical care or have limited access. Did you get your Cardiac position as a new grad?

So, how was your trip?

Wow! I am so jealous! I think it will bring a new cultural aspect to your Nursing care, and if you go for your Masters or Phd, you'll have some original ideas for research. Also, family is so important, it's good that you can share this adventure together. I hope I get a chance to do something like this when I have a good window of opportunity. Tell us what you lear, maybe a blogt or article on all nurses?

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