Anyone have a positive hospital volunteer experience they would like to share?

NurseSunshine25 · May 9, 2009

Im not a volunteer or have ever been one, but I do work with some at a local Hospice. They are also in nursing school. I would say almost any where you go, volunteer, and meet people you will have your foot some what in the door, that is a plus if you are looking for a possible position once you graduate.

sissiesmama, ASN, RN · May 9, 2009

Hey - I am an RN and before I went to nursing school I decided to do some volunteer work at one of our local hospitals. I signed up with my best friend one summer. I was pretty sure I wanted to work in the ER and I got to spend quite a bit of time down there watching and helping the staff working there.

The staff let me do some "call backs" to follow up with patients that were seen and d/ced. I had to do an interview for school and I was able to interview one of the ER docs.

I feel like the volunteer experience did help me to make sure that my decision to be a nurse is what I wanted to do. The nursing staff were all very nice, and did not mind me asking the bucketload of questions I always had. I volunteered to stock up the patient rooms after they were empty, and that helped me get a feel for equipment and supplies they used.

Mine was definetly a positive experience!

Anne, RNC

rph3664 · May 9, 2009

When I was in pharmacy school, I volunteered extensively at our local free clinic, and continue to support them financially even though I no longer live in the region. Lots of nurses volunteered there, as did physicians, dentists, and lab technicians. Pre-med students were strongly advised to volunteer there as patient guides so they would have some idea what they would be getting into.

Before I went back to school, I volunteered in a hospital pharmacy because I wanted to have a clue what I might be getting into, and could not find a technician job because of a pharmacy school being in that city (and not the school I ended up attending, BTW). I drove them crazy with "What's this for?" What's this for?" etc. :cool:

Edit: This was not in Georgia.

dallasga123 · May 9, 2009

:tku: Thank you so much for all of your replies. I enjoyed reading all of them. I start the volunteer position this Thursday and whatever they want me to do, I will do it and I will make sure I keep a positive attitude. I'm excited about the department, which, I was told, is the OR. It will just be great to be around knowledgeable people that are experienced in their field. I look forward to taking it all in like a sponge. The funny thing about my volunteer story is that I went Thursday up to the hospital to have my arm read for my last TB test and my car started over-heating and smoking. I had to pull over and wait thirty minutes for it to cool down, so that I could add water. I have a radiator leak and I am so broke that I can't even afford to fix it. I came home and was so bummed that I contemplated not going to hospital, even though, I had planned on it. I called my sister and she agreed to let me use her car to go up to the hospital. Once, I got up to the hospital, I became energized by the atmosphere and started to imagine myself there. I walked in the volunteers office and she said that she wanted to talk w/me for a quick minute if I had the time. I of course, said yes. She looked over my file. I had put down ER, OR, and mother baby. She said that she saw what I was interested in and that those positions almost never become available. However, a seasoned volunteer had just quit the OR this morning and she wanted to know if I was interested. Of course, I was!