Best days/times to volunteer in ER for pre-nursing student

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Greetings!

I will shortly be signing up for a 4-hour block of time to volunteer at a hospital as a student. My question for y'all is what days/times would you recommend I put in for if I can get assigned to the ER? They'll take volunteers 24-hours per day. I have work and school to arrange volunteering around.

I'd like to really get a feel for the ER, but I don't want them so busy they can't let me peek in on gross/interesting things. But I don't want to stand around, either. Duties in general include running around dropping of labs and picking up meds or radiology, for example, getting ice water, pt transport, rearranging rooms... mainly I'm just not allowed to do direct patient care. But if the doctors and patients are ok with it, I can watch just about anything and learn what I can.

I don't (yet) have any fear of blood or intense situations. I can't think of anything I'd want to avoid seeing. But this isn't the busiest of hospital in town, either. What day/time would you suggest I sign up for? 8 pm-12 am on a Friday? 4-8 pm on a Saturday?

Thanks in advance for your opinion

F

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Specializes in intensive care major medical centers.

weekends after the bars close

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Specializes in ER, OR, PACU, TELE, CATH LAB, OPEN HEART.

Friday and Saturday after midnight are best for the drunks, auto accidents, etc.

No one can really predict when the ER will be busy. Every day is different. However, you could ask the staff what they think their busiest times are and go from there.

Good Luck.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Sunday night. I dare ya.

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My priority is to be as useful as possible, so I do not like the idea of volunteering at the busiest times like weekend nights. So I recommend my shift - early morning weekends! It is not so chaotically busy that I feel like I am underfoot, yet there is always something to do as well as some leftover craziness from the night before.

Also, my hospital is busting at the seems with volunteers and I feel like there is more for me to help with as the first volunteer of the day (stocking, turning rooms, in addition to the normal stuff). The staff look genuinely surprised that anyone is volunteering at my hours (8-12) and express a lot of appreciation.... which gives me the warm fuzzies. :redbeathe

Have fun, and be super nice to everyone - they may be your coworkers in a couple years!

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Specializes in Emergency.

Well, guess they'll put you to use, but honestly you may not see that much. Usually by 7A most of the traumas are gone, you probably would've done better after 11P. I don't know why you are scared of the ED being too chaotic. Honestly the more chaotic the better for your needs and your experience. Chaotic is bad when you are responsible for individual pts but when you have this opportunity to be in on whatever you want, whenever, you should have gone for the most hectic. In my opinion that would be late night weekends and Mon and Tues days.

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Depends on the facility - maybe you should ask them? At our ED - the weekend days are nice and quiet, the busiest times are Monday and Tuesday from about 1 pm to 8 pm. Generally our nights are pretty tame as well.

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Specializes in Trauma/ED, SANE/FNE, LNC.

Saturday night on a full moon weekend.

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Thanks for all the great replies!

I feel fine volunteering Fri/Sat from midnight-4 am or something, but I'm just worried about it being too hectic and that I'd just be in the way. It's interesting to think of Monday afternoons as a good time! But it makes sense.

I work 8-5 every weekday and then have class 5-10pm Tues-Thurs and then Sat 11 am-2 pm. I already volunteer Sundays 1-5 pm at the hospital in question, so Sunday evening would be convenient for me in one way because I could just grab dinner in the cafeteria, but I figure it would be dull that time slot.

I think I will contact the unit and ask. I'm still interested in everyone here's opinion, though. So thanks again!

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Specializes in ER, pedsER, SICU, Trauma.

First Monday night after a major holiday. 7-11p... you won't want to leave. : ) or if you work in an area with an active night life like me gotta go for the Friday/Saturday night. Or Monday morning... you'll catch some good AMIs.

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Specializes in ER.
Greetings!

I will shortly be signing up for a 4-hour block of time to volunteer at a hospital as a student. My question for y'all is what days/times would you recommend I put in for if I can get assigned to the ER? They'll take volunteers 24-hours per day. I have work and school to arrange volunteering around.

I'd like to really get a feel for the ER, but I don't want them so busy they can't let me peek in on gross/interesting things. But I don't want to stand around, either. Duties in general include running around dropping of labs and picking up meds or radiology, for example, getting ice water, pt transport, rearranging rooms... mainly I'm just not allowed to do direct patient care. But if the doctors and patients are ok with it, I can watch just about anything and learn what I can.

I don't (yet) have any fear of blood or intense situations. I can't think of anything I'd want to avoid seeing. But this isn't the busiest of hospital in town, either. What day/time would you suggest I sign up for? 8 pm-12 am on a Friday? 4-8 pm on a Saturday?

Thanks in advance for your opinion

F

oh my god will they eat you up and you'll love it. Mondays are generally busy, busier than most days, as a rule. Weekends evenings are busy - try to listen out for some traumas/codes called and peek in on those and pay attention to each person's role. All very interesting, should you not be pulled to take/transport patients and things.

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I called the department, and the nurse on the phone recommended me any night from 8-midnight. She said that if I was the kind of person who wanted to volunteer and learn (which I am!), then there would always be things for me to do during that time.

Thanks for all your input. This morning, I put in for Saturday nights, since that just worked best with my school/social/work life.

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