Call me crazy! Anyone know where I can work for free / volunteer / learn?

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I am a May 2009 ADN grad, and I cannot find work. I have a lot of support right now so even if I am not paid, I really want to work or volunteer as a nurse. I want to apply the skills I have gained in nursing school, I want to help people, and I am eager to learn as a new grad. I am willing to go to any type of facility, as long as it is not too stagnant, and I will actually learn something. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Or know of any places that will bring you in almost as an intern, just for learning or shadowing? I have seen programs like this for nursing students, but I have not seen an advertisement for an unpaid RN lol! Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thank you very much.

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Google up Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore. They run regular clinics helping the underserved and home less populations. I am sure they would welcome any and all assistance you could provide.

And, I don't think you're crazy at all! I think you're generous and wise in keepong your skills sharp. You may end up working along side the nurse manager on your dream unit anyway :)

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Specializes in Transgender Medicine.

Red Cross, Free Clinics, and your local doctor's office might let you volunteer for free if you know them. Mine offered to let me volunteer there if I didn't get a job right out of school, but I lucked out and didn't have to.

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Thanks for all of the suggestions. I called the health dept. and I left a voice message for the person in charge of maternity services. I have fairly extensive labor and delivery cna experience, which is also my primary interest, so hopefully I can build on that foundation. I also plan on making other calls. As I said before, any and all suggestions are truly welcome, as I am seeking any and all experience. Although I am primarily interested in maternal-child nursing, for learning experience my ultimate goal is ICU/ED/Med-Surg type of internship. I know, I know, getting a volunteer position is probably a long shot. Who want's to hold their nurses up just for teaching someone that does not work there? But still, please let me know if there are any facilities that you think may be interested in taking me on for the learning experience! and again, thanks so much to everyone who has posted suggestions.

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I am doing flu shots! It's something... :-)

I am still interested in volunteering in a setting that will provide a wide variety of learning, so please keep your eyes open for any opportunity that you come across that you would like to share with me

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Volunteer? Work for Free? That's nuts unless you're a missionary going overseas...

If you're just looking to gain some experience to get a decent job try registry work. There are many temp agencies that can find you short-term assignments. Kinda like Kelly-Girl for nursing. If you make yourself available you will find there are lots 'o positions. The key here is AVAILABLE. Agencies give shifts to those that are actually around to WORK. But, sometimes temp assignments lead to permanent ones.

It's great experience and you get to see many different jobs for nurses.

OB Clinics, Back Office, Drawing blood in a lab, Skilled Nursing & Rehab Centers. List goes on.

Good Luck! :up:

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Thank you for posting and for the advice. However, I would think that temporary RN positions would be a bad idea for a new grad, and that hiring managers would be uncomfortable with inexperience, quick crash orientation... I have a lot of skills that I can use as resume boosters (IV, phlebotomy, etc. I was a labor and delivery tech - actually caught a baby before! But I did a lot) I worked through high school in a primary care physicians office doing medical records for a year and then front office. It's the nursing process and assessments that I would really like to gain experience with.

I think that it's time to just admit to myself that I just want an RN residency program and I missed the deadlines and now I'm bummed. :smackingf I keep saying that I am open to anything, and I feel like I am, but i seem to be contradicting myself by just searching for the residency program. Perhaps I am stuck on trying to hide behind my "new grad" name and training that usually comes with it because I don't have the confidence that RN should yet. I actually just recently got first interview at a free standing urgent care center, and yet I find it rather intimidating because of the variety and my lack of experience, but I should be thrilled, there is so much to learn. I worry they won't want to teach me...I am seriously starting to think I have issues...lol

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Thank you for posting and for the advice. However, I would think that temporary RN positions would be a bad idea for a new grad, and that hiring managers would be uncomfortable with inexperience, quick crash orientation... I have a lot of skills that I can use as resume boosters (IV, phlebotomy, etc. I was a labor and delivery tech - actually caught a baby before! But I did a lot) I worked through high school in a primary care physicians office doing medical records for a year and then front office. It's the nursing process and assessments that I would really like to gain experience with.

I think that it's time to just admit to myself that I just want an RN residency program and I missed the deadlines and now I'm bummed. :smackingf I keep saying that I am open to anything, and I feel like I am, but i seem to be contradicting myself by just searching for the residency program. Perhaps I am stuck on trying to hide behind my "new grad" name and training that usually comes with it because I don't have the confidence that RN should yet. I actually just recently got first interview at a free standing urgent care center, and yet I find it rather intimidating because of the variety and my lack of experience, but I should be thrilled, there is so much to learn. I worry they won't want to teach me...I am seriously starting to think I have issues...lol

Where in Maryland do you live? Because, Union Memorial Hospital on University Pkwy in Baltimore is advertising that they are looking for nurses and new grads a welcome. Also Union Memorial Hospital is part of Medstarhealth that comprises of about 4 hospital in the Baltimore area and some that near or in DC there website is www.medstarhealth.com.

There is also Baltimore Washington Medical Center that is a part of the University of Maryland medical System has on their website they have a 7-10 week nurse internship programs for new grads. The direct website to BWMC is www.mybwmc.org.

Another place where you can look is working for the state Psych hospitals. I know Clifton T. Perkins in Jessup, MD take new grad RNs without experience. There is also Spring Grove Hospital in Catonsville, Md and Spring Field Hospital in Sykesville, MD. There maybe a freeze at the moment, but you can call Clifton T. Perkins especially and along witht the other two to get information on what they are doing. You find can information on Healthcare state jobs on www.DHMH.State.MD.US. On the website you can find the state application and also positions that they have.

Hope you find something and don't think you have issues. It's really sad that with the shortage of nurses, majority of new grads are finding it hard getting a job. This is due to the foolish requirements of healthcare facilities that are only looking for nurses with experience. Statistics have show that many nurses are leaving the field via different means either by retiring, changing careers etc., and when the the new grads are looking for job, they are turning them away. But, you just keep on looking, don't give up.

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