Did volunteering help you?

[ashleynichole]

Hi Everyone! First time posting!

I am just finishing the last of my prereqs before I start the nursing program at SBCC. I have been looking into volunteering at my local hospital (Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital) but I was curious, has anyone found volunteering helped them gain knowledge/experience? Did it help you to get a job after you finished nursing school?

Thanks!

[scrubs92]

Hi,

I am a student at a community college working on my pre-reqs... I have been volunteering at my local hospital for 2+ years. It has basically given me a backstage pass to the medical field so in that aspect its awesome. I am still debating my career choice but as a volunteer I am able to work with and around nurses, various techs, doctors etc. I have been able to see different professions and am able to ask them first hand what their experiences are. I am also able to gain my own experiences as I interact with patients.

I highly recommend volunteering

Good Luck :)

[thenameismac]

I agree with scrubs92. I, too, am a student and have volunteered for a while. I did it moreso to see what the environment would be like. I liked helping the patients when I could and I loved the fact that I could see firsthand how nurses interacted with one another (or didn't interact). I saw how doctors treated the nurses and how the nurses treated the techs. Very interesting stuff. I also wonder though if it would help in finding an RN or CNA job when the time came.

[Karnes1986]

Hey everybody,

YES YES YES. Volunteering has helped me out a lot. I'm finishing up my prereq's at the local community college in my town, I volunteered in the ER at the local hospital (which is a top 100 hospital and a Magnet hospital), and I got offered a job as a PCT on an ACE (acute care of the elderly) floor, ortho floor, and an ER float. I have also sat in on four ortho surgeries. I've learned so much about what nursing REALLY is about since getting this job. I look forward to finishing school and starting my new career. Volunteering is a good way to get your foot in the door. I was asked to work under the Dean of Emergency Medicine when I was a volunteer. So many opportunities can come up for you just by starting at the bottom. Best of luck to you! :)

[flowerpop]

I found this information to be really helpful. I have been seeing so much information online about how new RN grads can't find a job because they don't have the minimum 1 year experience required by many employers. There's so many hospitals in my area, so I will definitely sign up for volunteer work. I just want to finish my pre-reqs first! :)