Do any of you volunteer/work in the field?

I volunteered at an ICU unit in one hospital and worked as a nurse's aide at another within the same network while going to school full-time. As far as getting a volunteer position, I had trouble because I was applying to hospitals near the university. They have a lot of students that apply (pre-med, dental, nursing, etc) so they are more picky. Try to look at hospitals that aren't so close to a university where a lot of students will be concentrated.

As for a job, I applied for PRN nurse's aide positions at the university affiliated hospital and got lucky. There is usually a high turn-over rate for aides at learning hospitals. If this doesn't interest you, there are other positions you might be eligible for such as unit clerk, but you won't really get as much hands-on experience. My hospital paid for all my training and sent me for additional certifications (phlebotomy), so it's definitely worth it.

Good luck!