Does volunteering at a hospital help?

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Right now I am working as a CNA in home health and I hate it! I love the work but I hate the driving around numerous times in one day. I would rather commute once and be done with it! I am thinking of volunteering at a hospital that I live close to (I could walk there from my kids daycare). However I have to pay for daycare while I volunteer so it would actually cost me money to volunteer. But if it woudl increase my chances of getting hired in six months to a year as a PCT in a hospital I think it would be worth the money. So any feedback is appreciated on if volunteering has helped you get a job or network ahead.

Thanks

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Specializes in School Nurse.

YES! YES! YES! I know many CNAs hired as TECHS with no experience besides volunteering! I would just do it a couple times a month and honestly, get to know the clinical managers. Get your name out there. It WILL help your chances.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

I volunteered at two hospitals and got jobs at both of them.

I would say it helped.

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Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

I'm trying to move from Home Health to hospital work. Volunteers have to pay a due at the hospitals in my area, so I'm not really interested in paying to do work, but if it's really helpful maybe I should consider. Tell me how your job search goes!

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Specializes in Progressive, Intermediate Care, and Stepdown.

Volunteering always helps. It shows you care for community and those who live in it among many other desirable qualities. We live in a money driven world. When someone is willing to spend time for nothing other that pure satisfaction to help, it puts one in a good light. I volunteered and wrote about it here. Look at some of my old posts. I really enjoyed it.

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Right now I am working as a CNA in home health and I hate it! I love the work but I hate the driving around numerous times in one day. I would rather commute once and be done with it! I am thinking of volunteering at a hospital that I live close to (I could walk there from my kids daycare). However I have to pay for daycare while I volunteer so it would actually cost me money to volunteer. But if it woudl increase my chances of getting hired in six months to a year as a PCT in a hospital I think it would be worth the money. So any feedback is appreciated on if volunteering has helped you get a job or network ahead.

Thanks

I was about to write a post about this, but luckily I did a search first. I'm glad I did because you wrote the post for me! :) Only difference is that I don't like the driving OR the work. Have you made up your mind yet? Have you started volunteering? I am in nursing school now and I am desperate to work in peds when I am finished. I will be contacting the local children's hospital to inquire about volunteering tomorrow. Trying to get a tech job there is about as hard as getting into congress.

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I'm disappointed to say that I actually had to quit my job because daycare for two kids was too expensive and had to start a work at home job. I live in a state that does not have free daycare for low income single moms which I did not know before I moved here! Anyways next fall I start a BSN program and will be getting a grant payin 70% of the daycare so hopefully I will be able to volunteer then since I will not have enough hours off when daycare is open to even work one day a week. I'm just at a loss how to make ends meet while in school!

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i think volunteering helps. it shows you're dedicated without being paid. my friend got a full-time job after she volunteered.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Cardiology, ER.

YES, it really does help when it comes time to get a job. We love our volunteers and they do get the extra consideration when positions open up.

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant.

MarkG-I hope!

I volunteered last year and just had an interview at the very same hospital. I did let them know that I was a former volunteer...hoping that gives me an edge over the other competition!

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

I was a volunteer at the hospital I now work at. I got to know the staff really well and one of the nurse practitioners put in a good word for me so I'm pretty sure that was the reason why I got the job.

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Maybe, maybe not. I am an EMT and I have several years of volunteer experience (a summer on a med/surg wing in high school, 1.5 years in spiritual care at a different hospital, 1.5 years and counting in the ED at a level 1 trauma center, and 6 months and counting as a volunteer event-based EMT for the Red Cross.) I've been applying for ER tech jobs for over a year at several different hospitals and haven't gotten an interview yet, but I keep trying. Good luck!

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