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
katehensley, BSN, RN 54 Posts Specializes in School Nurse. Has 1 years experience. Apr 14, 2012 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.
ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP 1 Article; 2,592 Posts Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU. Has 8 years experience. Apr 14, 2012 I volunteered at two hospitals and got jobs at both of them.I would say it helped.
WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN 544 Posts Specializes in ER, Med-surg. Apr 14, 2012 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!
guest042302019, BSN, RN 7 Articles; 466 Posts Specializes in Progressive, Intermediate Care, and Stepdown. Apr 19, 2012 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.
Summers_Off 168 Posts May 16, 2012 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. ThanksI 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.
DarkLotus 233 Posts May 23, 2012 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!
chariot 42 Posts Jun 2, 2012 i think volunteering helps. it shows you're dedicated without being paid. my friend got a full-time job after she volunteered.
TheERMurse 50 Posts Specializes in Pediatrics, Cardiology, ER. Jun 4, 2012 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.
shay&lynn, ASN, RN 397 Posts Specializes in Nursing Assistant. Has 4 years experience. Jun 9, 2012 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!
Bobmo88 261 Posts Specializes in Emergency Room. Has 2 years experience. Jun 10, 2012 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.
Laurabird 5 Posts Oct 24, 2012 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!
