Fulfilling 12 months active practice requirement

[nurse.etc]

Hello all. Wondering if anyone has done volenteer work as a nurse to fulfill the required amount of time of "active practice" under contract with their alternative program.

I have a non nursing job that I am working and have zero desire to quit for a nursing job, so I was hoping to find somewhere I could volenteer at on the days I am off of my day job. Perhaps at some of the poorer staffed nursing homes in my area. My thoughts being, they'd be more open to letting a contract bound nurse work if they didnt have to pay them and also that I would be able to work what days work for my ever changing schedule. Of course I know I need to clear any work with my program first, I was just curious if anyone else has done this.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I would look closely at the fine print regarding whether "volunteering" is the same thing as working. Best of luck.

[Persephone Paige, ADN]

Hello all. Wondering if anyone has done volenteer work as a nurse to fulfill the required amount of time of "active practice" under contract with their alternative program.

I have a non nursing job that I am working and have zero desire to quit for a nursing job, so I was hoping to find somewhere I could volenteer at on the days I am off of my day job. Perhaps at some of the poorer staffed nursing homes in my area. My thoughts being, they'd be more open to letting a contract bound nurse work if they didnt have to pay them and also that I would be able to work what days work for my ever changing schedule. Of course I know I need to clear any work with my program first, I was just curious if anyone else has done this.

I have not done it, but our program encourages it for nurses unable to secure employment. What is odd is that they will not let us work as an aide, or monitor tech. But they'll let us volunteer to empty bed pans for free and have THAT count as clinical.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

This was allowed in my state's program. People volunteered off their work requirement at the Red Cross and in the infirmary at the local large homeless shelter.

Idk about volunteering to work as a nurse in a traditionally paid job like a SNF. It seems like there could be some liability/red tape issues there. You could just work PRN if that counts towards the work requirements. My experience with finding a job while on contract was that some places will work with you and some just absolutely won't -- and I doubt whether you're working for pay or not counts in that decision...