volunteer @ hospital

[RI Nurse]

Hello, I am a new RN graduate, I applied to so many places but with this economy, it's still hard to find a job.

I am 5 and a half months pregnant, which I think contribute to not being hired.

I decided to volunteer at a local hospital to network and learn more instead of just sitting doing nothing. Tomorrow I have an information session with the volunteering department of the hospital that I already applied for on 02/08/11, but every position need at least 1-2 years experience.

So if the lady asks me tomorrow why do you want to volunteer and not try to find a job in LTC or Home Health agency, what sould I tell her? Should I disclose my pregnancy and explain to her that no body wants to hire a pregnant lady so I figure volunteering will be good for me right now? Please help with any suggestions.

P.S : I want only to accept volunteering services if they are being offered in OR, ER, Medical floor, something that will expose me to nursing stuff not sitting in the shop or dietary aide. No offense, I didn't know how to word this.

In another word, I want the volunteering to be reciprocal, beneficial to me as well as the hospital.

Thank you for reading.

any suggestions will be really appreciated.

RI Nurse:nurse:

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

Your answer is : I like the community here and would like to learn more about this hospital. I am not looking at long term care because I would like to get more med-surg experience.

I'm pretty sure the pregnancy thing will be obvious, so don't bother saying anything. Also, if you say "They won't hire me because I'm pregnant." it'll look bad for you. They'll think you are accusing them of unfair hiring practices and then no one will hire you.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Personally, I would be truthful about your pg. Some people camoflauge well and don't always look pg. I think being honest is only fair to people hiring.

Tell them what you want, but to back up how serious you are about working at this particular facility, I would know it's voluntering history and the history of the hospital.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Good for you to stick to what you want too. LTC in my area remains full and picky as you know too many nurses looking for work. Some who really don't understand the situation will keep harping on the HH or LTC when in reality few nurses will ever be able to leave those environs. Used to be a good starting place, but with a few exceptions these days, hospitals have returned to looking down on LTC and SNF. Thats a problem when someone from a facility gives poor advice that ends up being counterproductive and not even in line with their own facility's current hiring practices.

[merlee]

I do hope you realize that you will get little or no 'nursing' experience as a volunteer. I don't even recall that the volunteers gave out water the last time I was a patient!!

Aside from manning a reception desk in the OR waiting area, there are no volunteers in the OR that I am aware of.

I think you should be upfront, but instead of inferring that no one will hire you because you are pregnant, instead you should state that you wanted to wait until your child is a few months old before you start working.

Best wishes!

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

For awhile, before I got a paying job, I worked as a volunteer nurse in a Hospice. I took the job because I hoped it would lead to a paying job there, and it did.

If you have interest in Hospice, a Hospice might have a place for you as a volunteer. I did med passes, dressing changes, IV care, and all sorts of other med-surg things. The nice thing about being a volunteer is you find out what needs doing and do the part of it that interests you. AND, you get to work when you want and can take time off (like when your baby works). Also, you can quit if you get something else that's your overall goal.

[flyingchange]

I volunteered for 6 months in an ER. It wasn't even remotely related to nursing - more like I stocked carts and folded linens - but I got to know the unit and the staff. I learned who the UM was and I introduced myself via email. When a competitive student externship was opened, I applied and was hired on.

During my volunteering, I got some experience with the flow of the ER and the team dynamic. For this unit, the volunteer coordinator wasn't really connected with the UM, so I just told her I wanted exposure to the ER environment to see if I'd like it. And I really, really do :)

[DeLana_RN, BSN, RN]

For awhile, before I got a paying job, I worked as a volunteer nurse in a Hospice. I took the job because I hoped it would lead to a paying job there, and it did.

If you have interest in Hospice, a Hospice might have a place for you as a volunteer. I did med passes, dressing changes, IV care, and all sorts of other med-surg things. The nice thing about being a volunteer is you find out what needs doing and do the part of it that interests you. AND, you get to work when you want and can take time off (like when your baby works). Also, you can quit if you get something else that's your overall goal.

I'm doing the same thing right now, volunteering for hospice in hope of getting a job there later. Although they don't let nurse volunteers like me do any but the most basic nursing tasks (such as feeding pts), I still consider it valuable experience that will look good on my resume (and frankly, I don't want to do any more involved tasks such as giving meds that could put my license at risk).

I think you're doing a great thing, and yes, it may lead to a paid job.

Good luck to you,

DeLana