So i'm a new grad and I've been trying to find ways to find a job in this tough market. I've been very interested in this particular hospital for a long time so I thought why not volunteer there. I've been trying to "get my foot in the door" somehow by volunteering and possibly try to network from there, and eventually see if this organization is for me. do you agree with me?
So today I did my tour around the hospital. I ended at chatting with charge nurses, CNAs, asking them how they like it here. Letting them know I might volunteer on their unit, and if they normally see new grads around here being hired. So I got a lot of good info on which unit was hiring and which isn't, how the employees are being treated, getting a general feel on the unit. I thought it was important to find out and work on a unit that does hire- before I commit myself to hundred+ hours of service.
I was excited to find out that one of the unit is a potential new grad friendly unit and it was the field I was aiming for, so I told the volunteer coordinator I wanted that specific unit. she was so curious as to why I wanted that particular floor. I already let her know that I was there because I'm interested in knowing more about the organization and see if its a great fit for a future career. She asked if I am a licensed and I told her yes. She blew up at me instantly and told me I shouldn't be there to solicit jobs?...?! She said I made her feel super uncomfortable i'm being so aggressive and i'm not being there to volunteer, rather than to find a job. arg!
if any of you new grads out there know how hard it is to find a job, and getting a connection within the hospital or "foot in the door" is probably the best way to go. I've had so many people telling me that the way they got the job is being aggressive and just showing up on the unit with a resume. That would be soliciting, but i'm probably not going to do that. I"m not quite sure if I agreed to her but I ended up "apologizing", and she even said " i would kick you out if I know you're here to look for a job". (my god) and that i'm "crossing the line, because i'm chatting with then nurses already". ***
Shouldn't the volunteer lady be even more willing to find you a placement that is fitting and understand that people come here to also volunteer to see if its a fitting organization for future job potential? I guess she was ****** off that I wasn't doing this for the greatness of my heart and to give back to the community. If i'm here because i'm interested in a possibly career with that organization... Isn't that legit enough?!
I'm trying my best to survive as a new grad (as if thats not hard enough), people like her really discourage me in taking the initiative to network.
Specializes in Cardiology (ITU), Acute Renal/Dialysis.
I went to Haiti and spent a week of my personal vacation time helping to treat the poor. That to me was "volunteering." What you're referring to in the above, is instead, called "networking and job hunting." Your comment that "this is accepted..." I would ask, by whom? As this thread has shown, rather than being accepted, a substantial number of nurses seem to reject that line of argument, as do I.
When you have to "...pretend, aka lie" then you're found your poor soul's kernel of truth. You're doing something wrong hence it can't be seen in the light of day, and your need for deceit. Is this a joke? No, not at all.
Listen, I work with the homeless in my city voluntarily and have worked in the past with asylum seekers, the unemployed & victims of serious crime, i dont think i should have a halo over my head for doing it! yes what you have done, and what millions of others have throughout time is great work which i applaud , but what i was trying to say was that the student who wanted to work volunatrily shouldn't be shot down for wanting to eventually get a job out of it! unless ofcourse, you & all the others who are offended by what i & others have said, are all saints! come on! Whats that saying? LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE.............. & thats from an athiest! Lets get real here, all the girl wants is a job, and a good way of gaining that employment is through voluntary work.
I believe what you did was very creative and a win win situation. They can have an intelligent well trained volunteer and you can check things out. There will always be people that disagree but remember what Dr Seuss said:
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
"And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed."Dr. Seuss
Specializes in Cardiology (ITU), Acute Renal/Dialysis.
people may rationalize behavioral responses to be something more politically correct in order to justify them. but if a starving man steals a loaf of bread to feed his starving family, he remains a thief. while he may have had ample humanitarian reasons to have done it, those reasons certainly doesn't change the lexicon in regards to his act. stealing is still an act of theft; thus that man is by definition, a thief.
applying for a position as a "volunteer" but in reality, actually trying to get a job is misrepresentation, no matter how you may try to sugar coat it. it is deceitful, self serving, and rather unprofessional imho. if i were the nurse manager in the position to hire, i would certainly think twice before bringing on board someone who obviously isn't above such behavior.
as for your comment that we should be nothing but supportive? sure, but only when there is professional above board behavior. expecting nurses at large to support a job seeking ruse solely because it happened to be perpetrated by a fellow nurse is ridiculous and an inappropriate expectation of professional solidarity; wrong is wrong, and most nurses easily know the difference between doing something honorably or not. it may be appropriate to remind everyone here of a passage from the nursing oath:
" i will do all in my power to make and maintain the highest standards and practices of my profession..."
somehow, i don't think applying for a position as a volunteer while surreptitiously trying to get a shoe in the door for a paying job would qualify as being in the spirit of maintaining the highest standards of a profession. it isn't about eating our young; rather most nurses simply don't like it when the conduct of a few makes our profession look bad.
two things come to mind here - self righteous..........& maybe if you read a dictionary you would know that the use of "lexicon" is out of context. anyway,i hope you get holiday pay for your next act of supreme masochism
Specializes in Cardiology (ITU), Acute Renal/Dialysis.
Oh, i forgot to tell you: if you show any anger or sarcasm in any of your posts-- until the folks on this site get to know you better--you won't get many of the responses you want; and they are very wary of giving kudos out.
Thanks for letting me know that! I am aware of this as i've worked in the "caring profession" for 8 yrs and have had the pleasure of "snotty" nurses & what i call "psychotic princesses" but all this does is give ME pleasure in "dissing" them and their ways. TRUTH , the only way whether it gets me a promotion or not, I am who I am....... much love
So it's, do as you say, and not as you do? Because you've taken a lot of the responses on here and turned them into something other than what they were, also. Which very likely could mean you're not reading the posts either. You seem to think I am attacking you, and I'm not, but your replies are sticking out to me so I am replying to them. If to you, that is "attitude," so be it. A good number of people supported the volunteer aspect but not the approach, and yet it seems that anyone that did not support the OP is branded as thinking the entire thing is bad, wrong, whatever.
It's not that you don't agree with what she did as being right or wrong. Its your approach to how you stated it. Maybe it was not your intentions, but by attacking ones character, such as many have done with the OP and stating that she is deceitful and on and on, that's where the line needs to be drawn. You could have said, maybe the volunteer coordinator looked at it and thought it was deceitful, or I would think this was deceitful because... but instead yall went straight to passing judgment on the OP's character.
If you read through all of my posts in this thread (and I'm not a paying member so I can't go back to re-edit beyond a timed window), none of my comments were directed at the OP on a personal level; they were all about the behavior and the choice of actions, and what my opinions were there of. However, you seem to have felt the need to comment about me on a personal level. You're entitled to disagree with my views but choosing to use ad homimen attacks and to tell me to keep my comments to myself is rather uncalled for. In essence, if you feel that my opinions are so disgusting then my constructive suggestion is that you don't need to read them.
I know your comments were at the OP. Your comments were attacking the OP's character. Read above to "cherrybreeze" because it's not necessary to type that out again. Had you been more tactful, then maybe others would not have taken notice.
Further, if you feel that spending a week in Haiti while getting vacation pay is not really volunteering, then you're welcomed to also go and spend a paid week in a post disaster, malaria and typhoid ridden third world country in need of UN peace keepers, and call it your usual week at work. And yes, I would have done it for free too, as I'd already spent more than a thousand dollars just on the extra equipment that I needed down there (most of which I'd then donated to some Haitian doctors when I left).
Spent 15-months patrolling the streets of Baghdad. Don't talk to me about sacrifices. Again, you obviously look at your accomplishments and think they make you high and mighty. But this goes to make a point. You seemed to take offense to my questioning your character and intentions with your volunteering. Now, imagine how the OP feels with so many of yall questioning her integrity in such a harsh manner as yall did. Just think about it. It's the internet. I don't think character judgments are quite in order.
Additionally, your view of the deceit issue is rather off the mark. Had the OP been forthcoming from the outset and had announced a job seeking intention without being asked; then you would have a point. But, the OP only revealed the truth of the situation after the interviewer dug a little deeper. So, when the truth was finally uncovered, the interviewer had an "AHA!" moment that caused her to become angry. So, in essence, based on her reaction, the interviewer certainly felt that she had been deceived, and that the interviewee had been deceitful. Res ipsa loguitur.
I think I know what deceit is. The OP had filled out the application with all her information. Because she didn't walk up at the beginning of the interview and say "I am here with the intentions of maybe getting a job here one day" does not me she was intentionally misleading. She was asked and responded truthfully. If you read some of the other replies from the OP, she was already volunteering at other places and they knew her end goals and had no issue with it. Why would the OP think otherwise and thus feel the need to state that right off the bat? Just because the interviewer believed she was being deceitful does not mean it is so.
Now, in ALL of this. I could very well be wrong. The OP could have lied to us or not told us all the information. But before we attempt character assassinations of people, it really helps to be fully informed. This is where my issue is with you, and many other respondents. It's basic human decency.
Specializes in Cardiology (ITU), Acute Renal/Dialysis.
It's not that you don't agree with what she did as being right or wrong. Its your approach to how you stated it. Maybe it was not your intentions, but by attacking ones character, such as many have done with the OP and stating that she is deceitful and on and on, that's where the line needs to be drawn. You could have said, maybe the volunteer coordinator looked at it and thought it was deceitful, or I would think this was deceitful because... but instead yall went straight to passing judgment on the OP's character.
I know your comments were at the OP. Your comments were attacking the OP's character. Read above to "cherrybreeze" because it's not necessary to type that out again. Had you been more tactful, then maybe others would not have taken notice.
Spent 15-months patrolling the streets of Baghdad. Don't talk to me about sacrifices. Again, you obviously look at your accomplishments and think they make you high and mighty. But this goes to make a point. You seemed to take offense to my questioning your character and intentions with your volunteering. Now, imagine how the OP feels with so many of yall questioning her integrity in such a harsh manner as yall did. Just think about it. It's the internet. I don't think character judgments are quite in order.
I think I know what deceit is. The OP had filled out the application with all her information. Because she didn't walk up at the beginning of the interview and say "I am here with the intentions of maybe getting a job here one day" does not me she was intentionally misleading. She was asked and responded truthfully. If you read some of the other replies from the OP, she was already volunteering at other places and they knew her end goals and had no issue with it. Why would the OP think otherwise and thus feel the need to state that right off the bat? Just because the interviewer believed she was being deceitful does not mean it is so.
Now, in ALL of this. I could very well be wrong. The OP could have lied to us or not told us all the information. But before we attempt character assassinations of people, it really helps to be fully informed. This is where my issue is with you, and many other respondents. It's basic human decency.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Oh I didn't mean to upset anyone with my story. I just wanted to share the struggles i'm going through as a new grad.
Just to clarify, I did intend to finish the volunteer process regardless of the job prospect worked out or not.This was an organization I've been wanting to volunteer for since years ago. The first volunteer job I've ever had, I stayed with for 10 years in the NICU and that job brought me into the world of nursing. I was hoping this opportunity would be just as enlightening- a different and challenging field that i'm really interested in and hoping that the opportunity will present itself. Unfortunately, 10 years down the line after i got my license- i found out that the nicu i had great connections with does not hire new grad. Both the NICU and my senior preceptorship hospital told me it was a shame they don't hire new grads or they would love to have me there (or the future). twice i felt i hit the wall. I am volunteering 40 hours a week (to 3 places), i am dedicating myself, but i wanted to figure it out first. The biggest disappointment for me was knowing that the place I worked so hard at and put in so much effort to be let go..
I do understand my timing might have been off with the network. i apologize to those i've offended with the situation.
In my application I stated my goals- Learn about the organization, learn about a different field of nursing, gain connections. I have a RN license. Other coordinators at another campus I told my situation with said to me that she felt bad that new grads are having such a hard time getting jobs and she even tried her best to put on a unit that I can potentially grow with- and would even be delighted to see me back as a nurse in the future. This coordinator was at a completely different campus and took it a different way. I let her know how interested I am with the organization and it's a place i'm potentially looking to affiliate with in the future.
I apologize for those who I offended and I really thank those who supported me and know what type of hardships new grads are going though. :)
What kinds of positions are their for volunteers, like in NICU what were you doing?
I would love to volunteer, I never knew that what kinds of jobs volunteers had in the hospitals. The only ones I recall seeing were greeters.
Wow, this thread has me thinking! I'm in pre-nursing, on a waiting list to start a program. I was thinking about volunteering at a local hospital while I'm waiting, to get my "foot in the door" and make some connections, but with all the negative replies to this, maybe that's the wrong thing to do? I'm not 'actively' looking for a job, I just thought it would be a good thing to do. No?
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Wow, this thread has me thinking! I'm in pre-nursing, on a waiting list to start a program. I was thinking about volunteering at a local hospital while I'm waiting, to get my "foot in the door" and make some connections, but with all the negative replies to this, maybe that's the wrong thing to do? I'm not 'actively' looking for a job, I just thought it would be a good thing to do. No?
It can be, go in and volunteer and meet people. Down the road when you graduate nursing school and are applying for jobs you can list that time.
Don't hound the staff at your tour and orientation about possible job prospects and with 20 questions not related to the job you will be doing but about your future prospects.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
QUOTE=Jasmininsf;4217543]what the hell else did they think you were volunteering for? everyone has ulterior motives.
(okay, not EVERYONE-there are certainly some that do it simply out of the goodness of their hearts... but really, now.)
QUOTE=pussycat66;4217983]isnt that the point of volunteering? surely you realise that most volunteers want paidwork but need to make contacts first? why are you so surprised that this person witheventually want a paid job?
Actually, no. Traditionally,hospital volunteers tended to be either--
1)older empty-nesters with no agenda other than to be of service. I don't consider someone who feels good about giving without thought of return either a martyr or a person with an ulterior motive.
2)young people doing community service for a class, a club, or service organization of some type.
The concept of interning or networking was not part of this equation, but I do know that in many, or maybe most other fields this is the common understanding of doing volunteer work. If you work for free for a newspaper or a radio station or a political campaign, everyone gets it that a paying job is your ultimate aim.
A while ago I told someone I thought it would be a great idea to volunteer as part of a job-hunting strategy, but it was understood in a different way. She hoped that getting to know people in the course of her working as a volunteer would give her an edge over a complete stranger. This is 100% true, but if that did not happen, she would be OK with it. Maybe that doesn't seem like much of a difference, but it is. It's entirely possible that out of a group of 12 nurses on the unit requested, 3 or 4 of the old fuddie-duddies (hi-that's me:)) would think scoping us out for a job while orienting as a volunteer a really tacky thing to do. BTW, OP not directed to you-- your second post clarified your background well, best wishes to you.
and that i'm "crossing the line, because i'm chatting with then nurses already". ***
much love
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pussycat66
68 Posts
Listen, I work with the homeless in my city voluntarily and have worked in the past with asylum seekers, the unemployed & victims of serious crime, i dont think i should have a halo over my head for doing it! yes what you have done, and what millions of others have throughout time is great work which i applaud , but what i was trying to say was that the student who wanted to work volunatrily shouldn't be shot down for wanting to eventually get a job out of it! unless ofcourse, you & all the others who are offended by what i & others have said, are all saints! come on! Whats that saying? LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE.............. & thats from an athiest! Lets get real here, all the girl wants is a job, and a good way of gaining that employment is through voluntary work.