Is Volunteering a Way to Get my Skills Up To Speed?

[SunnyPupRN]

hi- i am in desperate need of help. i lost my job two years ago, but even then i was working in psych, where we didn't use many med-surg skills. now i need to work [but only part time] and my skills are rusty. frankly, i'm not sure my nursing school prepared us all that well to begin with, but that's beside the point.

anyhow, there are no nursing refresher courses anywhere near where i live. i would like to also return to school, but i need letters of recommendation.

jobs in my area have dried up, much less for soomeone who can't compete skills-wise.

i'm thinking about volunteering at a nursing home to catch up.

[i don't want to go near hospital floor nursing, i don't think].

does this sound like an ok idea?

thx

[loriangel14, RN]

If you were volunteering in a LTC facility they wouldn't allow you to be doing so in a nursing role so you wouldn't be able to practice nursing skills. There would be too many liability issues for the facility to allow someone to provide nursing care as a volunteer.

[SunnyPupRN]

Rats. Any other ideas??

[Brea LPN]

If you can't find any refresher courses, you might have to jump right into a job. Search the internet for videos of skills on Youtube.

[IdrilRN, BSN, RN]

Are there any free clinics around. Ours have nurses doing the office nurse stuff. Vital signs, assit with minor procedures, phone calls, blood draws, obtaining some history etc...

What about actually working in an physicians office. You'd certainly be an expert at vital signs. When I worked in a physicians office, I brought the people back, did their vital signs, found out why they were there. Communicated with the providor about the person I just put in the room. I assisted with minor procedures, (mostly cysts and paps) drew gallons of blood. Fielded countless phone calls in the name of phone triage. It might not seem like a lot compared to what a hospital nurse does, but I learned a lot about time management by keeping my doc on time.

[Brea LPN]

Are there any free clinics around. Ours have nurses doing the office nurse stuff. Vital signs, assit with minor procedures, phone calls, blood draws, obtaining some history etc...

What about actually working in an physicians office. You'd certainly be an expert at vital signs. When I worked in a physicians office, I brought the people back, did their vital signs, found out why they were there. Communicated with the providor about the person I just put in the room. I assisted with minor procedures, (mostly cysts and paps) drew gallons of blood. Fielded countless phone calls in the name of phone triage. It might not seem like a lot compared to what a hospital nurse does, but I learned a lot about time management by keeping my doc on time.

That's a good idea! That will at least get the OP back into the nursing mindset.

[SunnyPupRN]

Not bad ...I'll have to check, and see if there are any free clinics. Thanks for the idea! Of course, I'll still have to pick up liability coverage again. Pfffft.