Red Cross volunteering

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.

I have a question, would volunteering with the Red Cross as an RN help count towards experience? I've been searching for a job for a long time now and was thinking of volunteering at my local Army base as a way of "getting my foot in the door" so to speak. Is this a good or bad idea?

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I have a question, would volunteering with the Red Cross as an RN help count towards experience? I've been searching for a job for a long time now and was thinking of volunteering at my local Army base as a way of "getting my foot in the door" so to speak. Is this a good or bad idea?

Hi WildcatFanRN,

I am going to volunteer as a RN at one of the base hospitals. I was told that it would help towards my experience. I have been looking for a job for a while and having only six months experience isn't working for me. I am hoping this will open up some doors for me because I am ready to get back to work and this whole new graduate and hiring freeze situation is very discouraging to me. On the positive side I would rather volunteer and keep my skills active rather than sitting around not doing nothing at all. I am hoping for the best out of this situation. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.
Hi WildcatFanRN,

I am going to volunteer as a RN at one of the base hospitals. I was told that it would help towards my experience. I have been looking for a job for a while and having only six months experience isn't working for me. I am hoping this will open up some doors for me because I am ready to get back to work and this whole new graduate and hiring freeze situation is very discouraging to me. On the positive side I would rather volunteer and keep my skills active rather than sitting around not doing nothing at all. I am hoping for the best out of this situation. Good luck to you.

You have 6 more months than I do lol. I too am hoping this will open up some doors for me, as well as help me keep my skills up.

Good luck to you too.

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Specializes in PACU, ER, Military.

I volunteered for my local Red Cross in Emergency Services as a Disaster Responder. I responded to local disasters-house fires doing mostly case management and purchasing and retrieving emergency medicaions-BP meds next does due in one hour, coumadin, wheelchairs, nebulizers, etc. The free training that was offered here was incredible. Advanced Disaster Life Support, Advanced Burn Life Support, Mass Antibiotic Distribution, Psychological First Aid, etc. I was deployment ready for any national disaster. I worked for a year with this and I certainly think it helped on my application to the US Navy. I am now a navy nurse and have been asked to be part of the disaster action team of the hospital.

Note there are several 'chapters' you could work in but the emergency services or blood services were the only ones for 'nurses.' Any work with the Red Cross would look good I imagine.

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Specializes in PACU, ER, Military.

Another position I recommend is being a 'camp nurse.' This can mean a lot of things. Camps for kids, seminars, retreats for adults etc. A lot of times they want a medical person there. These are short term and can be good-paying.

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Another position I recommend is being a 'camp nurse.' This can mean a lot of things. Camps for kids, seminars, retreats for adults etc. A lot of times they want a medical person there. These are short term and can be good-paying.

Sent from my LT26i using allnurses.com

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Specializes in Med Surge.

Hi Sw88tpea, camp nursing, seminars etc...sounds great where do I sign up? What should I look for when choosing these alternative to hospital work. How much is a good salary or hourly wage for this type of work?:o

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Hi!

I just found this post and checked out our local red cross but had trouble finding the classes on advanced disaster life support and burn life support- psychologicla first aid was the only one I found.

Could you suggest how or where I can find the emergency service and blood service chapters in my area?

Also, was the training you mentioned free or for charge?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Hi!

I just found this post and checked out our local red cross but had trouble finding the classes on advanced disaster life support and burn life support- psychologicla first aid was the only one I found.

Could you suggest how or where I can find the emergency service and blood service chapters in my area?

Also, was the training you mentioned free or for charge?

Generally speaking disaster courses are free of charge to qualified individuals. Most deal specifically with Red Cross policy & procedures and may or may not carry over into other professional situations. Usually the course is Disaster Health Services. (Disaster Mental Health Services is restricted to licensed mental health professionals, Psy D/PhD licensed psychologists, LCSW, psych nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, licensed professional counselors etc.) If you go to the main website American Red Cross enter your ZIP code you'll be directed to your local chapter. All chapters have local disaster services. Usually you need to get involved at the local level on the disaster action team before you will be considered for the advanced training courses and deployment on national or regional disasters.

At one point I was the volunteer training coordinator for my local chapter (in the six months prior to 9.11.01 and about six months after) and was qualified to instruct several of the courses. The introduction to disaster services (or equivalent title) should be an online learning module available at the chapter level and is a pre-req for other trainings. You can also fill out forms at volunteermatch.org to be matched with your local chapter.

Good luck with your endeavors.

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Thank you for this reply. I have been out of the loop for some time and just found this. I will follow up with the local chapter and arrange to take the courses. Thanks again!

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....If you go to the main website American Red Cross enter your ZIP code you'll be directed to your local chapter. All chapters have local disaster services. Usually you need to get involved at the local level on the disaster action team before you will be considered for the advanced training courses and deployment on national or regional disasters... The introduction to disaster services (or equivalent title) should be an online learning module available at the chapter level and is a pre-req for other trainings. You can also fill out forms at volunteermatch.org to be matched with your local chapter...

Thank you for posting this information! =)

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I volunteered at the red cross in high school and loved it. It was right after 9/11 i saw so much being done not only locally but what was being done for those in NY as well.

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