Thoughts on Volunteering (New Grad)

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Hi everyone,

I'm in the midst of applying as many jobs as I can throughout the Long Island region and have yet to receive any call backs. I know it is going to take some time, so I'm not complaining. However, because I didn't go to school here, I don't have any experience in any of the hospitals or have any networking / connections. What are your thoughts on volunteering for a hospital as a new grad RN, basically to get my foot in the door?! Do you guys have any suggestions as to what to do if you were in my situation? Any help from you fellow RNs would be fabulous!

Thank you!

Chi

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Personally, I don't think it would help. In most places, volunteers are not involved in patient care. If a volunteer is not involved in patient care, they are invisible to nurses. Where I work, volunteers staff the family waiting room and direct visitors from the front desk.

In a former hospital, I delivered newspapers to patients who wanted them. It never helped me land a job.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I have never seen volunteering lead to a job. That being said, NOT volunteering has never lead to a job either.

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

If you want to get your foot in the door and can't find a nursing job at a hospital, why not any other paid JOB there? That way at least you're employed, and you'll have already gone through all of the HR stuff.

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I know someone that volunteered for YEARS on her dream unit, became a UC graduated with her RN and is now training as an RN on that same unit. So it can happen but for this RN it was 6 or 7 years in the making

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