Trying to volunteer at "skilled nursing and rehab unit"

[RN2be J]

I'm a prenursing school student working on my prereq's to get accepted into a bsn program in a year or two... I'm looking to start volunteering to get some basic experience and to help with my admission consideration to a program.

My friend just started working at a skilled nursing and rehab unit as a nutritionist and has started a conversation with the head nurse at the facility on my behalf to try and see if I might be able to work as a volunteer.

She (head nurse) asked him (friend) what kind of jobs or the direction I'd take if I was to go there and what would be my agenda... I explain I'm still pre-nursing school working on my prerequisites to get into BSN program and that this volunteer experience will help with my admission, but also that I would obviously like to create a possible working relationship for the future.

It feels she is essentially asking me what duties I would do day-to-day as a volunteer, but also is intrigued as to what specialties I might go into after I graduate. Because I have little experience with the working nurse situation I'm not exactly sure what specialties I would be getting into for sure, just that I need experience volunteering.

My question is, the head nurse wants to know exactly what I need to do/would be doing in my daily volunteering activities at their office and I'm not quite sure what to tell her, so far I've just said anything nursing or health related. What should I say to this question?

This is a really good opportunity for volunteer experience but also for making a connection at a great facility to possibly work at after I graduate. Any advice as to the specifics of what I should say would be greatly appreciated!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

You've got it backwards, and apparently so does she.

She, the manager, decides what she is willing to let a volunteer do, how much she wants to be responsible for training a volunteer and overseeing her, and so forth.

You, the prospective volunteer, want to help in whatever way you can because you are a nice person, not the very first thing you said, which was to boost your chances of admission to the nursing program. If I were a manager that would turn me off. I give her points for letting you think you're the driver here and letting you think she's helping you, but that's improper on several levels.

How about you sit down with her and start over? She has to consider what HIPAA implications there are to having an unpaid, non-employee with any sort of access to private health information. You need to start a lot slower than you think.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

so far I've just said anything nursing or health related. What should I say to this question?

I agree with grntea. Unfortunately you won't be legally able to do anything "nursing or health related" because you have no training to do that. If you actually do anything nursing or health related and don't have the proper training you become a liability for the facility.

Your best bet is to push people back/forth to the dining room, therapy, etc or help out with activities. I was particularly swamped at one point and my daughter needed volunteer hours for college credits and I had her come in and clean my office and organize/file stuff for me. (as a side note, never did tell her how badly I actually needed help at that point and probably should have paid her for unburying my desk. )

[DedHedRN]

The place you are trying to volunteer is probably one of the most regulated venues of health care in any state, as far as I know, I have never seen them "officially" accept a volunteer. Now, you are allowed to go in and "befriend" and "Visit" all the elderly pts you would like, and you can help them with small tasks, such as reading the news paper and helping them to find their socks..ect. ect. You will not be allowed behind the nurses station, into the charts, or any "employee area only" places.

Just show up daily and be helpful. This is a home for many pts, and many do not have family, so its wonderful when people get involved.

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

Why not get a nurse's aide license or certification and work there? I know someone who volunteered at the same time as I was an aide, and when we both graduated, guess who got hired? Plus, you can get in touch with the day to day schlep and grind of daily nursing care.