Volunteer Nurses: Counted as a Work Experience?

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I know a lot of Nurses in the Philippines are doing volunteer works just to satisfy the Nursing Board's requirements in their country of destination.

In relation to this, i've known a friend who is a nurse in the philippines who told me that the PNA will Ban volunteer nurses from the hospital or any facilities...

In the State of Victoria, Australia, volunteer work experience is not accepted as a work experience, unless you are in a registered capacity while doing it.

How about in other countries are they going to count it? and the Banning of volunteer nurses by the PNA, do you think this could help? what would be the solution for this?

say your thoughts...thanks.

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Volunteer work in the Philippines does not count as work experience in other countries as one is not fully responsible for the patient. You are not responsible 100% for the care of the patient and in the majority of the facilities you also do not administer medications as well.

This would not be counted any different than the training programs, they do not meet the requirements as work experience either.

It really does not matter to other countries what the PNA does; they have no control over anything to do in any other country. All it will do is reenforce what should be done in the first place. It is going to have to start first with your government and controlling the proliferation of nursing schools there and no place for the nurses to work when they get done. It is actually disgraceful on their part.

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If there not counted as experience for jobs outside the country...then its really sad that a lot of new graduates fall for this training programs ..and volunteer jobs found now in most hospitals in the Philippines ..that doesn't pay at all and what worst its being abused by the Hospitals today.

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i think the decision of the PNA to ban volunteer nursing is because they want to protect us new nurses from these hospitals who are exploiting and taking advantage of the new desperate nurses .but i still dont see it being implemented in the country..its all words..so many hospitals are still collecting training fees..even government and RVM-managed hospitals collect fees! why is that?

i've always been against this exploitation thing but i just realized that i have to swallow my pride on this...i tried to apply to hospitals who hire nurses as a staff nurse but they all would want to hire those who already have "volunteer" experience..i once told by an HR that maybe i want to volunteer first to other hospitals before i apply back to them. another HR asked me why i still dont have any work experience yet and why i did not "volunteer" to other hospitals.. that left me thinking,is being a volunteer nurse a prerequisite to becoming a staff nurse now in this country?

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i think the decision of the PNA to ban volunteer nursing is because they want to protect us new nurses from these hospitals who are exploiting and taking advantage of the new desperate nurses .but i still dont see it being implemented in the country..its all words..so many hospitals are still collecting training fees..even government and RVM-managed hospitals collect fees! why is that?

i've always been against this exploitation thing but i just realized that i have to swallow my pride on this...i tried to apply to hospitals who hire nurses as a staff nurse but they all would want to hire those who already have "volunteer" experience..i once told by an HR that maybe i want to volunteer first to other hospitals before i apply back to them. another HR asked me why i still dont have any work experience yet and why i did not "volunteer" to other hospitals.. that left me thinking,is being a volunteer nurse a prerequisite to becoming a staff nurse now in this country?

What you're describing is slave labor...That's wrong!...I can't believe that the hospitals in the Philippines are requiring volunteer experience. What's even more appalling is that the civilians are accpeting this and PAYING OUT OF POCKET for this...You shouldn't have to pay for volunteer work.

I'm curious, what does one do as a volunteer nurse in the Philippines? What do you do? What are your responsibilities? Hours? How much are you paying to do this? How long is the exploitation process?

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i think the decision of the PNA to ban volunteer nursing is because they want to protect us new nurses from these hospitals who are exploiting and taking advantage of the new desperate nurses .but i still dont see it being implemented in the country..its all words..so many hospitals are still collecting training fees..even government and RVM-managed hospitals collect fees! why is that?

i've always been against this exploitation thing but i just realized that i have to swallow my pride on this...i tried to apply to hospitals who hire nurses as a staff nurse but they all would want to hire those who already have "volunteer" experience..i once told by an HR that maybe i want to volunteer first to other hospitals before i apply back to them. another HR asked me why i still dont have any work experience yet and why i did not "volunteer" to other hospitals.. that left me thinking,is being a volunteer nurse a prerequisite to becoming a staff nurse now in this country?

It's not a prerequisite per se, but it's like something that shows HR or employers that you are willing to exert efforts to help others, that you are not lazy ('cuz if interviews they ask you, "so what have you been doing since.." It doesn't shed positive light if you say 'nothing'.) ect.. It's not counted as work experience because you are not being paid for your services. I think it's really confusing to become a volunteer because you do the job of a regular staff nurse, the only difference is you are not getting paid, and you are not working under your license so you are not accountable. I think it would be better, and to lessen confusion, for volunteers to do light duty or non-nursing duties (like take patients to the xray, lab, fill the charts, answer call lights, and observing procedures with the permission of RN or doctor). If there are more volunteers than working people, of course employers will say, "why pay if you can get for free?", so volunteer work is not good in the long run, the only people who are going to hurt are the volunteers themselves. Sure you will earn skills today, but tomorrow it will be hard to find a job.

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What you're describing is slave labor...That's wrong!...I can't believe that the hospitals in the Philippines are requiring volunteer experience. What's even more appalling is that the civilians are accpeting this and PAYING OUT OF POCKET for this...You shouldn't have to pay for volunteer work.

I'm curious, what does one do as a volunteer nurse in the Philippines? What do you do? What are your responsibilities? Hours? How much are you paying to do this? How long is the exploitation process?

oh sorry latinaVNStudentRN2B,i got you confused...:D hehe I was just being sarcastic when i asked if volunteer work is a requirement now..:)its not really a written requirement to be a volunteer nurse before becoming a staff nurse..There are still lucky nurses who got hired without having to undergo those volunteer programs..But I must say that most hospitals here in my city will prefer more those nurses who already have volunteer experiences.Its more like an unwritten requirement..Most hospitals that I've tried to apply as an entry level staff nurse position often ask me about having a volunteer experience..

So I guess I have to try to be a volunteer nurse first... I know this wont count as an actual work experience but if this is will increase my chances of becoming a staff nurse here in phil,then I guess i'll just swallow my pride on this whole volunteer thing.. I have realized that its really a tough tough competition for us here in Philippines and im competing with a lot of nurses who already have those 3-6 months volunteer work. And i understand that if an HR would have to choose between a 0 experience nurse and a nurse with 3 months volunteer experience,more likely that he'll choose the latter.

And I will just choose those FREE volunteer programs(though i still think thats exploitation but let me just close my eyes on it:banghead:). Paying for a volunteer work is TOO MUCH already..

Volunteer nurses here are just like regular nurses. They give medications,make the nurse's notes,do bedside care..pretty much like what the regular staff nurses do -just that you dont get paid for it.

*sigh*

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i did volunteer work.. and i paid a fee for the 6 months training.. in the hospital i volunteered, we had the normal shifts, 6-2; 2-10; 10-6. we acted like staff nurses, we did medication, bedside care, charting even NA tasks sometimes..although the real staff nurses are also there to guide us. but then again.. there are times that you'd wonder..where they are.. hmmmm

some staff nurses or even other staff can eat you alive and just take advantage of trainees or volunteers..some trainees fight back and they get reprimanded; some quit instantly and you wonder now what are they going to do next?

others just consider it as training and part of the package for a better future... and just be reminded that is just one way to learn the function of a real staff nurse minus the bad points and get ready for probably a tougher set of people when in the real nursing world.. so its like we're toughening ourselves as well.

(yeah yeah.. its like we had no choice) we are after the certificate saying we spent 6 mos. and learn things as we go along at the same time at least present something to future employers that we are doing something or did something.

nonetheless, it is a tiring and depressing situation because you do work the normal 8 hour shift or even 16 hours and you don't get paid at all, you spend money on gas, fare, food, just the normal things that regular staff nurses do only difference is they have salaries to compensate their time and effort..

but then again.. trying to think differently..its all part of training and sometimes its not all bad..maybe its a preparation for something bigger... so hope for it!

just the sacrifices that phil nurses have to go through just to be on track..

maybe some would say, why get into it when you can just look for a paying job.. as nurses its difficult as mentioned zillion times, other jobs well you get questioned by the others in the nursing industry ..why didnt you do volunteer then?... its better to have volunteer work than to be out of the loop..

so now, we are lost..

volunteer work= gets phrases that its better than nothing;

volunteer work = not honored as requirement for employment

volunteer work = trainees are the one paying

volunteer work = no assurance for employment

life just gets better and better. sigh :)

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... its better to have volunteer work than to be out of the loop... :)

I agree...:D

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I'm sorry it just makes my blood boil when I read your posts...I still see it as slave labor and slavery has long been abolished...at least in the US....I agree that when you're volunteering that you should have light duty and shouldn't include passing meds, bedside care, charting etc...That's what you have your paid nurse for. You already spent all this money in nursing school and IMO you already did your volunteer time as students. It's time that you take control and fight back....I'm glad that some of them are fighting back by quitting....It's wrong and nobody should have to undergo what you're all going through. Your government needs to grow some "grass" and step up to the plate and take control of these hospitals...They should deny funding (I'm unsure how your hospitals are funded) to these hospitals until they start treating people like people and not like slaves. I believe all nursing graduates, unemployed nurses, etc should write letters to your government officials and demand that they take care of this ongoing problem....and let them know you're not going to vote for them next term if they don't take care of it....I know it's easier said than done. But stand up for yourselves, you know you deserve better than that, and so do your patients...Good Luck

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Specializes in School Nursing / Education.

It is as simple as this:

volunteer = dedicating oneself unto something without expecting anything in return (what is gained? knowledge and experience) i.e. medical mission

work = sharing one's strengths and talents in an organization to get something "profitable" i.e. becoming a staff nurse

Here are the questions:

Can you put all of your hospital related experiences if those are not work?

Were all of our RLE's done during our college days?

How would you consider volunteer as work if it lacks compensation?

Would you consider this situation in the country as "taking advantage" over newly RNs?

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Since the Philippine school do not weed out students and there are over 400,000 nurses for 60,000 positions in the Philippines, the volunteer system is a way seeing who is really serious about being a Philippine nurse. It is a horrible system but tolerated by the Philippine nurses.

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