Volunteering at hospital?

[jglover4168]

I don't have any medical experience, I have a good job record but I would like to get my foot in the door in the medical field. Not a lot of places are hiring part-time.. I thought maybe volunteering would help get my foot in the door..

Has anyone done this before?

How would this look to future employers?

Thanks!

[Crazed_NS]

I had this same idea before starting nursing school 3 weeks ago and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm glad I never actually pursued the idea because I definitely don't have time for that! If you haven't started NS yet, then it can't hurt. Anything you can add to a resume later can help. I'm not sure what the hospitals in your area let people do when they volunteer, but I don't think there is much patient interaction involved. You could just try it and see if you think it would benefit you.

[nicasu2000]

I am looking into this myself, actually. Right now, I am taking my pre-reqs for nursing school - Human Physiology... I believe this will definitely help esp since I live in L.A. It is very competitive here! Good Luck!! :)

[One1, BSN, RN]

I think it is helpful. It gives you a small insight into hospital/facility environments and specific departments, looks good on your nursing school application, allows you to make connections to staff/management in the hospital departments/facilities you volunteer in and can be very beneficial if you decide to apply for a job later in the hospital/facility you volunteered in. Oh, and let's not forget good Karma of course

[Bobmo88]

I think it is a great idea. I wanted to be sure that nursing was the career for me so I volunteered at a local hospital. I rotated through many different departments, got comfortable in the hospital setting and was able to network. @nicasu2000 since you are in L.A. I would recommend looking into COPE Health Solutions' CCE program for volunteer experience, it's a great opportunity if you have the time.

[nursingstudent_tutor]

While working on my undergrad degree, I volunteered in a children's hospital. Even though I wasn't a tech or a nurse I got to see first hand (how the entered the room, what questions they asked, and I learned about different type of contact precautions). It was a great experience. I also was able to use those community service hours on my resume and use the volunteer director as a reference. It's totally worth the investment. It gives you exposure to the field you will be working in the future.

If you currently in nursing school and you can volunteer once in two weeks I think that would be great too. Sometimes, just getting out of the house to clear your head after studying is what you truly need.

Hope that helps.