Volunteering at UWMC. Care to chat?

zacarias, ASN, RN · May 11, 2004

hi all. i just signed up here, as i'm starting pre-requisites for a nursing school and figuring out if nursing is right for me. i'm also volunteering at the university of washington medical center on thursday evenings (6-10 in 5s). anyone in seattle interested in meeting with a curious potential nurse and having a chat about the work?
-chris

[color=dimgray]hey chris!

[color=gray] it's great that you're testing out the waters to see if nursing is right for you. i work at uwmc on 6ne. it can be crazy sometimes but i like the staff and the atmosphere. i think uwmc is an excellent place for nurses.

how are you liking volunteering? anyway, let us know how it goes! :)

ChrisA · May 11, 2004

[color=dimgray]hey chris!
[color=gray] it's great that you're testing out the waters to see if nursing is right for you. i work at uwmc on 6ne. it can be crazy sometimes but i like the staff and the atmosphere. i think uwmc is an excellent place for nurses.
how are you liking volunteering? anyway, let us know how it goes! :)

so far i'm really liking it. i wish i could get a volunteer coat that actually fit me, but i guess volunteer services has to do laundry first. i feel like i've already learned a ton of things, both big and little, and i've only been there for two shifts. as for the sometimes crazy, can't everywhere be like that sometimes? i was at work (the software engineering work) for 14 hours on friday because someone else accidentally deleted a few hundred files and we all had to pitch in to get it sorted out. *sigh*

zacarias, ASN, RN · May 12, 2004

So far I'm really liking it. I wish I could get a volunteer coat that actually fit me, but I guess Volunteer Services has to do laundry first. I feel like I've already learned a ton of things, both big and little, and I've only been there for two shifts. As for the sometimes crazy, can't everywhere be like that sometimes? I was at work (the software engineering work) for 14 hours on friday because someone else accidentally deleted a few hundred files and we all had to pitch in to get it sorted out. *sigh*

Yeah I think every job can get crazy. So software engineering to nursing are fairly polar opposites? What drew you to nursing?

I love the volunteers on my unit they worship me haha just kidding. Seriously, they are helpful not only to the unit secretary but the nurses.

Anyway, back to work tomorrow!

ChrisA · May 12, 2004

Yeah I think every job can get crazy. So software engineering to nursing are fairly polar opposites? What drew you to nursing?
I love the volunteers on my unit they worship me haha just kidding. Seriously, they are helpful not only to the unit secretary but the nurses.
Anyway, back to work tomorrow!

There seem to be a couple of similarities. The primary qualities of a good software engineer are assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Sound familiar? :) I'm writing software for a group of co-workers sitting in the next room, so I'm basically there to take care of them and help them get the job done better.

What's getting to me, though, is that there's no direct benefit to the world there. We've all got only a short time on earth, and I'd like to look back when I'm 60 and say I managed to make a few scared people less scared, send a few sick people home to their love ones, and help a few people become stronger, healthier, and happier. That's simply never going to happen in my job now. It's not a vocation. Plus, I'm annoyed with it.

I volunteered in a hospital when I was 14 and loved it, and I've always had a thing for the medical world, so I'm taking a run at this.

lady_jezebel · May 23, 2004

Good luck in your career decisions! I work right across the hall from Zack, on 6SE (hi Zack!). I understand your desire to make a direct and meaningful impact in another human's life -- that's exactly why I left the laboratory and went back to school for nursing! There are many second-career nurses, so you definitely will not be alone if you decide to enter nursing school.

I think volunteering first is an excellent way to go. Any of the nurses on your unit would be happy to discuss their job satisfaction with you. Also, would it be possible for you to "shadow" nurses in other areas of the hospital, such as the ER, OR, ICU, etc... in order to better understand the diversity within this field?

By the way, my husband (ironically enough) wants to break into the software field. Would you have any advice for him? What do you think about the temp work option, just to get your foot in the door? Anyway, PM me if you'd like to swap info...

westcoastgirl · Sep 17, 2004

Good luck in your career decisions! I work right across the hall from Zack, on 6SE (hi Zack!). I understand your desire to make a direct and meaningful impact in another human's life -- that's exactly why I left the laboratory and went back to school for nursing! There are many second-career nurses, so you definitely will not be alone if you decide to enter nursing school.
I think volunteering first is an excellent way to go. Any of the nurses on your unit would be happy to discuss their job satisfaction with you. Also, would it be possible for you to "shadow" nurses in other areas of the hospital, such as the ER, OR, ICU, etc... in order to better understand the diversity within this field?
By the way, my husband (ironically enough) wants to break into the software field. Would you have any advice for him? What do you think about the temp work option, just to get your foot in the door? Anyway, PM me if you'd like to swap info...

Hi ChrisA I am doing something very similar - finishing the nursing pre-req.s and volunteering at UWMC. So far I enjoy my volunteer shifts which are on Fridays 5S and might look for other units after December to expand my experiences a bit more.