What stands out most when New Grads start to apply?

[EspressoYourself, BSN, RN]

I was wondering if anyone has a sense of what stands out most for management when applying to nursing positions after graduation?

I am currently working with a patient at home who needs 24/7 care involving trach care, ventilator, ADLs etc..

My question is, would positions such as my current one be more valued and stand out more vs. having volunteered in a hospital for an extended period of time?

I am trying to also be involved in extra curricular activities at school, but this has yet to work out.

I am currently in the talks with a Professor about potentially volunteering once a month to be a part of the RNAO committee to represent students.

Any suggestions in terms of what will make me stand out as a New Grad?

THANK YOU

[dishes, BSN, RN]

The experience of working with a patient will be more valuable than the experience of volunteering at a hospital. Hospital volunteer positions usually involve non-essential activities such as working in the gift shop or at an information booth. Hospital volunteers do occasional patient tasks such as feeding or portering patients but most of the patient care tasks are assigned to paid staff and the hospitals are not allowed to rely on volunteers for regular patient care. When I was a student, I had both patient care experience in the community and hospital volunteer experience, I found the patient care experience was much more helpful to my career than the hospital volunteer experience.

Don't spread yourself to thin, focus on doing well at your job and school, if you can manage volunteering once a month with the RNAO student committee, do so. The RNAO experience will help you to see nursing from a broader perspective and may give you one more person to provide a reference.

[EspressoYourself, BSN, RN]

The experience of working with a patient will be more valuable than the experience of volunteering at a hospital. Hospital volunteer positions usually involve non-essential activities such as working in the gift shop or at an information booth. Hospital volunteers do occasional patient tasks such as feeding or portering patients but most of the patient care tasks are assigned to paid staff and the hospitals are not allowed to rely on volunteers for regular patient care. When I was a student, I had both patient care experience in the community and hospital volunteer experience, I found the patient care experience was much more helpful to my career than the hospital volunteer experience.

Don't spread yourself to thin, focus on doing well at your job and school, if you can manage volunteering once a month with the RNAO student committee, do so. The RNAO experience will help you to see nursing from a broader perspective and may give you one more person to provide a reference.

I apologize for such a late reply! Exams got the best of me - have been enjoying turning off my brain

I thank you for the advice - I have been working said position and have been learning a lot !

I decided to hold off on the volunteering for now as it might just be too much with clinical