What do you do to volunteer and give back?

[traumaRUs]

My volunteer career began before my nursing career - I was a candy-striper when I was 14 til about 16 years of age. This was back in the day where we wore white/red striped dresses. Don't know if this even exists today - lol

I volunteered for military service but not sure that counts as I got paid for it. Had a great time too.

Then, came kids and we've all probably spent countless hours as the room mother, scout leader, Sunday School teacher - between my husband and myself I can't even figure out the number of hours spent helping out with our sons' activities. However, this was all a labor of love.

We moved to our rural community 20 years ago. In our area, we have an all volunteer fire/EMS dept. We cover a wide area consisting of three small (pre-hospital RN which in IL is a license issued by the IL Dept of Professional and Financial Regulation. I did both fire and EMS for 10 years and then changed to EMS only as I was having difficulty with the time commitment for fire training. I drive an ambulance and can drive the firetruck too. A little secret: I love the lights and siren!

Our dept runs about 500 calls per year. We actually don't transport patients as the "big city" ambulance service comes to the location of the call and we transfer care to them. However, as we are first on the scene, we have providers for both basic life support (BLS) as well as advanced life support (ALS) care. Many times we make the difference between survivability and death to our pts. Its especially important during inclement weather as the distance from the "big city" to our little area might mean a 20-30 minute transit time.

It's a huge responsibility. Totally a different ballgame from being in a hospital where resources are unending. Starting IVs while a pt is getting extricated, assessing a newborn in a house that has no electricity because it's been turned off due to lack of payment are all challenges. Giving bad news is a challenge too without the support staff. In the pre-hospital environment, we don't transport dead people. If they are dead when we get there, they stay there. This is out in the open, family/friends are all around. Performing CPR, intubating a critically ill patient, extricating patients from mangled vehicles all require a calm and confident provider. There is no social worker, chaplain or another provider to explain what is happening. We are IT!

We currently have approx 50 EMS personnel: most are BLS providers; we have 4 ALS providers. I'm currently the only PHRN on our dept.

Much of my time too is spent teaching - not in a classroom, but rather out on calls. We have many young, sometimes idealistic young people who volunteer. However, they might not have much life experience. One of the pitfalls of a rural fire dept is that you often know your patients. Thats hard - you talk with Mr. Smith on Sunday at church, then on Tuesday, you are called to his house due to chest pain. Its a tiny bit easier for me; being a healthcare provider because I am able to put on my "game face" and carry on doing what needs to be done.

Some days are just hard though.

However, volunteering provides me with a sense of self-worth. I do love my jobs but lets face it - we usually go to work for the paycheck.

Volunteering fills a void that a paid job can't...

So...tell us - what do you to give back? Mission trips, free clinic, fire dept or something completely different....

[TeamNutella]

I volunteer at an inpatient hospice facility. Some days it's really tough, but at the end of the day I am really glad I'm able to help. The nurses, patients, and the staff are always very appreciative of volunteer help.

[darleenanurse]

After losing my son to suicide, I became involved with The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I serve on the board, I am the chair for our annual fundraiser and I am an advocate. I have met with members of Congress to fight for change in legislation in mental health initiatives. At my local area, I meet with community members in various organizations to educate them about suicide warning signs, resources and what to do in crisis. As a hospital supervisor, I saw the delays in getting help to those that come into the acute setting and the need to change access to mental health for improved outcomes. This is a much neglected area that impacts all of our communities. There is stigma attached to a mental illness which further perpetuates the problem causing those that suffer not to seek help. No matter what your interest is, giving back in our communities only makes things better for all of us. Thanks to those that volunteer.

[kerrhi]

I've been a pre-hospital care provider (PHCP) for 7.5 years now, and I love it! If I could make a living off of an EMS career, that's where I would have stayed. I had paid jobs as well as volunteer during nursing school. And now that I am an employed RN, I continue to both work, and volunteer as a PHCP.

I got into EMS while doing pre-reqs for nursing school. I fell in love with it immediately! There's nothing like it! And it's so ironic that an EMT-B has more autonomy than an RN!!! I am a volunteer in a department on Long Island that runs close to 4500 calls a year. Between my paid jobs, and my volunteer experience, I have seen a lot! I've delivered babies, handled miscarriages, pronounced obvious death, cardiac arrests, stabilized trauma patients, and more! I think every nurse should do time on an ambulance; especially ER nurses!

On my days off, I am on the ambulance. It's what makes me feel like I am actually making a difference in someone's life. At work, I am so shackeled to my cart, and charting, I do not feel I make any difference to my patients. I am so grateful for being able to be both an RN, and an EMT!

Being an EMT has made me a much better RN! I am able to speak to my patient's like they are human being with a sense of humor, rather than this uptight person who comes when the call bell rings, or just administers medications to them. I have an amazing bedside manner because of EMS!

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

I was a volunteer EMT for 18 years.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

I am involved with support group for families with kids living with severe allergies. When children are diagnosed, parents usually become crazy terrified about how they got to live now, how to travel, to shop, etc. It greatly helps if someone like them (and I live with severe allergies since childhood) takes them grocery shopping, or out for a game and dinner, and just shows that living with allergy is very much not the end of the world just yet.

I even take them in my own house to see how we organized kitchen so that everybody is safe and can enjoy his and her own stuff. Only one thing that bothers them after is, usually, how to implement the strict rules of everybody washing his or her own dishes, and no, machine won't do

[middleagednurse]

I don't do as much as you all, but I volunteer at the senior center near where I live.

[pinkiepieRN]

I can't volunteer with humans much but I love my sanctioned animal therapy. I volunteer for a local rescue in their cat room on Saturdays from 12-4. Sometimes if I'm working 3-11, I'll still even go in from 12-2.

I jest about humans though. I've staffed some conventions, once as security and once as medical. Bandaging toes, wrapping ankles and handing out ice packs and water was pretty rewarding for free hotel space and a con badge.

I don't think you'd catch me volunteering to do my real job though. I work in child psych now and I think I'd be okay working with "healthy" children, but it would be too draining to work with "sick/mentally ill" children.

I tend to volunteer at things that I'm interested in going to anyway. Like just last week I volunteered to staff the front of the house at a water ballet in exchange for a free ticket to the next show later.

[CeciBean, ASN, RN]

I'm retired now but just did my first weekend clinic with Remote Area Medical and I can't wait to do another one! Because of previous commitments in my second career (which has nothing at all to do with nursing) I won't be able to do any more this year but I plan to do several next year. Helping people in these underserved areas is amazing...and it was a lot like being back in home health again. I was exhausted when it was over but I was also completely stoked. If you're not familiar with the organization, look up ramusa.org

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I'm a shy person so don't volunteer, but do give to charities on a regular basis that support causes I believe in. I give a percentage of my income, ideally I'd tithe but have too many bills at this time. There are so many worthy charities and needs that it is hard for me to say no. I wish I could do more. But I don't give to every charity and I check to make sure they are trustworthy first by checking out Charity Navigator.

I imagine when I'm retired I will probably do actual volunteer work. While I work full time now, the 12 hour shifts don't leave a lot of time to volunteer. I love all animals and wish I had a pet, love dogs especially, but feel it would be unfair to have one with my current work situation, plus my sleep is messed up working nights. I hope to have a pet when I retire and can get back to a normal life and sleep pattern. In the meantime, I enjoy the pets of my family, friends and neighbors.

[Bwolfe1]

I too started my volunteering as a Candystriper from age 14 through high school graduation ( wore the Candystriper uniform and also earned the cap and pins!)

i have been a nurse for 40 years- 39 of them in the ED. I started volunteering in my kids' elementary school library when they were small and, even though my youngest is now 24, I still am doing it. I catalogue all the incoming biooks and of course shelve and organize them. I think this is something that appeals to nurses ( the organizational aspect-either my OCD!)

I also have been taking blood pressures at our church 'soup kitchen' for many years-these needy people are exactly like my work patients ( I work in the city's only Level I County hospital ED)

Inhave been blessed with the ability to take care of people and love doing it!

[beckysue920]

For a number of years I was a volunteer group facilitator for Families, Friends and Lovers of people with AIDS...back in the days when funerals happened more often than weddings. Thank God, that has changed!

For awhile I volunteered taking animals to nursing homes...the residents LOVED those days, as did I and the puppies.

Now that I am "retired" with a certain amount of disability, I edit submissions on a web site: NDERF. This is really satisfying and the webmaster is so appreciative.

Monetarily, I support BCO (Breast Cancer. org), and a particular humanity organization, along with some odds and ends.

It feels good to give!

[telern1, BSN, RN]

I've only been working in our field for 15 years. I did serve 22+ years in the Army & Air National Guard. After leaving the Guard, there was a void. I no longer had to suit up each weekend, drink from the firehose of knowledge and train a new RN in Flight Nursing. My sense of belonging was missing something.

I stumbled through life for several years until I learned of Team Rubicon (TR). The premise of Team Rubicon was built on serving veterans and getting them to give back in ways we never knew.

I've been serving with Team Rubicon on several service projects throughout the Rocky Mountains, and have completed my first Operation deployment. Team Rubicon has given me, and my fellow brothers and sisters both of a military and civilian background a renewed sense of purpose.

And I've been able to see tangible results of both our service and deployments. It's a great feeling to see a stand of fire burned trees removed with the chainsaw that TR trained you to use, and a new clearing for a children's camp is that much closer to reopening since the fire.

Team Rubicon

Check them out. They'll change your life and teach you new skills!