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....

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I don't formally volunteer, right now. In the past, I've assisted with women's crisis clinics, homeless education, and many 5k - 13k runs that benefit my community.

I'd like to become a Rock Med volunteer and/or become a disaster preparedness nurse.

[nursemcsleepy, BSN, RN]

I'm a camp counselor at a camp for kids with cancer, and I volunteer for an organization that helps put libraries in women's prisons.

[ppfd, BSN, EMT-P]

Funny,

I was a volunteer firefighter for close to 20 years and they kicked me off as working full time and going to nursing school full time cut into the time I could play fireman.

[ken64]

Since 1999, I have founded and lead an online support group for victims of abuse with a major focus on abused men because abused men have been overlooked by almost everyone. In fact, in many places, if a man calls the police for domestic abuse, he is the one who will be arrested even if his wife or girlfriend was never harmed. Our group is called Shattered Men but from day one, we would not refuse to help women and half our leadership are women. I have talked to many on the phone and have even visited many in person, including a woman who was raped and was being targeted for bullying and was able to stop all the bullying and to reassure her of her self worth. As a result, we have been able to prevent about 3 dozen suicides, several of who were within seconds of taking their own lives. Our focus is also Biblically based as I am an ordained pastor and have found that most churches do NOT help abused men. I have been asked several times what I wanted in return for helping them, my answer has always been for each person to know the peace and joy only Jesus Christ can give.

[MindfulMSWRN]

I think volunteering is so important. There are so many options and ways to get involved. Personally, my passion is for perinatal and maternal-child mental health/wellness. I serve on the Board of Directors for a local NPO, facilitate groups for the organization, and co-chair a postpartum wellness committee in our community. It's a great way to give back to my community, but also to raise awareness and get conversations going among colleagues and community stakeholders as well.

[Craftsman]

Volunteering... it's what makes life interesting and rewarding for me. Back in the 'old days' when I was a sound technician for TV and movies I started working with first aid, then became an EMT to enhance my value in engineering. That lead to joining a disaster response team, which lead to becoming an amateur radio operator. That lead to becoming a disaster communications volunteer with the county sheriffs department, which lead to volunteering at DUI checkpoints and supporting the Search and Rescue team. Along the way I got certified in heavy rescue, confined spaces, mantracking, and several wilderness emergency medical certifications. It seems the more I learn, the more I realize how little I really know, and how much more I want to know and to pass on to those who are new to volunteering in emergency response. Somewhere along the line I got into CNA then LVN school, and retired from nursing a few months ago. Still have an active license, and will be working, preferrably volunteer but will settle for paid part time work so I can continue helping and supporting the communities that have given so much to me.

[compassionresearcher]

I am a mentor for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I love it because not only do you get to help the child and their parent but it's fun and has nothing to do with work or the topic of health. I would also like to get involved in helping animals.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Volunteer at the Humane Society. Believe me, I am so blessed by holding scared or lonely or restless dogs and cats. It is a true joy to be able to give them food and water and clean bedding and just make their world a little less scary or lonely.

Give money to beggars.

Help in Sunday School, donate funds to church, pray.

Wish I could do more.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I am so humbled by the responses - you guys are amazing!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I'm right there with Pca 85. 30 years of giving at the bedside was all humans are going to get from me. I have a favorite local animal rescue that I donate big $$$ to.

Dogs rule, people drool.