Search  Search

More articles...

video library

Recent Video
Kathleen Bartholomew Honors NursesKathleen Bartholomew Honors Nurses
Kathleen Bartholomew speaks about nursing in honor of Nurses Week
The Undeniable Privilege of Being a Nurse The Undeniable Privilege of Being a Nurse
Veteran nurse Mary Dee Hacker discusses the one moment in her career where she questioned whether sh...
Doctors, Nurses, Transgenders and Others at High Risk of Suicide: BBC NEWSDoctors, Nurses, Transgenders and Others at High Risk of Suicide: BBC NEWS
A review has detected a high level of suicide among medical practitioners. Article published by BBC ...
Ethical Issues In NursingEthical Issues In Nursing
Commitment: Patients, Professionalism, and Boundaries The second provision of the ANA Code of Ethic...
Frazzled Nurse 1Frazzled Nurse 1
The nurse administrator from Green Wing forgets something important...to drop her kids off at school...
Transitions in Nursing: Conflict Management Transitions in Nursing: Conflict Management
A captivating film of contest and aggression. Lines will be drawn and relationships put to the test....

article library

Why Do Nurses Volunteer?

Last Updated Apr 2012


Why do nurses volunteer? According to Wikipedia, "a volunteer is someone who works for a community or for the benefit of the environment, primarily because they choose to do so.” You likely see that this definition closely matches why you chose nursing in the first place!



What are some reasons to volunteer?
 

  • Using your skills to help others. Nurses often have specialized skills and knowledge that can benefit a wide array of people.
     
  • To keep the resume going. If you lose your job or are just starting out as a nurse, what better way to improve your resume than serving others? If you are a new nurse, a volunteer opportunity offers the "experience" that hiring personnel are looking for.
     
  • A sense of self. I can think of no better feeling of satisfaction than helping others each day.
     
  • To make a positive impact on the community as a whole. 
     
  • To demonstrate to your children the importance of giving to others.

 

My volunteer experience
 

When I was a brand new RN, I was hired into a part-time paid RN position. It was not a career path that I wanted for myself, but I took the job. I had a great deal of free time and my young son's school was lacking a nurse. So, I became a part-time (volunteer) school nurse. Having a love for children and a desire to work with them, it was a perfect opportunity for me and an appreciated asset to the school. What did I gain? I gained a year of experience as a school nurse and a positive letter of recommendation upon my departure. Daily, I had the sense that I was truly helping individual children, parents, and the community as a whole. The daily laughs were a free perk! One of the greatest benefits was that the year of volunteering was instrumental in my obtaining a position as a school nurse at a private school in Miami, Florida. I loved this job and performed it for 7 years.  Without the volunteer experience on my resume, I would have been a much weaker candidate for hire.
 

What volunteer opportunities are available for nurses?


Although this list does not include all opportunities, here are a few ideas:

  • The American Red Cross
  • Peace Corps/Missionary Work
  • Mentorship to a nursing student
  • School Nurse
  • Hospice
  • Nursing Home
  • Parish Nurse
  • Homeless Shelter/Food Kitchen
  • Teach high school health classes
  • Volunteer to teach classes with community help organizations
  • (Alcoholic Anonymous, abuse victim groups, YMCAs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H, etc.)

Volunteering can be more than just nursing related. Click here for a list of worthy organizations to volunteer and donate to.   

If you know of any volunteer opportunities for nurses, particularly overseas, please share with NurseTogether members in the Volunteer Nursing forum.

About the Author: Sue Heacock, RN and author of the book - Inspiring the Inspirational: Words of Hope From Nurses to Nurses, is a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist and has worked in a variety of areas of nursing including pediatrics and research.  Her passion is to inspire nurses and future nurses.  

Click here to read more on Sue Heacock.

Nurses, if you enjoy writing on nursing career, education or lifestyle related issues and are interested in becoming a NurseTogether.com contributor, please click here

Rate this:
 Be the first to rate this article.  (you must be logged in to rate articles)
Recent Comments (there are 0 comments)
There are currently no comments. Be the first to make a comment.
Join Our Community

Complete your profile and create your nurse network. 

Connect with fellow nurses in the Forum, Live Chat or Groups. 

Share your comments or questions.

Find the right career opportunity. 

Best of all, it's all easy! 


Or, Sign-up for the Weekly Dose, e-newsletter

from our forums

Forums Sponsored By:
termination

by debbiegirlhere I am a LPN. I was recently terminated d/t a poor judgment. I have never been fired before. I am s...

RE: "No lunch breaks"

by amygarside This is very common problem among nurses and it's important that it be addressed during staff meetin...

RE: Interview Guidelines for Nurses

by amygarside Those are some really great tips. Preparation really is key to acing an interview. The more you prep...

Twitter Tweets!

Survey

In case you didn't notice, we've just updated our website's look. Let us hear what you have to say about the new design.
Are you interested in a career change?




 View Results
You must sign in to vote in this survey.

ResourcesResources

Educational Opportunities Directory  List of online programs found on NurseTogether.

C.E.Library  Online CE courses

Member Benefits  List of perks available for members

Nurse Links & Lists  Useful list of resources

NurseTogether.com

NurseTogether offers unique articles, forums, job search, career tools and resources for the global community of nurses, nursing students and those considering a career in nursing.