NursingLink

Have you ever volunteered your nursing skills? If so, where?

After Hurricane Katrina I went to Baton Rouge for a week or so to help out......  did a few outreach clinics w/ some volunteer docs/nurses., several vaccination clinics for firefighters, law enforcement (local, state), construction and forestry crews.  Did umm, about a thousand shots in that week.... I never had clients complain about pain when I administered IM shots after having that experience!   

During the fires in California, I volunteered to tend to those chased out of their homes by fires.

Being able to offer service to those in need is a very good feeling.

Due to lack of available employments for nurses here in the Philippines, many nurses are forced to undergo trainings and volunteering to different hospitals in order to gain more experiences which they can use as a future reference in case they are applying for a RN job here or abroad.

This coming June, i am going to have my training in a hospital together with my friend. Sadly, we undergo trainings wherein we are not paid instead, we are the one who are obliged to pay for such trainings provided. Some even trained for more than a year, all expenses are provided by the trainees

During the later 80's and early  90's when the AIDS epidemic was at it's peak, I spent many hours volunteering my time taking care of dying young men in the San Francisco area.  It was my greatest joy and my most profound sorrow.

Kittyrn's observation is astute.  Many states do not recognize a nursing license as a carte blanche to participate in rescue operations.  And rightly so, in my opinion. 

As an EMT certified by the state of california, as well as an RN, I had reason to think about observations made and lessons learned during the Katrina catastrophe.  It became quite clear, as I watched the television coverage, as well as reflecting on conversations with EMT/Paramedic teams operating out of Baton Rouge, that WHENEVER POSSIBLE, MD's, as well as nurses, UNLESS THEY ARE TRAINED IN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, should only be sent out to function as search and rescue teams when trained EMT/Paramedic crews are included in the IDT  Unless they have been trained, the awareness of medical personnel, accustomed as they are to working in offices and hospital environments, to possible threats to the team, as well as those they are offering aid to, may be dangerously lacking.    This includes danges from environmental sources such as downed power lines, dangerous structure weaknesses, water borne chemicals and pathogens, and fire.  Rescue workers have turned up with broken legs, sprained ankles, sunburn and foot infections they've contracted after wading, unprotected,  through sewage and toxin laced floodwaters. In that particular venue, dangerous wildlife lurked in devastated regions; snakes, spiders and other insects were thriving in the New Orleans area, and rescue workers came across a 10-foot alligator in a culvert.  Safety is critical.  Additionally, after watching a team of doctors attempt to pull an injured man from a boat, it was clear that they were not trained to do so while protecting the victim from spinal cord injury. .Removing trapped or wounded patients from collapsed housing, wrecked automobiles, or flooded buildings is work best left to the First Responders trained in rescue operations, with medical personnel in the team to provide rapid emergency healthcare..

Living along the Texas Mexico border Ihave volunteered at health fairs, immunization clinics and visits to homebound patients who do not qualify for anyother services.  I am in the process of developing a Nurse managed clinic with in our parish for our comunity to offer follow up services for hospital discharged patient who do not have insurance, indigent or do not qualify for any services.  By doing this it will reduce the hospitals emergency department visits leaving that services to truly emergency problms.  This will be done with volunteers at a site that needs reconstruction to set up as a clinic.  Any help with this endeavor is greatly appreciated.

Beatriz 

I would enjoy very much the ability to volunteer my 25 years of R.N. to a terrible situation.  I am just not financially able to go and then leave my nursing job.  There would not be anyone to care for my clinic patients and I more than likely would not have a job to return to after volunteering.  This is what has been holding me back from volunteering.  I feel our employers should allow us to go volunteer as needed if we want to and be able to return to our present position.  Employers should make it posssible for medical personnel to go volunteer.  I believe it would enhance the morale of the employees when working for such an organization.  As for as the EMT which thinks no one knows anything except First Reponders, I have assisted with the training and  the testing of the EMTs and all types of First Responders.  I could not believe how many times I had to make one of  "you" repeat your skills ckeck off.  So do not tell me only "your" kind can do the volunteering properly.  Yes, I agree there is all kinds of dangers lurking in a situation, but I grew up in Louisiana all my life and was around all those creatures you speak about.  I had to destroy so many "cottonmouths" in my own backyard over the years I can not count the numbers, and there is still plenty aound there.   Those type of creatures are in every state in the union and some are worst than the ones in Louisiana.  How about the bears and mountain lions which attack people quite often when trying to enjoy the wild life while on vacation.  They did not put themself in a volunteer project to assist, they were trying to enjoy life.  At anytime , any place you can be subjected to any kind of hazard in your life.  So, if people want to volunteer let them.  That is called being "humane."  We need more of this, not some one like youself teliing us you are better/smarter/more highly qyualified  than we are.  All that has to be done at a catastrophe site is for FEMA or any other organization just teach us what we need to know to handle the situation at the present and about the dangers involved.  Give us the proper equipment needed to do the job to help protect us from the hazards.  Then let us make up our own minds if we still want to volunteer or not.  Every day I go work I put myself in more hazardous positions than you can think about: blood/body fluids, TB, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, patients attacking/trying to bite/scratch, gang bangers, drunks, urine/feces, infected wounds, MRSA/VRE and needle sticks.   If you think you are so great, how about learning how to use "spell check" next time before sending in your two cents.

I have volunteered with the American Red Cross as a first responder, but so far have only worked on local events.  It has been very interesting, and rewarding, but with a lot of "down" time, and a lot of bureaucracy with training, etc.  I looked into volunteering at the Berkeley Free Clinic in the East Bay Area in CA.  If anyone lives in that area and can devote the time to the training, it's a fantastic organization.  I was very impressed at the informational session with the different levels of care/opportunities. 

Does anyone know of any volunteer opportunities in the East Bay Area of CA that doesn't require a lot of training?  I would love to work somewhere where I could pass a skills/competency test and get right on a schedule!

CaptainEricRN says ...

This doesn't make me great or special, it makes me an AMERICAN who feels it's my duty to give back as much as possible to my country and community. There's a lot that nurses can do without interfering with their livelihood... Red Cross, CERT teams, providing medical support for walk-a-thons and bike-a-thons (I've done that many times), etc.

By the way, speaking as both RN and EMT, although some EMT training is not great, I've seen many RN's who can't use an oxygen tank or do CPR correctly. It has less to do with training and more to do with the work you do every day.

Just so, Cap'n... it isn't about being cool or great, or whatever; it's about doing WHAT WE CAN for the causes in our communities.

I volunteered at a camp for kids with cancer in my area. It was a 3 day thing, they loved it as did I. We had such a wonderful time, lots of laughter and tears. I am so so grateful to have had that opportunity, and so grateful to the women who started this. It was the 2nd year and she plans to keep it going for many years to come. I plan on attending every year from here on out. the great thing is, it's free for all the kids and there families. All the money is raised from fundraising and all the "employees" are volunteers.

See.....you dont have to leave your job to do volunteer work, there is plenty in your own town!