Nurses across the world volunteer in some ways in their own communities to help other people. Even though they are working in a profession that requires a high level of skills, compassion and dedication, these nurses find time in their busy schedules to volunteer. Most nurses help improve their community’s health beyond the conventional healthcare setting. Some nurses volunteer by offering their knowledge by promoting health practices, while others help in improving community health by interacting with seniors and more.
Volunteering as a nurse can offer surprising benefits and exciting opportunities that may not be available in a traditional healthcare setting. From building new skills and expanding professional networks to improving mental and physical health, volunteering can benefit nurses and the communities they serve.
Whether you are an experienced nurse looking for a new challenge or a new graduate hoping to make a difference and gain some real-life experience, volunteering can be a rewarding and fulfilling way to give back to your community and positively impact the world.
Why volunteer?
Working as a volunteer in the healthcare industry is a mammoth task. While nurses are working day and night in hospitals, clinics or private practices, many still find it satisfying to volunteer with organizations that promote the caring of individuals. Healthcare volunteer work allows nurses to use their skills and knowledge differently and keeps them on their toes.
Nurses are at a high risk of burnout because of the high-stress environment. If the healthcare industry experiences nursing burnout, patients are going to suffer as nurses might be unable to fulfill their duties effectively. Nursing burnout is not a new term. The word ‘burnout’ has been around since the ’70s, and it is defined as physical and mental fatigue due to work-related stress, especially among healthcare professionals. Nursing burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion resulting from prolonged and intense stress in a nursing job. Burnout can lead to feelings of cynicism, detachment and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment.
Despite busy schedules, finding time for volunteering can be highly rewarding. The benefits of volunteer work in the healthcare industry can be enormous. Volunteering can allow individuals to help people in need, work toward noteworthy causes and can even betterment the community. Not only are the communities and people benefitted, but the volunteering individual is also rewarded to a great extent. With the right match, nurses can find volunteer opportunities that can help them connect and give back to the community, learn new skills, find new friends, lower the chances of burnout and even advance their careers.
Helping out others can help healthcare workers protect their physical and mental health. Volunteer work can lower stress levels, keep up mental stimulation, provide a sense of belonging and purpose and help combat depression or other mental issues. While it is said that the more amount of volunteer work that individuals do, the more benefits they will experience. But volunteering does not have to be a long-term commitment. Individuals can choose to work for a short time or take out some time each day in their busy lives to give back to the community. Volunteering will help nurses in a great many ways, along with the care provided to the people and community in need.
The shortage of qualified and licensed nurses has increased the demand for nurses all across the world. However, getting a job just after graduation may be difficult without some previous work experience; thereby initiating a vicious cycle of needing experience, which requires a job, but to get a job, experience is essential. Volunteering can break this cycle by giving nursing students real-life experiences and helping people while building their resumes.
Benefits of volunteering as a nurse
Volunteering as a nurse in the community can be very rewarding. There are several benefits, a few of which are listed here and discussed in detail:
- Creating a network of friends and peers
- Beneficial to mental and physical health
- Career advancement opportunities
- Bring a sense of fulfillment and fun
Volunteering can bring a range of benefits, including the opportunity to create a network of friends. As a volunteer, nurses get a chance to work alongside other nurses and healthcare professionals who share a passion for helping others. This can lead to the development of strong professional relationships that can be invaluable in the career. Not only that, they can also form personal bonds based on shared interests and passions and become friends. These friendships can last long after the volunteering opportunity has ended.
As a nurse it is important to understand about nursing burnout and how to combat this. Nursing programs, such as the online courses offered by Rockhurst University, ensure would-be nurses have the skills to balance their workload and recognize the signs that may contribute to burnout. Volunteering can be an effective strategy to reduce burnout, thereby improving nurses’ own well-being and giving them a chance to provide better care to their patients. It can help in lowering stress and improving mood, resulting in an overall positive impact on their mental and physical health.
Volunteering can make nurses feel connected with their community, thereby creating a support network that can help in improving mental health and reduce the sense of loneliness. By reducing stress, boosting self-esteem and confidence and providing a sense of social connection, volunteering can help nurses lead healthier, happier lives.
Volunteering can be a great way to learn from other nurses and healthcare professionals who may have different experiences and perspectives than one’s own. By working together, nurses can gain new insights and knowledge that can help them grow and develop as a nurse. It can also teach nurses new skills, as the working environment in a volunteer organization will be different from their regular jobs. In addition, through volunteering, they may also have the chance to meet nurses and healthcare professionals from a variety of different organizations and specialties. This can help nurses expand their professional network and make valuable connections that could benefit them in the future and open career opportunities.
By volunteering, nurses can expand and boost their skills in the areas of communication, leadership, advocacy, budgeting, public speaking, mentoring, research, negotiation and more. Nurses can help not only the people but also themselves by boosting their self-esteem, confidence, social integration and overall quality of life.
Volunteering can help nurses feel more connected to their local community and the people who live there. By working with others to support a cause, nurses may feel a sense of belonging and fulfillment that can be hard to find elsewhere. Volunteering to help others may give nurses a sense of purpose and accomplishment that can boost their self-esteem and confidence.
Nurses who get a chance to volunteer internationally will have a better understanding of people with diverse backgrounds and cultures. As effective nursing requires a delicate balance between medical skills and people skills, an international volunteering experience can make nurses more effective in their patient care. It can also boost their confidence, communication skills and cultural competence.
Nurses will be more aware and sensitive to other cultures and behave accordingly so that they can help their patients in the best possible way. International volunteer experiences can help develop cultural self-awareness, sensitivity and flexibility and reduce stereotyping among nurses.
Volunteering work is not just for the nurses who are currently working in the healthcare industry. Retired nurses can also use their valuable skills and years of experience to help communities and work in volunteer organizations. They can take part in volunteering, with or without a nursing license, as there is a large gap in the services. Retired nurses can get almost the same opportunities for volunteering as nurses with an active nursing license.
Nursing volunteer opportunities
Volunteering plays an important role in the healthcare industry. Nurses can have a significant impact on global communities through volunteer work.
American Red Cross is one of the largest volunteering organizations that nurses can work with. This volunteer organization works all across the globe with communities to improve healthcare and save lives. It allows nurses to take up leadership roles in the organization, which may not be available to them in a clinical setting. Volunteering nurses can help in blood donation drives and assist in providing shelters, food and other medical services. Nurses can also teach individuals about basic healthcare and CPR. Nurses in the American Red Cross also get a chance to work with communities affected by natural disasters as a part of the Disaster Action Response Team.
Project Hope and Doctors Without Borders are other popular large organizations in which nurses can find volunteering opportunities. These organizations have several projects worldwide, and they focus on helping individuals and communities in need. They provide support by offering emergency care, maternal care, mental healthcare, rehabilitation and even disaster relief. Many of the overseas clinics are understaffed, and volunteering nurses can offer education to communities about best healthcare practices, aid in vaccination drives and more.
Along with these famous volunteering organizations, nurses can opt to work at a lower scale, as well. They can find volunteering opportunities at the local homeless shelters. The individuals in these shelters usually lack the basic healthcare they need. Volunteer nurses can assist the shelters by offering basic health screening, coordinating specialized care or working as staff in the on-site clinics.
Nurses can work in senior care facilities that rely on volunteers for any other requirements beyond the basics. This is an especially good opportunity for a nurse who is looking for a regular part-time position that fits into their regular routine. Nurses in these places don’t provide medical services, but they are more of a source of social network for the elderly.
Participating in community health events is another volunteering opportunity for nurses. If you are looking for a short-term opportunity, assisting in a one-time event is a good option.
Animal shelters are always looking for nurse volunteers. Volunteers in organizations, such as the Animal Humane Society, assist in socializing the animals, and experienced volunteers can also administer medicine. Volunteer nurses can also get to work in post-operation areas and get jobs based on their skill set.
Nurses looking for some volunteer work may even find it in local hospitals. These types of opportunities are perfect for student nurses, as they can gain experience working in a hospital setting while completing their education. These student nurses cannot administer healthcare services, but they can assist the nurses and gain real-life experience.
When it comes to possible volunteering opportunities for nurses, the list is endless. Whether you are looking to help the local community, provide aid through disaster relief or simply look for opportunities to advance your career, volunteering as a nurse will have a huge positive impact on the community.
How to find the right opportunity?
Finding the right opportunity for volunteering can be just as important as the work. The most important thing to keep in mind while making a choice is that the work fits around the usual other commitments, it matches the skills and requirements, and, ultimately, it is fun to do.
To find the right volunteer opportunity as a nurse, you can follow these steps:
Identify your interests and skills
Think about the skills and experience you have as a nurse and how they might be useful in a volunteer setting. Do you have experience in a specific field, such as critical care or mental health?
Are you comfortable working with specific populations?
If you are interested in matters of sexual health, you can find volunteering organizations that focus on providing sexual health care, or if you are interested in working with children, you can join organizations focusing on child welfare or even join a school as a volunteer to educate them about the best healthcare practices. Ultimately, the opportunities are endless, and you will have to make the right decision based on your interests, availability and skill set.
Find out your volunteering goals
Is there anything specific that you want to achieve? Start by thinking about the causes or organizations that you are most passionate about. Consider your personal values and the issues that matter most to you, such as child welfare, public health or disaster relief.
Determine your availability and commitment level
Would you work in parallel to your job or do it part-time? Some volunteer opportunities may require a regular commitment, while others may be more flexible.
Research organizations and causes that align with your interests
Look for organizations that align with your interests and expertise. Check their websites and social media pages to learn more about their mission, programs and volunteer opportunities. Remember to also consider the organization’s reputation and impact, as well as any potential costs or safety concerns, before committing to a volunteer opportunity.
Reach out to the organizations
Learn more about their volunteer opportunities, requirements and how you can get involved. Ask yourself if the opportunity matches your goals and values.
Try it out
Try out the opportunity and evaluate if it’s a good fit for you. If it’s not, there is no harm in finding another opportunity, whether in the same or a different organization.
Make the most out of the volunteering
Volunteering as a nurse will take time away from the job, and it is up to the nurses to make the most of the volunteering experience. It is important that the whole experience is beneficial and enjoyable.
To maximize the returns from any volunteering experience, it is important to ask questions so that it is possible to find the right opportunity and figure out whether it will suit your preference. Nurses should be aware of the commitment required and don’t end up over-committing. It is important to keep some flexibility to reduce the chances of burnout. Volunteer work is not like a contractual job, so if you feel uncomfortable in a situation, you should not feel bad about the need to change it. The best way to find a beneficial volunteering experience for oneself and the organization is to have fun in the assigned task. If it’s not fun, the overall outcome will never give you a sense of fulfillment or even achievement.
Conclusion
Using nursing skills in volunteer opportunities can change the lives of others for the better. Nursing is a caring profession, and nurses often choose to volunteer with organizations to support their cause for the welfare of others, despite their usual jobs in the healthcare industry. Volunteering not only helps the various organizations and communities in need, but it also enriches the nurses’ lives by giving them a sense of purpose and belonging, career advancement opportunities and preventing nursing burnout by lowering stress. Ultimately, a volunteering experience will enhance the nurses’ skills at a medical and interpersonal level while assisting communities that need assistance.
