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I know it’s hard to even think about being a nurse volunteer when you’re in nursing school. It’s not entirely impossible, especially during your school breaks. If you’re able to volunteer locally with your current nursing school that’s the simplest route to just get going. Acquiring assessment and clinical skills is another added bonus. Above all, you’ll get to experience another country or learn more about a specific organization. How else can you gain experience, have a trip of a lifetime and make a difference?
What if you already have the coveted RN next to your name and considered volunteering during your time off? What? Stop.. Volunteer on your time off you say? You’d rather sleep, eat, sleep again and then maybe clean the house or gasp get together with your friends/family right? Sure, but if you’re like many nurses suffering from nursing burnout, a short 1 hour volunteer experience or a longer 1 week stay in Guatemala, may be just what you need to re-ignite your passion for nursing. It’s true, you realize when you volunteer (yes it’s working out of the kindness of your heart)–you feel like you’re making a difference to a community of patients/people that never would have had the assistance. It’s humbling to say the least.
The nurse volunteer experience awaits you and there are so many out different opportunities out there but one I stumbled upon www.onenurseatatime.com is founded by nurses looking to make a difference on a global level. To get started on a nursing medical mission read on:
STEP 1 | DECIDE ON TIMEFRAME & LOCATION
Think about the time commitment you’ll have. If you’re a student nurse, make sure you reserve time for your studies because you’ve got to graduate! Let’s say you have an hour to spare each week, think about which nurse volunteer programs offer that opportunity. http://www.volunteermatch.org is another great option if you have limited time but still want to get involved. If you can offer 1 week or more of your time, consider http://www.unitedplanet.org/healthcare-volunteer-abroad.
STEP 2 | BUDGET FOR THE TRIP & FUNDRAISE
GUATEMALA! $2000 or more for the trip on a BSN or MSN student budget may be a tough pill to swallow, but here’s where the medical mission fundraising get’s creative and fun! Say goodbye to sipping those daily chai lattes and/or getting those weekly french manicures! Start socking away $20 week and within a year you’re working with $960 but you’ll still have to add in any incidentals. Think about fundraising! Imagine getting the word out on a great cause with your friend & family base. Send an email to them explaining the cause/trip and set a fundraising goal. Are you on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter or other social media outlets? Let everyone know and sign up with www.fundly.com to get the monies organized. Feeling adventurous and want to get the word out to an even larger audience? Consider a www.kickstarter.com
Before you know it you’ve achieved your goal of $2000 or whatever it was you had originally set.
STEP 3 | ASSEMBLE THE SUPPLIES
Sometimes the nurse volunteer trip may ask you to fundraise supplies as well. If you’re lucky, you might be able to ask your school or employer to help. Or you may need to host another fundraiser for supplies.
STEP 4 | PACK APPROPRIATELY
Leave the glam, jewelry, and fancy threads home! Pack smart and pick up some on sale scrubs at www.scrubs.com and stick with cotton/linens for those warmer climates.
STEP 5 | BRING YOUR JOURNAL & TAKE PHOTOS
Random? Not quite, this is a perfect trip to journal your nurse volunteer experiences and take plenty of photos but remember HIPAA and patient confidentiality and privacy!
STEP 6 | ORDER YOUR TICKETS
Usually lodging is organized by the host country but airfare will be your responsibility. Get on www.expedia.com to track the best fares and use google fare tracker at www.google.com/flights for alerts when the fare is most favorable. Don’t wait last minute to book your flight!
STEP 7 | ENJOY THE TRIP
Soak in the cultural experience, lend a hand, learn new skills and yes pinch yourself, you’re there making a difference. You couldn’t have imagined the trip would be so rewarding. Until the next nurse volunteer excursion, enjoy!
Where have you gone? Do you have a nurse volunteer experience to share with us? Fill out the form and we’d love to talk to you!
