Volunteering in the Health Career Industry
The health career industry may offer a wealth of volunteering opportunities.
You might choose to work as a volunteer as the extent of your commitment, or perhaps you want to explore the job on a volunteer basis before committing yourself to schooling for the profession. If you are already planning to or are pursuing education to allow you to work in the field, volunteering may be a great way to get to know the staff where you’d like to one day work, or maybe you’re just eager to begin working in a health care setting. In any of these circumstances, volunteering can be a highly beneficial and rewarding experience that allows you to give back.
Fire or EMT Volunteers
There are over 750,000 volunteer firefighters in the United States, and 22 percent of ambulance personnel are volunteers. These positions may also be career, but there are a vast number of opportunities for folks who wish to work a more traditional career full-time and serve as volunteer firefighters and EMTs on nights and weekends. These volunteer positions do require training and education because of the nature of the jobs. Firefighters and EMTs work with patients and the general public and must be able to meet crucial safety and health standard regulations. Volunteering is an excellent way to give back to your community and fill your need to help people, or give yourself face-time with potential future bosses and colleagues to help you get your foot in the door.
Nursing Careers
While you will need nursing credentials to treat patients in any capacity, there are options for those interested in nursing as a career or a volunteer position in the realm of nursing. Places like nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and rehabilitation clinics may offer volunteer positions for tasks like cleaning, administrative tasks such as phone and desk work, and companionship for patients. These positions expose you to the atmosphere you might work in professionally, allow you to meet and get to know potential employers, or just satisfy your desire to help people while you work full-time in some separate field.
