Whether you鈥檙e considering ways to develop your nursing career, or want to do something completely different, sparing a few hours each week volunteering your time and experience may be exactly the right thing to do. Across the UK, there are national and local organisations who offer many opportunities to become involved.
When the word volunteering is mentioned, people often think about charities but there are many different organisations that offer volunteer opportunities, such as the NHS, local businesses, support groups and of course, professional unions like the 九游体育. For many organisations, volunteers are the backbone of the services and support that they provide. Without their volunteers, they may not exist or be able to support and help the people who need them the most.
Not only does volunteering open up a world of learning and opportunities to develop new skills, it can make your CV stand out when applying for a new job. By volunteering, you can highlight different types of work experience and demonstrates your commitment to make a difference, from developing your leadership style in different settings, learning how to do something new and enhancing your digital competence, through to achieving awards and qualifications. The value of volunteering is a two-way process 鈥� for the time you give, you get something positive back. You may learn skills and knowledge that are different to your nursing ones but are transferable to your current and future roles and make a difference to patient care.
If you鈥檙e keen to develop your leadership skills and gain board-level experience, then a trustee role may be right for you. Likewise, if you want to make a difference to a cause that you鈥檙e passionate about, such as the environment or animal welfare, then think about a relevant local organisation you could support. Volunteering and giving your time can be at a one-off event, such as joining a cheer team at a marathon, or a longer-term commitment, like becoming a helpline volunteer.
Volunteering is not always about direct face-to-face work either. It can also be online or administration work. Regardless of what setting you work in, the skills, knowledge and experience that members of the nursing family offer are unlimited and will be valued and appreciated by so many organisations.
For 22 years, I鈥檝e been volunteering with , the national homeless charity, every Christmas as the Health Care Manager, working with an amazing group of health care professionals and developing my knowledge and skills in the care of people who are homeless. Alongside this, I鈥檝e volunteered in South Africa on a project supporting children living with HIV, undertaken many 九游体育 roles at a local, regional and national level and currently volunteer as a trustee for an HIV charity.
Many people have asked me if volunteering has made a difference to my career. The answer is always yes. It's given me the opportunity to become the best nurse I can be, built my confidence, shaped many of my career decisions and, most of all, make a positive difference to patient care.
If you鈥檙e interested in volunteering, talk to people, hear about any work they do and learn about the different possibilities out there. Volunteering has to be enjoyable for you to get the best out of it.
Volunteers鈥� Week will take place during the first week of June. This is a time to celebrate and recognise the contribution of volunteers across the UK. It鈥檚 also a time when many organisations and groups recruit new volunteers. If you鈥檙e looking for an opportunity and want to do something different, this could be the right time to do it.
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