Voluntary work. Any experience? (Nursing home in paticular!)

[FayDanielle]

I am applying for a Volunteer position in a nursing home. (Start an access to nursing course in September so hoping it will help somewhere along the way!)

Does anyone have any exprience? Any voluntary work at all!

What did you do? How did you find it?

I'm sending my application tomorrow and I'm just as nervous as I would be had it been a paid job! x

 

[xlouloux]

My last job was in a nursing home, I'm in a residential now as it's much easier but don't worry! All they will be looking for is someone who has a genuine interest in the field. You won't do much with regards to the actual nursing unless they offer you training to do it, you will just be a handy extra doing things like making cups of tea, chatting with residents, sometimes a bit of laundry if it's required or sorting out their wardrobes or even doing their nails etc.

Depending on where you go it will really be up to you to decide how much to take on and you will more than likely have to follow the carers around for a bit. You wouldn't believe how much having an extra pair of hands about helps.

The one girl at my old place was doing her nursing and they trained her up and hired her as bank staff so she could earn a bit of money while doing it.

Good luck with your application! xx

 

[XcupcakeX]

I've just done a weeks placement in a nursing home, (I'm a first year student nurse) so slightly different, but I just helped with washes, feeding the residents, changing beds etc, they'll probably have you helping them out with various things like that. Tbh it wasn't exactly my cup of tea but I know I'm not going to love every aspect of nursing! It was certainly an eye opener anyway! Good luck!

 

[lau86]

I did voluntary work in a nursing home when I was at school, I was only 16/17 so I never really did any of the heavy work mostly I chatted to the residents and handed out cups of tea/ took orders etc. I was only ever there a few hours at a time.

 

[foquita]

I don't volunteer for a nursing home, I volunteer for chest heart and stroke though so it's with the elderly too I've done it for two years and love it, I work with people who have had a stroke and have been left with a communication impairment. I started off going to a stroke group then I changed to inreach where I went to hospital and saw service users on their own to work on their speech/language while they were still in rehab I'm going back to the same group I used to go to in two weeks though because I'm free on wednesdays again, I can't wait

what will you be doing in the nursing home? I was just as nervous as I would be with a paid job too but once you get to know everyone you'll be jamming

 

[FayDanielle]

I have an interview on Monday
I got a phone call about an hour after I had handed my application form in!

I'm not sure what i'll be doing as of yet, I'm expcting what the other girls have mentioned. Making tea, following staff around, making beds etc. I don't care what I do to be honest, it's all experience in the field, which I hope will benefit me in the future xx

 

[Baby Bell]

I'm a nurse working with the elderly. Iv work in nursing homes and in hospital wards. In my experience we would never ask a volunteer to make beds or do laundry (infection control purposes), also that's the paid staffs jobs. ( Although this may vary in the home your applying for)What we usually have volunteers do is speak with the residents, activities such as painting nails etc. At a stretch making cups of tea. A volunteer is usually there to the social benefit of the patient/resident. Playing games with the residents who may be bored and don't get a lot of visitors. When unfortunately the paid staff dont have time to do these things! I hope you get the position, it's a lovely thing your doing giving up your time and energy to help the elderly......a social group who often are sadly forgotten about