Some days, I'd like to have time to "stand still" so I can just focus on one project, one event, or one crisis at a time. Wouldn't it be great to be able to have everything around you just "stop?" Like in the movies, an actor can look around and the world is standing still while he or she is moving and thinking, focusing on the task at hand. There is no "time" lost in those scenes.
But our life/lives go on. Life still happens for us: money for mortgages, food, and clothing need to be earned, bills need to be paid, deadlines need to be met, laundry needs to be done, meals need to be prepared, and children need to get to school and events. We try to fit time in for ourselves too. And yet, we even need a vacation from our vacations! I hear coworkers who just return from vacation; want more time off to deal with their everyday life commitments because they are overwhelmed trying to catch up.
Yet, here I am asking you to "care to do" more. That is, to volunteer. Remember, care is to want to do something; it is paying attention to the details. In other words, it is being engaged. To do is to solve, fix, prepare, organize, ensure, and/or perform. Volunteering means to be a helper, to offer, and to give. That sounds like nursing! To care for others and help others is probably why you became a nurse in the first place.
Every day nurses advocate for the patient by collaborating with all other disciplines. We have to educate ourselves to evidence-based practices to improve outcomes. Those outcomes need to be maintained to prevent readmission and promote health and wellness outside of healthcare. Prevention is key.
To prevent injury or disease, the public needs education as to know what symptoms to watch for and how to prevent disease and injury. There is a wealth of information available now via the Internet, speakers, and publications, so we know what we need to do to stay healthy; however, living healthy lives consistently can be a challenge. So what are your communities' needs to stay healthy?
With nurses' energy, commitment, and knowledge, no matter what you choose to volunteer for, your participation and your conversation with others will position you as a positive role model. Volunteering is also an opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills.
Time spent doing "good" is self-fulfilling. Doesn't being "fulfilled" sound gratifying? To know your purpose every day when you arise gives you self-worth and the respect of others around you. Those are great attributes to have and volunteering supports and promotes those attributes.
During my literature search on volunteering, I found an article from http://USAToday.com. In the article, Michael Brown, cofounder and CEO of City Year, which places young mentors in urban schools states regarding community service, "It's no longer keeping up with the Joneses. It's helping the Joneses." He also states, "Hard times, produces values clarification."
The article discusses also that Millennials are a generation that seems to be in tune to global needs and are known to have a high percentage of volunteerism. Unlike culturally polarized Baby Boomers or cynical Gen-Xers, this is "a generation of activist doers." They have grown up where it was necessary to pull together, for example 9/11. Required to volunteer in schools they have since expanded to international focuses.
Also in the article, Kathryn Yaros, a 19-year-old student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn who is a United Way team leader stated, "Volunteering is not such a casual thing anymore. It's part of our lifestyle. Giving back is our own way of being empowered to create a positive change within the community."
Volunteering fulfills a connection we seek then, giving back, and creating a positive change.
A miserable job market is an added reason to volunteer. Volunteer organizations are going head to head against employers at job fairs.
Maybe you just don't know where to start, to begin volunteering. Google "volunteer" and you will find an endless list within your local community and then global opportunities. For example: American Red Cross; Parks & Recreation; VA; Reading, Tutoring & Mentoring; a local library; Chore Services; Feeding America; American Heart Association; March of Dimes; Humane Society; USO; Make A Wish Foundation; Food Bank; Fire Fighters; Girl Scouts; Boy Scouts; Big Brothers Big Sisters; Habitat for Humanity; Kids Health; United Way; American Cancer Society; the Special Olympics and if you can't give your time and talents then Charitable Giving. And, of course, don't forget the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses.
Where to begin? Here are tips as to "How to volunteer" by http://wikihow.com:
1. Consider why you want to volunteer.
2. Choose an organization that is meaningful to you.
3. Look for an organization or activity in your local community.
4. Seek out an organization and tasks within it that suit your skills and interests.
5. Start small.
6. Get to know others in the organization and how the group supports volunteers.
7. Explain your own background and preferences.
8. Get started-ask questions and do your research.
9. Get training-orient to the organization.
10. Try not to give up.
11. Have fun!
Warnings:
1. Don't be a zealot. Enthusiasm for your chosen organization or cause is great, but balance and moderate it so that you don't burn out. Remember, too, that others may not feel as strongly about your cause as you do.
2. Try not to get pressured into volunteering, or taking on too much. If it stops being rewarding and starts being a chore back off or take a break.
3. Pay attention to safety and don't be bashful about asking for training.
I recently attended the Leadership Institute offered by Smith Bucklin, NAON's management company. That experience was entertaining and offered much wisdom. Learning how to be a volunteer leader that is "high-performing and self-renewing" was the focus of our training. There we discussed distinguishing qualities of volunteers such as "looking to the future, focusing outwardly, embracing diversity, being visible, and understanding the commitment of time."
I understand that adding volunteering to your already busy schedules is a lot to ask. Who is better to improve your community than you, a nurse?
Remember to send photos of your volunteering activities to NAON headquarters at http://www.orthonurse.org
Let us show each other and to anyone who visits our web page how we care.
Care to be, care to do, care a calling.
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