With the holidays nearing us, most business professionals will be taking time off. Families will gather together to celebrate, crowding homes and eating big holiday meals.
And while some nurses will be able to do the same thing, many travel nurses will either be away from home, or will be working over Christmas, Christmas Eve, or New Years and will be unable to meet with family at normal times. The nature of nursing makes working over holidays all throughout the year a reality for most nurses, for better or worse.
Here at RTG Medical, we actually think that despite being away from home (or working over the holidays), travel nursing during the holiday season has its benefits. There are a lot of ways to make the most of working and traveling during this time of year, and although we’ve already discussed a few ways to do so, one way we haven’t yet talked about is volunteering.
Here are a few reasons why volunteering over the holidays is a great option for nurses who may have some free time away from home:
- Volunteering can offer a similar sense of fulfillment to the one you get while working in the hospital: Nurses like the ones we work with here at RTG Medical love their profession because they get to help others. Working gives nurses a sense of fulfillment and of helping the community, and volunteering can do the same thing! There’s nothing better than knowing that you’re helping those in need, and no one knows that better than nurses. So if you’re traveling and are looking for a fulfilling way to spend your time, look no further than volunteering with local organizations.
- The need for volunteers doesn’t go away during the holidays: The need for volunteers doesn’t go away during the holidays–if anything, it actually increases. Whether at homeless shelters which need more help than ever over the holidays, or at nursing homes which are always in need of volunteers to connect with residents without family, volunteers are definitely in need at this time of year. Although volunteer services are appreciated at all times of year, organizations tend to really appreciate help over the holidays.
- Volunteering is a fulfilling way to get your mind off of being away from home and family: Being away from home and family at this time of year can be difficult, but it’s hard to think of a better way to fill time away than by helping others. You can build connections with others, and really, volunteering is just a great way to get your mind off of being away!
If you think that volunteering your time away from home is something that sounds interesting to you, services like VolunteerMatch make it easy to find places in need of volunteers–no matter what time it is or where you are in the country! And as we suggested above, nursing homes are always in need of volunteers, so be sure to check local nursing homes if you want to volunteer some of your time.
For the same reason that holidays can foster a sense of community amongst traveling co-workers, they’re also a great time to help those in need. And we know that nurses love to help others!
So while being away from home during the holidays is always tough, volunteering is a great way to fill time away from home.
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photo credit: JSmith Photo via photopin cc
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